The Site of Holywell Gallows, aka Gownsman's Gallows
19 September 2022
Junction of Longwall Street and Holywell Street, Oxford
The gallows that once stood on this site saw the brutal executions of the 1589 Catholic martyrs among others.
A religious cult is hounded out of Oxford
20 April 2022
St. Thomas Street, Oxford
In 1825, many men in Oxford fell under the spell of a fanatical evangelist whose preaching urged them to leave their wives.
Door knocker-stealing craze of the 1830s
29 March 2022
Merton Street, Oxford
In the 1830s, university authorities were locked in an ongoing battle of wits with students intent on stealing college door knockers!
The Eynsham Railway Station Robbery of 1927
13 February 2022
Old Station Way, Eynsham
In December 1927 an attempt to steal the safe from Eynsham Railway Station resulted in a harrowing ordeal for station porter Frederick Castle.
The Oxford Rail Disaster of 1853
20 January 2022
Oxford Railway Station, Rewley Road
On the 8th January 1853, a series of misunderstandings led to one of the most deadly rail disasters in Oxford's history.
Charlbury Anti-Vaccination Riots of 1897
6 January 2022
Church Street, Charlbury
In 1897, riotous scenes in Charlbury made headlines nationwide as the small town found itself at the centre of the debate around compulsory smallpox vaccinations.
Beating the Bounds Tragedy at Charlbury
29 December 2021
River Evenlode, Charlbury
A quaint custom ended in disaster in 1924 when a capsized boat on the River Evenlode resulted in the drowning of three children.