Residents mark 200 years of 'lovely' and 'ever-changing' Jericho

BBC News

13-05-2025

Events are being held to celebrate a "vibrant", "mad" and "lovely" 200-year-old suburb of Oxford.Activities throughout the month will mark the bicentenary of the city's Jericho neighbourhood, which can be traced back to 1825.One residents told the BBC the suburb was "very Oxford, diverse, ever changing, bit of a mystery, bit mad, but lovely". On Tuesday historian Mark Davies will lead a walk through the suburb, organised by The Jericho Living Heritage Trust.
Reflecting on the anniversary, another resident described the area as "fantastic"."It feels super safe, it is such a lovely, vibrant part of the city and [there is] lots of fantastic food and lovely people around," he said."I've had a great time living here."One local woman said she had moved into her house with six of her seven children and had lived there for 26 years. "All my children love Jericho, went to St Barnabas School and a couple of them went to saint Barnabas Church," she said, adding that she liked the proximity to Port Meadow, the University Parks and museums.
Mr Davies, who is chair of the heritage trust, said 1825 was when the meadows bounded by the Oxford Canal, Walton Well, Walton Street, and Worcester College "began to be transformed into the residential suburbs of Jericho and Walton Manor"."This process of urbanisation had begun in 1824 with the decision of St John's College to allow house building on Walton Closes: an area of meadow immediately to the north of Worcester College," he said."This was followed in 1825 to 1829 by the sale of the meadows belonging to Peter Wellington Furse which comprise all of modern Jericho."He added that the area next to the Oxford Canal had been known as "Little and Great Bear Meadow" as "Furse also owned The Bear Inn in central Oxford".
Mr Davies said he wanted the trust to be "the catalyst" for marking the bicentenary.He said his walk would include "Jericho's rich literary and artistic associations, and will end inside the imposing church of St Barnabas". There will also be guided walks and a talk at the Museum of Oxford later in the year.The trust has also encouraged residents to promote events in Jericho and elsewhere to celebrate the bicentenary throughout the year.
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