Crime & Safety
Oxfordshire: Top 10 blue plaques to visit across the county
The Oxford Blue Plaque Scheme celebrates everything from the invention of modern medicines to famous authors of the region.
There are hundreds of blue plaques for tourists and residents alike to find in Oxfordshire.
We have compiled a list of the top 10.
Baroness Lucy Faithfull
The baroness became the first blue plaque commemorated in 2026 this month, with a plaque adorning her home on Woodstock Road in Oxford, from 1958 until her passing in 1996.
The baroness was a social worker and champion of children’s rights. She was appointed by Oxford City Council in 1958 as one of the first children’s officers created by the Children Act of 1948, earning her nickname of ‘Mother to hundreds’.
H.H Asquith
Henry Herbert Asquith was honoured with a blue plaque in 2012.
The Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916 lived in Sutton Courtenay from 1912 until his passing in 1928, and is buried in the churchyard of All Saints.
The former leader of the liberal party was also 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith.
His government introduced ground-breaking welfare and constitutional advances, including the first ever old age state pension and the principle of national insurance contributions
Iffley Road Track
The plaque was unveiled at the Oxford University Sports Ground on Iffley Road in May 2004 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first sub-four minute mile ran.
Athlete Roger Bannister broke the record in May 1954 on the Iffley Road track running for the Amateur Athletics Association against Oxford University.
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Revd Edward Stone
Revd Edward Stone was honoured with a blue plaque in 2003 in memory of his work discovering salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin.
The plaque in Chipping Norton was unveiled where he previously lived at Hitchman Brewery, West Street.
Oxford Park and Ride
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first park and ride, the Oxford Civic Society unveiled the plaque in 2019.
Redbridge Park and Ride car park with a dedicated bus service opened in December 1973.
There had been earlier experiments in Oxford itself and in Nottingham and Leicester but the Redbridge Park and Ride was the first in the UK to be successfully sustained from its inception until the present day.
Penicillin
A plaque unveiled in 2018 at the former outpatient building of the Radcliffe Infirmary is in celebration of the discovery and use of penicillin.
Now the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences University of Oxford, the building was the place where the first antibiotic was used to treat infection in 1941.
This followed the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, and work performed by Howard Florey and a team of scientists at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology to make it a viable treatment.
A related blue plaque ceremony was held on the same day at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology.
J. R. R. Tolkein
The infamous author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was educated at Exeter College, Oxford.
He returned to Oxford after service in the First World War, during which he wrote his first stories.
His blue plaque was unveiled by his daughter in 2002 at their former family home at 20 Northmoor Road.
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Dame Agatha Christie
The ‘queen of crime’ famed for 66 detective novels was commemorated alongside her husband, archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan at their former home in Wallingford.
The plaque was unveiled by her grandson in 2010 at Winterbrook House, which is believed to have inspired the fictional village of St Mary Mead in her famed Miss Marple stories.
Ivy Williams
The first woman to be called to the Bar of England and Wales had a plaque unveiled in her memory in 2020.
The plaque, at her former home on King Edward Street in the city, celebrates her role as a champion for women’s role in education.
C.S. Lewis
Famous author of the Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis was celebrated with a blue plaque in 2008.
The plaque is placed at his former home at The Kilns, in Lewis Close, Headington Quarry where he lived during his time as a fellow at Oxford University and even during his time as a professor at Cambridge University.
Mourners, including members of the Royal Family, travelled to a small village in the county for the funeral of Lady Pamela Hicks on Saturday (June 13).
The service for the 97‑year‑old took place at St Bartholomew’s Church in Brightwell Baldwin, between Wallingford and Watlington.
Lady Pamela died last week at her home in the village, where she had lived for many years with her late husband, interior designer David Hicks.
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Among the mourners were Lady Helen Taylor, daughter of Prince Edward, and Penelope Knatchbull, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
There was no sign of King Charles or Queen Camilla, though, as the funeral came on the same day as Trooping the Colour, the King’s official London birthday parade.
Nevertheless, mourners paid their respects outside St Bartholomew’s Church as the coffin was carried inside, before following the procession for the service.
The small parish church is close to The Grove, the family house that became her long‑term base in Oxfordshire.
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According to the published order, the funeral was arranged in line with Lady Pamela’s wishes, with rousing hymns but no formal sermon or eulogy during the service.
Lady Pamela was a first cousin of the late Prince Philip and a great‑great‑granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
She was also a bridesmaid at the 1947 wedding of the then Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.
