The King's Men stone circle by munki-boy

Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in South East England.

Oxford is home to the world-famous University of Oxford, the Ashmolean Museum and Bodleian Libraries. The British author Colin Dexter based his Inspector Morse novels in Oxford. The Cotswold town of Witney, once famed for its blanket industry is to the west of Oxford. To the north of Oxford is Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site. It was built by architect John Vanbrugh for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, after he had won the battle of Blenheim. The gardens were designed by Capability Brown. It is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, who was born in the palace in 1874. South along the River Thames is Wallingford, where Agatha Christie lived from 1934 until 1974. Wallingford is also one of the main filming locations for Midsomer Murders.

Oxfordshire includes parts of three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the north-west lie the Cotswolds, to the south and south-east are the open chalk hills of the North Wessex Downs and wooded hills of the Chilterns and to the north is the ironstone of the Cherwell uplands.

Long-distance walks within Oxfordshire, include the Ridgeway National Trail, Macmillan Way, Oxfordshire Way and the D’Arcy Dalton Way.

Part or all of Oxfordshire is in North Wessex Downs AONB, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Part or all of Oxfordshire is in Chilterns AONB, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Part or all of Oxfordshire is in Cotswolds AONB, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Created: 27  November  2016  Edited: 29  November  2023

Oxfordshire

Nature Reserves in Oxfordshire

There are 30 nature reserves in Oxfordshire.

Wildlife in and around Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire Mammals

There are 48 species of mammals recorded as found near Oxfordshire.

45 Khz Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)
Badger (Meles meles)
Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus)
Brown Long-Eared Bat (Plecotus auritus)
Chinese Barking Deer (Muntiacus reevesi)
American Mink (Neovison vison)
Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus)
Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus)
Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Common Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)

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Oxfordshire Birds

There are 256 species of birds recorded as found near Oxfordshire.

Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
Bar-Headed Goose (Anser indicus)
Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
Black-Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)
Bar-Tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)
Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis)
Black Tern (Chlidonias niger)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)

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Oxfordshire Reptiles

There are 4 species of reptiles recorded as found near Oxfordshire.

Adder (Vipera berus)
Slow-worm (Anguis fragilis)
Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica)
Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

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Oxfordshire Amphibians

There are 7 species of amphibians recorded as found near Oxfordshire.

Alpine Newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris)
Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris)
Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita)
Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
Palmate Newt (Lissotriton helveticus)

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