Osney
Encyclopedia
Osney, Osney Island, or Osney Town is a riverside community in the west of the city of Oxford
, England
. It is located off the Botley Road
, just west of the city's main railway station
, on an island surrounded by the River Thames
, known in Oxford as the Isis
. Osney is part of the city council ward of Jericho and Osney. Established during the Middle Ages, the place plays a minor but significant role in The Miller's Tale in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
.
and the stream which is now the main channel of the river. To the north the island is bounded by a short channel between the River Thames and the Castle Mill Stream, the Sheepwash Channel, which separates it from Fiddler's Island
.
Osney Abbey
was founded on the south part of the island in 1129, and Rewley Abbey
was founded in the north of the island in 1280. Osney Mill
was established by Osney Abbey on the west side of the island. The lands of both abbeys passed to Christ Church
following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in 1538. The island formed part of St. Thomas's parish.
In 1790 the mill stream feeding Osney Mill on the west side of the island became the main navigation channel of the river, when Osney Lock
was opened.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, only the side of the island east of St Thomas's Church was developed. In the 19th century the island changed significantly. The Great Western Railway
built its line across the island from north to south in 1850, with new bridges across the Thames
at the south end of the island, and across the Sheepwash Channel to the north. A new railway station
was opened on the island 2 years later. In 1851 the Buckinghamshire Railway
opened its line from the north across Sheepwash Channel to its Rewley Road station
next to the GWR station. To house railway workers Osney Town was laid out in 1851 by George P. Hester, on an island west of Osney leased by Hester from Christ Church. In the 1860s New Osney was developed around Mill Street
, south of Botley Road
between the railway and the river. The Cripley estate, north of Botley Road, was laid out in 1878. Osney Cemetery
was opened in 1848 in the south of the island.
The island presently has two public house
s, The Punter and The Hollybush. A Working Men's Club and Institute Union
affiliate, the West Oxford Democrats Club, also has premises on the island.
carries the Botley Road
(A420
) west from the historic Osney island. Osney Lock
was constructed in the river in 1790, between the island then known as Osney and the island now known as Osney.
, to the east of Ferry Hinksey Road
. The estate was initially intended to relocate badly sited existing local businesses. Organisations based there include publishers Alden Mowbray and Oxford Community Church, the latter occupying a building on the estate formerly used by Oxford Instruments
.
Newspaper House was designed by Arup Associates with mostly open plan
Bürolandschaft
offices and built 1970–72. It is the Oxfordshire headquarters of Newsquest
which publishes local tabloid newspapers including the weekly The Oxford Times
and daily Oxford Mail
.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located off the Botley Road
Botley Road
Botley Road is the main arterial road into Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close to central Oxford....
, just west of the city's main railway station
Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via...
, on an island surrounded by the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, known in Oxford as the Isis
The Isis
The Isis is the name given to the part of the River Thames above Iffley Lock which flows through the city of Oxford. The name is especially used in the context of rowing at the University of Oxford...
. Osney is part of the city council ward of Jericho and Osney. Established during the Middle Ages, the place plays a minor but significant role in The Miller's Tale in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at...
.
History
The name of Osney is Old English, and means either "island in the Ouse" (possibly an old name for the Thames) or "Osa's Island". Until the early 20th century the name was applied to the island formed by two streams of the River Thames immediately west of the centre of Oxford, Castle Mill StreamCastle Mill Stream
Castle Mill Stream is a backwater of the River Thames in the west of Oxford, England. It is 5.5 km long.-Course:The stream leaves the main course of the Thames at the south end of Port Meadow, immediately upstream of Medley Footbridge. It then flows under the Cherwell Valley railway line and turns...
and the stream which is now the main channel of the river. To the north the island is bounded by a short channel between the River Thames and the Castle Mill Stream, the Sheepwash Channel, which separates it from Fiddler's Island
Fiddler's Island
Fiddler's Island is an island in the River Thames at Oxford in England. It is situated south of Port Meadow on the reach above Osney Lock.The thin island sits between the Thames and Castle Mill Stream. On the south of the island a short stream known as the Sheepwash Channel divides the island from...
.
