Explore an Oxford suburb of extraordinary diversity – artistic, literary, religious and architectural – with local historian, former Jericho canalboat resident and Chair of the Jericho Living Heritage Trust, Mark Davies.

This 90-minute tour will reveal the transformation over 200 years of the open fields known as ‘Twentiacre’ and Great & Little Bear Meadows into the compact streets of today. Bordered by the Oxford University Press and the ironworks known as Lucy’s, plus the Oxford Canal, Jericho is a neighbourhood like no other.

Jericho has been the inspiration authors such as: Thomas Hardy, Sir John Betjeman, Colin Dexter (creator of ‘Inspector Morse’), and Sir Philip Pullman; it has nurtured the fledging Pre-Raphaelite art movement; it has provided a musical stepping stone for, most notably, Radiohead; and it has accommodated a rich mix of artisanal trades and services.

As part of the tour, you will see: the original parish church, and its High Anglican successor; the University Press; St Sepulchre’s Cemetery, the resting place of Oxford citizens both famous and humble; an 18th-century meteorological station; the remarkable (and in some respects controversial) St Barnabas' Church; the sites of the former ironworks, a boatbuilding yard and an ancient well in Walton Manor; the Oxford Canal, and some of the pubs – current or former – for which Jericho was once infamous, one of which gave the suburb its name.

Accessibility and further information:

Meeting point: Outside the Blavatnik School of Government, 120 Walton Street, OX2 6GG. Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the walk and check with the guide.

Unfortunately, this walk is not accessible for wheelchair users, as there are steps on the bridge over the canal. Please email museum@oxford.gov.uk if you would like to discuss any access requirements ahead of booking a walk.

Please note that this walk is recommended for ages 16+. 

Tickets cost £15 and are available to purchase online or at the Museum shop.

Your ticket also gives you access to the MOX galleries on the day of the walk, at any time during opening hours.

Meet Your Tour Guide: Mark Davies

Mark Davies is an Oxford local historian, public speaker, and guide. His publications include the social and cultural importance of the city’s waterways (A Towpath Walk in Oxford; Alice in Waterland; Alice’s Oxford on Foot; What a Liberty!); historical crime (Stories of Oxford Castle; The Abingdon Waterturnpike Murder) and a biography of the Oxford pastry cook who was the first Englishman to fly (King of all Balloons). Until 2020 he had lived on an Oxford residential narrowboat for nearly 30 years, and is the Chair of the Jericho (Oxford) Living Heritage Trust. He is also a trustee of the Lewis Carroll Society, a member of the Society of Authors, and on the committee of the Alliance of Literary Societies.

Access at the Museum

The Museum is accessible for wheelchair users, buggies and baby carriers. There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift and lift to the basement level. Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum.

Please contact the Museum team if you'd like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our website: https://museumofoxford.org/plan-your-visit/access