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Oxfordshire map

Oxfordshire map

Regular price £40.00
Regular price Sale price £40.00
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Original/print/digital

This map was commended by the British Cartographic Society in 2015.

A hand painted map of the county of Oxfordshire, showing geography, history, nature and much more!

I have included history, characters, industries past and present, nature and geography, significant events, famous and vernacular buildings, as well as the rivers, railways and main roads. Clearly it’s not to scale. I’s just a bit of illustrative whimsy, but people seem to like it anyway.

The original painting in watercolour has already found a home but you can buy

  • an A2 size signed print
  • a digital file for you to make a single print at a format and size of your choice.

This painting is also available as a tea towel, and greetings card.

This map is my interpretation of the county featuring things that I consider important.

Industry

 The car industry for example. Every car pictured on the map was built in the county, from the modern BMW Mini through to the Morris Oxfords and Abingdon’s gorgeous MGs. And racing cars too!

Oxfordshire’s important scientific heritage and world-leading technology industries are shown – from a strand of DNA to aeronautical engineering. The older crafts and industries are represented though quarrying, brewing, boat building, blanket-making, jam making, book binding…

History and people

What a cast of nationally important characters hail from Oxfordshire! I couldn’t include everyone, but from politics I chose John Hampden from the Civil War, who rears up fighting at the battle of Chalgrove field. And Winston Churchill, of course.

The county has produced a number of kings, but for me the star of the show is Alfred the Great, Anglo-Saxon king of Wessex, a learned and merciful man who understood the value of education and the rule of law. And I couldn’t help sneaking in just over the border with Warwickshire, a Parliamentarian riding into the battle at Edge Hill.

My map of Oxfordshire painting also includes the ordinary folk just going about their business – dancing, fishing, walking, riding – through our extraordinarily ordinary (but no less beautiful for that) rolling landscapes of watermeadows, farmland, woods and gentle river valleys, all of which support a precious variety of species.

County flower

Did you know that the snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) is the county’s official flower? (I expect the people of Ducklington do!)

Music

Music is very important to me and so it features strongly on my map; Beatle George Harrison who lived near Henley for many years, opera at Garsington and the wonderful folk festival at Cropredy. And tucked away just north of Kidlington you’ll find where Mike Oldfield recorded his 1973 album Tubular Bells.

Prehistory

Oxfordshire’s prehistoric features were some of the very first elements I painted onto the map. The county is especially rich in ancient monuments, some well known, like the Ridgeway which snakes its chalky way across the bottom of the map and the spectacular Bronze Age White Horse, the highest point in the county at 856 feet. Less well-known are the Rollright stones, the Neolithic long barrow of Wayland’s Smithy and the Iron Age hillfort of Blewburton. But now you know about them, be sure to visit these glorious places.

Oxfordshire has got the lot!

Shipping and delivery

This website takes orders from UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

If you are not in these countries and you would like to make a purchase, please get in touch with me directly.

Posting your order

Typically, orders for physical products placed after 12pm on Friday, and on Saturday or Sunday will not be posted until Monday at the earliest. I use Royal Mail to dispatch your order.

If you have ordered multiple items, I will try to post everything together. Occasionally, this is not possible, in which case they will be dispatched in separate packages.

Digital files will typically be transferred to customers within 24 hours via email using WeTransfer, the file transfer website.

Buying an original painting? Please choose the tracked option!

UNITED KINGDOM (incl. Channel Islands, Isle of Man)

  • UK Royal Mail second class – 3 to 5 working days (can be longer at busy times of year)
  • UK Royal Mail tracked next day special delivery – next day by 1pm

If you choose a tracked delivery, I will be notified with your Royal Mail tracking number when your parcel has been dispatched.

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS

IMPORTANT! All international orders are shipped duties unpaid. Orders shipped outside of the UK may be subject to customs, taxes and duties. This cost is the responsibility of the customer and is payable on receipt of goods. Please check your local customs tax and duty costs as duties must be paid before the goods are released.

USA and CANADA
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

EUROPE (Rep of Ireland, France, Germany and Denmark only)
Royal Mail International Tracked service (7-14 days)

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