Oxford

Oxford: history & character

Oxford has been welcoming dogs since the Middle Ages — the 1086 Domesday Book already mentions Port Meadow, the 162-hectare common bordering the Thames north of the city, which has been grazed and walked continuously ever since. The university city itself grew up around the colleges founded from the 12th century onward, and the English "town and gown" tradition of pubs, markets and shops open to workers and academics alike has always included dogs. Today, Oxford is one of England's most dog-friendly small cities: over 80% of pubs welcome dogs indoors, city buses and the Oxford Tube coaches to London carry them free, and the three great meadows (Port Meadow, Christ Church Meadow, University Parks) offer more than 200 hectares of canine space within a 20-minute walk of Carfax. Only the college quadrangles and gardens remain closed to dogs, along with the Bodleian buildings — a reasonable trade-off given the abundance of outdoor alternatives.