Bustling Bicester

Jane Leigh is lured to the Oxfordshire town of Bicester by promises of bustling markets, quirky independent traders, and lashings of history… and is far from disappointed.

Few can resist a busy market, but while the hustle and bustle of buying and browsing may tempt visitors to the Oxfordshire town of Bicester, they’ll also find a good selection of independent traders, historical buildings and a quirky line in statuary, from Village bears and sheep to brick sofas.

The town’s history stretches back thousands of years, but its first official mention is in the Domesday Survey of 1086, giving details of the Norman settlement around the great manors of Bicester and Wretchwick.

A market was granted in 1239 and continues to this day; the weekly event takes place every Friday in the Market Square, from 9am to 4.30pm, while a farmers’ market is held on the second Thursday of the month in Sheep Street.

Early trade focused on local materials and skills including leather working and saddlery, rope and sack making, basket weaving, straw plaiting, wool combing, lace making and brewing. Livestock were also on sale: Sheep Street was built to accommodate all the animals brought to market, but is now more renowned for the variety of restaurants it offers.

In recent times, new housing estates have developed including the UK’s first eco-town at North West Bicester, complete with solar panels, a community orchard, disability housing, community streets with seating and play areas, and garages with green roofs.

Shopping precincts have also grown up, while a thriving business community is reflected in the work of Bicester Vision and the Bicester Town Traders Forum.

BUILDINGS OF NOTE

The small town centre mixes ancient and modern. St Edburg’s Church in Old Place Yard is the oldest enclosed space in the town, with some elements of the 11th-century Saxon church still visible. Little remains of the Augustinian Priory,