The St. Brice's Day Massacre at Oxford
28 October 2023
St. Giles, Oxford
In 1002, King Æthelred ordered the murder of all the Danes in Oxford. Over 1000 years later, their bodies were discovered below St. John's College.
The Goring tragedy that inspired Jerome K. Jerome
17 October 2023
Hartslock Woods, Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
A memorable and moving incident from Jerome K. Jerome's novel Three Men in a Boat was inspired by a real-life tragedy at Goring-on-Thames that was reported in newspapers nationwide.
Ralph Hamsterley's skeleton brass at Oddington church
26 September 2023
St. Andrew's Church, Oddington
The Cadaver Monument of John Golafre at Fyfield
21 September 2023
St. Nicholas's church, Fyfield
Visitors to the tomb of John Golafre at Fyfield will be confronted by a gruesome statue of his hollow-eyed corpse.
The Knights Templar at Sandford-on-Thames
9 August 2023
Henley Road, Sandford-on-Thames
The legend of the mysterious Knights Templar still captivates people today. And one of their most important bases in England was located right here in Oxfordshire.
A Farm called Purgatory
17 February 2023
Purgatory, Steeple Barton
An unusual name jumps out at you while browsing maps of the River Dorn between Steeple Barton and Wootton: Purgatory. What is this hellish-sounding place, and how did it get its name?
Ghosts, Giants and Beasts of the Chequers Inn, Oxford
17 February 2023
The Chequers, 131 High Street, Oxford
The Chequers dates back over eight centuries and can boast a strange history, including animal menageries, resident giants, macabre sideshows, secret tunnels and ghostly monks!
The White Mark of Watlington Hill
11 January 2023
Watlington Chalk Pit (nature reserve)
While Watlington's own huge chalk hill carving might not rival that at Wilmington or Uffington, it has an amusing story behind it that deserved to be more widely known.