OxfordLocal
Jericho, Oxford

Jericho

Oxford's bohemian quarter — independent cafes, the arthouse cinema, and canal walks.

Jericho is Oxford's answer to a creative quarter. A grid of Victorian terraced streets north of the city centre, it was originally a working-class neighbourhood serving the Oxford University Press and the canal. Now it's one of the city's most desirable areas, with a character quite different from the college-dominated centre.

What defines Jericho

Walton Street is the main drag — a long parade of independent cafes, restaurants, bookshops, and boutiques. Zheng and The Old Bookbinders are here, alongside Jericho Coffee Traders and the Phoenix Picturehouse (Oxford's arthouse cinema). The Jericho Tavern — where Radiohead played their first gig — is a Walton Street fixture.

The Oxford Canal runs along Jericho's western edge, and the towpath walk north towards Port Meadow is one of Oxford's best urban escapes. The Gardeners Arms on Plantation Road is a short detour for a vegetarian lunch.

The feel

More relaxed than the centre. Fewer tourists, more locals. The cafe density is high — Jericho has a large number of independent coffee shops for its size. In the evenings, the restaurants fill with academics and young professionals.

Getting here

A 10-minute walk north from the centre, via Beaumont Street (past the Ashmolean) or through Somerville College. The North Parade Market runs fortnightly on the eastern edge of the area.

Places in Jericho