‘Do you remember Woolworths, Elliston & Cavell, or the Cadena Tea Rooms?’

Town centre shops often evoke powerful memories of time and place. It could be the location of a first date, a Saturday job, a regular meeting point, or the place you went for a favourite childhood treat.

Join Maurice East to explore the history of Oxford through the fascinating stories of ever-changing city centre shops through the ages.

The tour will explore: the ‘shambles’ of medieval Oxford; the hidden Jewish quarter of St Aldates; the alleyways of the covered market; lost coaching inns; grand department stores; the controversial destruction of a famous hotel; and much much more!

Meeting point: Museum of Oxford shop (located inside the Oxford Town Hall). Please arrive 5 minutes before the start of the walk and check in at the Museum Shop with the friendly front of house team.

The walk lasts 1.5 hours. It starts and ends at the Town Hall.

The route is flat, on paved streets and is easy walking. Please email [email protected] if you would like to discuss any access requirements ahead of booking a walk.

Please note that this walk is recommended for ages 16+.

Your ticket also gives you access to the MOX galleries on the day of the walk, at any time during opening hours.

Meet Your Tour Guide: Maurice East
Maurice East is a local historian who was born and raised in Oxford. He interprets the social history of the city through the lens of growing up as a ‘townie’ and shines a spotlight on stories far off the usual tourist trail. His main area of research is the history of car making at Cowley and how the arrival of industry, cars and blue collar workers changed Oxford forever in the early twentieth century.

£15