Carfax Tower, Oxford (must see)

Carfax Tower stands at the junction of four streets—Cornmarket Street to the north, Saint Aldate’s to the south, High Street to the east, and Queen Street to the west—marking what is often considered the exact geographical centre of Oxford. The name “Carfax” comes from a word meaning “crossroads.”

Positioned on the north-east corner of the intersection, the tower is the only surviving part of the medieval Church of Saint Martin, which served as Oxford’s City Church from 1122 until the late 19th century. Civic leaders and mayors once worshipped here before most of the church was demolished in 1896 to ease congestion and create a wider roadway. Further road expansion led to the remainder of the church being removed in 1900, leaving only the tower.

Dating largely from the 13th century, Carfax Tower rises 23 metres above street level. Traditional planning rules ensured that no building in the city centre could exceed its height, preserving its prominence above the surrounding rooftops. The tower contains a ring of six bells cast in 1676. They continue to mark the quarter hour, while the bells themselves are rung on special occasions by the Oxford Society of Change Ringers. Another notable feature is the clock’s mechanical quarterboys—two figures that strike the bells every fifteen minutes. While the originals are now kept inside the tower for preservation, functional replicas on the exterior remain among its most recognisable details.

Above all else, the main attraction is the climb to the top. A narrow staircase of 99 steps leads to a viewing platform with wide views across Oxford’s spires, domes, and college towers. Behind the tower stands a solitary tombstone belonging to William Butler, a former mayor of Oxford who was buried here in 1865. Forgotten when the church was demolished, it survives alongside the tower and is also protected as a Grade II listed structure.