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey
Osney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
was founded on the south part of the island in 1129, and Rewley Abbey
Rewley Abbey
The Cistercian Abbey of Rewley was an Abbey in Oxford, England. It was founded in the 13th century by Edmund, 2nd Earl of Cornwall. Edmund's father, Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, founder of Hayles Abbey, had intended to establish a college or chantry of three secular priests to pray for his...
was founded in the north of the island in 1280. Osney Mill
Osney Mill
Osney Mill is a disused flour mill on a branch off the River Thames in Oxford, England. It is located south from the Botley Road down Mill Street.Close by is Osney Lock.To the east is Osney Cemetery and to the west is Osney Island....
was established by Osney Abbey on the west side of the island. The lands of both abbeys passed to Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
following the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1538. The island formed part of St. Thomas's parish.
In 1790 the mill stream feeding Osney Mill on the west side of the island became the main navigation channel of the river, when Osney Lock
Osney Lock
Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is close to Oxford where the village or island of Osney is next to the river.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790....
was opened.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, only the side of the island east of St Thomas's Church was developed. In the 19th century the island changed significantly. The Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
built its line across the island from north to south in 1850, with new bridges across the Thames
Osney Rail Bridge
Osney Rail Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Thames at Oxford in England. It carries the Cherwell Valley Line between Didcot and Oxford across the river on the reach between Iffley Lock and Osney Lock....
at the south end of the island, and across the Sheepwash Channel to the north. A new railway station
Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via...
was opened on the island 2 years later. In 1851 the Buckinghamshire Railway
Buckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
opened its line from the north across Sheepwash Channel to its Rewley Road station
Oxford Rewley Road railway station
Oxford Rewley Road railway station was a railway station serving the city of Oxford, England, located immediately to the north of what is now Frideswide Square on the site of the Saïd Business School. It was the terminus of the Buckinghamshire Railway, which was worked, and later absorbed, by the...
next to the GWR station. To house railway workers Osney Town was laid out in 1851 by George P. Hester, on an island west of Osney leased by Hester from Christ Church. In the 1860s New Osney was developed around Mill Street
Mill Street, Oxford
Mill Street is a street in Oxford, England. It is a cul-de-sac that runs south from the Botley Road close to Oxford railway station. It includes residential houses, mainly terraced, and some office space....
, south of Botley Road
Botley Road
Botley Road is the main arterial road into Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close to central Oxford....
between the railway and the river. The Cripley estate, north of Botley Road, was laid out in 1878. Osney Cemetery
Osney Cemetery
Osney Cemetery is a disused Church of England cemetery in Osney, west Oxford, England. It is in Mill Street south of Botley Road and near the site of Osney Abbey. It borders the Cherwell Valley Line railway a short distance south of Oxford railway station....
was opened in 1848 in the south of the island.
Modern Osney
The name Osney is today usually applied to Osney Town. Most of Osney's two hundred-odd households live in 19th century terraced cottages built on Hester's original grid, although there are a number of newer buildings on Bridge and West Streets, as well as a few significantly larger houses scattered throughout the island.The island presently has two public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s, The Punter and The Hollybush. A Working Men's Club and Institute Union
Working Men's Club and Institute Union
The Working Men's Club and Institute Union is a voluntary association of private members' clubs in Great Britain & Northern Ireland, with about 3,000 associate clubs. One club in the Republic of Ireland, the City of Dublin Working Men's Club is also affiliated. Most social clubs are affiliated to...
affiliate, the West Oxford Democrats Club, also has premises on the island.
New Osney
The name Osney is no longer applied to the island which historically bore the name. The part of the island east of the railway is now usually called St Thomas. The name survives on the island in New Osney, Osney Lane, Osney Cemetery, Osney Mill and Osney Marina. Osney BridgeOsney Bridge
Osney Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in Oxford, England, built in 1889 to replace a stone bridge which collapsed in 1885. It carries the Botley Road from Botley into Oxford...
carries the Botley Road
Botley Road
Botley Road is the main arterial road into Oxford, England from the west. It stretches between Botley, on the Oxford Ring Road to the west of the city, and Frideswide Square at the junction with Oxford railway station, close to central Oxford....
(A420
A420 road
The A420 is a road between Bristol and Oxford in England. Between Swindon and Oxford it is a primary route.-Present route:Since the opening of the M4 motorway, the road is in two sections. The first section begins on Old Market Street near the centre of Bristol, it passes through Kingswood before...
