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Explore - Strange History

St. John's College, Oxford

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.

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Camping party at Hart's Wood, Goring, 1880

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.

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Memento Mori tomb at Fyfield

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.

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The Knights Templar preceptory map 1910

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.

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A map showing purgatory, circa 1919

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?

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Chequers Inn, Oxford

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!

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The White Mark, Watlington Hill

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.

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