The Great Endeavour

The city of dreaming spires was home to both Inspector Morse, the nation’s favourite fictional detective, and his creator. Daniel Pembrey tours Oxford to learn more

It wasn’t until the second-to-last Morse novel, Death is Now My Neighbour (1996), that fans finally learnt his forename. By then, a dozen Morse books had been published and the tV series starring John thaw had been on air for almost a decade, firmly implanting the cask-aleloving detective in the public consciousness. Speculation over Morse’s name had grown feverish; perhaps it would be embarrassing —‘Mickey?’ suggested one comedian.

the name was revealed to be Endeavour and would beget the eponymous prequel tV series now bringing Morse to new fans. the name equally gives valuable clues about the mind of Morse’s creator, Colin Dexter, who died last year, aged 86. He used to wander the banks of the River thames in his adopted city of Oxford, where, opposite the boathouse belonging to the 22nd Oxford Sea Scout Group, there stands a building named tS Endeavour. the author even gave Morse’s father a special interest in Capt Cook, who commanded HMS Endeavour.

So much of Dexter’s inspiration and the appeal of his stories came from the setting of Oxford that it’s hard to pick a landmark from which to set off, but one place might be the Macdonald Randolph Hotel, where he would go to write and enjoy a pint of bitter or a single-malt whisky. Head concierge William thomson recalls a diminutive figure with a glint in his eye; the bar Dexter frequented is now named the Morse Bar.

Just around the corner is St John’s College, where the author had his character fictionally read Classics. Alas, young Endeavour was distracted by a lady named Wendy and failed Greats.