About West Oxfordshire

West Oxfordshire is one of the most attractive parts of Britain. Part of the District is so special it is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and, as such, is protected by the Cotswolds Conservation Board - an organisation which works closely with the District Council.

It has a rich architectural and historic heritage ranging from Cotswold stone cottages to the splendour of Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage site.

As can be expected from the above tourism is buoyant, and is a main contributor to the district's vibrant economy. The business sector is made up of a healthy mixture of high technology small and medium enterprises and unemployment is less than 1%. The area faces no major social problems and crime figures are amongst the lowest in the country.

It is a rural district covering 714 km² with a population of 96,000 is spread across a large number of relatively small settlements, totalling 83 parishes.

Situated in a prime central location, there are excellent communications to most parts of the country via the A40/M40 and the A34 roads. There are railway stations at Charlbury, Hanborough and Kingham with regular services to London and Birmingham.

Facts and figures

The Oxfordshire Data Observatory provides a single access point for statistics and information about towns and parishes across the County in a simple way, whether you are a frequent data user or someone who knows very little about statistics. The information includes:

population levels;
information on historical and projected population growth;
area profile information;
the local economy;
education and skills;
housing; and
information on travel patterns.

The National 2001 Census was carried out on 29 April 2001. Our booklet, Census 2001 - Results for West Oxfordshire, gives general details for West Oxfordshire and Witney, the District's main town.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) gives details ralating to all parishes, wards and districts nationally.