) west from the historic Osney island. Osney Lock
Osney Lock
Osney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is close to Oxford where the village or island of Osney is next to the river.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790....
was constructed in the river in 1790, between the island then known as Osney and the island now known as Osney.
Osney Mead
From 1961 an industrial estate, named Osney Mead in 1966, was developed on meadowland between Osney and Bulstake StreamBulstake Stream
Bulstake Stream, also spelt Bullstake Stream, is a backwater of the River Thames at Oxford, England. It leaves the main stream of the Thames at a river junction known as Four Rivers, at the south west corner of Fiddler's Island. It immediately flows past Tumbling Bay, the site of a bathing place...
, to the east of Ferry Hinksey Road
Ferry Hinksey Road
Ferry Hinksey Road is a road in west Oxford, England, leading south from the Botley Road. The road leads to the Osney Mead Industrial Estate to the east, started in 1961.- History :...
. The estate was initially intended to relocate badly sited existing local businesses. Organisations based there include publishers Alden Mowbray and Oxford Community Church, the latter occupying a building on the estate formerly used by Oxford Instruments
Oxford Instruments
Oxford Instruments plc is a United Kingdom manufacturing and research company that designs and manufactures tools and systems for industry and research. The company is headquartered in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England, with sites in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and Asia...
.
Newspaper House was designed by Arup Associates with mostly open plan
Open plan
Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices...
Bürolandschaft
Office landscape
Office landscape was an early movement in open plan office space planning.- History :Large open office environments have existed for a long time. However, these frequently consisted of many identical rows of desks or long tables where clerks, typists, or engineers performed repetitive functions...
offices and built 1970–72. It is the Oxfordshire headquarters of Newsquest
Newsquest
Newsquest is the third largest publisher of regional and local newspapers in the United Kingdom with 300 titles in its portfolio. Newsquest is based in Weybridge, Surrey and employs a total of more than 5,500 people across the UK...
which publishes local tabloid newspapers including the weekly The Oxford Times
The Oxford Times
The Oxford Times is a weekly newspaper, published each Thursday in Oxford, England. It is published from a large production facility at Osney Mead, west Oxford, and is owned by Newsquest, the UK subsidiary of US-based Gannett Company....
and daily Oxford Mail
Oxford Mail
Oxford Mail is a daily tabloid newspaper in Oxford, England owned by Newsquest. It is published six days a week. It is a sister paper to the weekly tabloid The Oxford Times.-History:...
.
External links
See also
- Osney AbbeyOsney AbbeyOsney Abbey or Oseney Abbey, later Osney Cathedral, was a house of Augustinian canons at Osney in Oxfordshire. The site is south of the modern Botley Road, down Mill Street by Osney Cemetery, next to the railway line just south of Oxford station. It was founded as a priory in 1129, becoming an...
- Osney BridgeOsney BridgeOsney Bridge is a road bridge across the River Thames in Oxford, England, built in 1889 to replace a stone bridge which collapsed in 1885. It carries the Botley Road from Botley into Oxford...
(1885) - Osney CemeteryOsney CemeteryOsney Cemetery is a disused Church of England cemetery in Osney, west Oxford, England. It is in Mill Street south of Botley Road and near the site of Osney Abbey. It borders the Cherwell Valley Line railway a short distance south of Oxford railway station....
(1848) - Osney FootbridgeOsney FootbridgeThe Gasworks Bridge, also known as the Old Gasworks Bridge, is an iron bridge across the River Thames at Oxford in England. It is a pedestrian bridge linking St Ebbes to the Grandpont nature reserve...
- Osney Rail BridgeOsney Rail BridgeOsney Rail Bridge is a railway bridge over the River Thames at Oxford in England. It carries the Cherwell Valley Line between Didcot and Oxford across the river on the reach between Iffley Lock and Osney Lock....
- Osney LockOsney LockOsney Lock is a lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England. It is close to Oxford where the village or island of Osney is next to the river.The first lock was built of stone by Daniel Harris for the Thames Navigation Commission in 1790....
- Osney Marina
- Osney MillOsney MillOsney Mill is a disused flour mill on a branch off the River Thames in Oxford, England. It is located south from the Botley Road down Mill Street.Close by is Osney Lock.To the east is Osney Cemetery and to the west is Osney Island....