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The 97-year-old later served as a lady‑in‑waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and accompanied the then Princess on the 1952 tour of Kenya.
This was when news came through of King George VI’s death and Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.
Following her death on June 5, King Charles paid a warm tribute, saying he was “greatly saddened to learn of the death of Lady Pamela Hicks, a sorrow tempered by the fondest memories and deepest gratitude for her long life and loyal service to Queen Elizabeth.”
In the statement released by Buckingham Palace, he added that her “warmth, wit and perspicacity always made such an impression” and that she would be “so dearly missed by all those who knew and loved her.”
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Lady Pamela is survived by her three children, Edwina, Ashley and India, and several grandchildren, many of whom were expected to attend today’s village service.
Brightwell Baldwin is a small rural parish in South Oxfordshire, about four and a half miles north‑east of Wallingford and close to the foot of the Chiltern Hills.
The village, whose name comes from the Old English for “bright spring”, had a population of just over 200 at the last census and is centred around a handful of stone cottages, farms and the church.
St Bartholomew’s itself dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, with later medieval additions, and is regarded as one of south Oxfordshire’s most interesting historic churches.
Led by manager Daley Cross, a renal and transplant youth worker at the Churchill Hospital, the England men’s side claimed the title with a 9-1 win over Scotland in the final.
The tournament, held in Dingwall at the Global Energy Stadium, brought together more than 60 transplant recipients from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with each team showcasing the life-changing impact of organ donation and the resilience of transplant recipients.
Mr Cross said: “While it’s fantastic to bring the trophy home, the most important thing is the message behind the tournament.
“This is about showing what organ donation makes possible. Every player is living proof of the difference it can make.”
Among the England squad were two kidney transplant recipients cared for at Churchill Hospital – defender Robert Collins, 23, who received a kidney from his uncle in 2009, and goalkeeper Adam Martin, 35, who received a transplant from his sister in 2023.
Mr Collins, from Bedfordshire, said: “I’ve always loved playing football. When I was ill, I couldn’t play at all and I really missed it.
“Having a transplant has given me the chance to get back on the pitch and enjoy the game again.
“Being part of this team makes it even more special. There’s a real bond between us, one that extends beyond football – we’ve all been given a second chance.
“Every time we play, it’s a celebration of that. Scoring goals and winning along the way also helps.”
Mr Martin, from Banbury, said: “Representing your country is always an honour, but doing it alongside all the other transplant recipients – and in recognition of our donors – means so much more.
“I’ll always be forever grateful for the support the team offers and also to my sister for giving me a second chance at life.”
England finished the tournament unbeaten, securing dominant group-stage wins against Scotland (10-0), Northern Ireland (8-2), and Wales (7-0) before winning the final.
Mr Cross, who has worked at Oxford University Hospitals for 11 years, said: “We’re proud of what we’ve achieved on the pitch, but above all we want to raise awareness and encourage more people to consider organ donation.
“It truly saves and transforms lives.”
The tournament also featured public outreach to encourage sign-ups to the NHS Organ Donor Register.
England’s transplant team will now set their sights on the Transplant Football World Cup in Frankfurt, Germany, taking place later this year.
The competition will bring together teams from around the world to promote organ donation and celebrate the achievements of transplant recipients on a global stage.
The actress, who was born and grew up in the city, is well known to audiences around the world after starring as Professor Sprout in several of the Harry Potter films.
Known for her character actor work across film, television, and stage, she received the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese’s 1993 film, The Age of Innocence.
Ms Margolyes was awarded an OBE in 2002 for services to drama, but there were calls for this to be taken back last year.
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The 85-year-old, who is Jewish, has said that “people don’t like Jews” whilst speaking at the Hay Festival in Powys.
Ms Margolyes added that her Jewish identity has shaped her “whole life” and added: “What your parents teach you and what you learn from the community you live in.”
Addressing concerns about rising antisemitism, she told the audience: “Nobody likes me to say this, but I’m going to say it – people don’t like Jews.”
She reflected on how, after the Holocaust – “when millions of Jewish people, and people from other backgrounds, were killed by the Nazis during World War Two” – there was a period when people “realised that they couldn’t say nasty things about Jews because terrible things happened to Jews and they must be sympathetic, so it stopped.”
However, she added that, over time, when “people with no morals who happened to be Jewish” appeared in public life, “the knives came out again, and they have never been put away.”
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