0:10 Abandoned pub 2:27 Blackbird Leys Estate 5:01 Ghost town? 6:54 My thoughts, is it that bad? 8:15 Beautiful park 10:32 Exploring oxford city centre and attractions
I lived in Oxford between 1990 and 1998. I remember the Bullnose Morris pub because I used to work In Unipart which was just up the road. I was in it a few times and it was just an ordinary working man's pub with friendly locals. Sad to see it closed down now. And Blackbird Leys back then was regarded as the "wrong side of the tracks" but it was a decent place populated by decent people. There was hardly any trouble there then and I'm sure it's not that bad now either. The last time I was back in Oxford was 2006/7 and it looks like it's changed a lot since. Hopefully I'll get back there and see what it's like now. What I can say though when I lived there in the mid 90's was that it was a great place to live even though it was more expensive than most places even back then. I have a lot of great memories of this town. So thanks for re-living some of them here.
I went to Oxford about 40 years ago to see a friend who’d studied there. He was in one of the colleges but to be honest, I never took to the place and have no desire to go back. Can’t explain it really. Great video.
Well done Ed. Good to see those dreamy spires again. I've been around there in the 90's and noughties and back once or twice in the past ten years. I passed my Motorcycle test in 1992 at Oxford Stadium in Cowley, still the home of speedway and greyhounds, and a big part of British life a few years back. The international student population there adds to the positives, and those dreamy spires and old buildings bring the tourists in, and then you found Blackbird Leys! Has an interesting history that area. They cleared the slums of Oxford in the 1950's and moved everyone out to the new estate called Blackbird Leys. (Comic Hugh Laurie came from Blackbird Leys). That area, Cowley, was the base of our once great British Motoring industry. Only BMW Mini left now. I visited Wetherspoons in Cowley in 2019 and a picture there showed how massive the manufacturing area was when making cars, and would've employed, in many cases a job for life, a lot of people back in the day. The pub you passed closed in 2021. That area does have a well known bad reputation, lots of low earners and poverty, with riots in the 90's, but this is the same everywhere. You saw good and not so good again, and the times we are living in, economy, ect, just change things so much. Overall, I would not hesitate to return to Oxford again. What you missed actually, and more importantly, was Didcot! A 'must visit' for another time. 👍💯🇬🇧✔️😉
I grew up in Oxford. Our old house in Headington has quadrupled in value this century. The socioeconomic gulf between North Oxford with its £2m Georgian mini-mansions and Blackbird Leys is about as extreme as you can get. I’ve got mates from both sides and the rich really have zero idea how the poor live cos they just don’t go there.
The pub Bullnose Norris was a weatherspoons ran pub around 10 years ago then changed hands and was a very popular pub. I am not sure why I closed but I used to love going there. My mums friend of 40+ years lived behind it pretty much and she was practically my nan figure, she passed a few months ago and that was her favourite pub.
The pub was a major part of the British way of life. At some point in the early 90's that changed and the Tax attached to a pint in a pub was seen as easy meat by our Peers.
Definately LEEEES. Oxford has always had a "towny" rougher side (we seperate in Oxford between "town and gown") and a Cowley car factory has nothing to do with a 15th century "quad" in the center. In that respect, Cambridge is a much more homogeneous place. Go check it out ! At 12' (with the shopping trolley), you were outside Christ Church, with it's largest quad in Oxford, founded by Cardinal Wolsey / Henry VIII, and with THE (one and only !) Cathedral inside. I believe also that part of the prison is now a hotel, and that you keep sleep in a (very expensive) cell ... Glad you showed the old covered market as well. Great place !!! Very Merry Christmas, Ed !!
Hi there ... local here ... we don't say Arbington ... we call that area you're in near the lakes Hinksey. Abingdon is a town 7 miles south of the City.
Seeing the outskirts here, you'll find them in The Netherlands, including the exact same architecture of social housing of the 60's -80's outside historic cities and towns (from the 15-17 hundreds).....
I went to Oxford years ago, only the city centre though. But like most cities way too expensive for ordinary people to live (and are not encouraged to) hence the estates that all look identical. The contrast is stark. Really good video once again.
Prudent to highlight the other side of Oxford. The closure and abandonment of some parts can be explained socially, politically and culturally. Awesome and unique content.
Many thanks for the video.i lived and worked in and around Oxford from 1962 to 2014 and still have a house there. It has changed, not because of the people that live there but the governments that rule over us, taking more and more of our disposable income in taxes and inflation until there us nothing left to spend in the pubs and shops to kerp them in business.
Im Scouse and worked in Cowley Rover plant early 1980s, it was full of scots, geordies, taffs and scousers, we all got rooms with familes on Blackbird Leys estate, they welcomed us, never got no trouble there, we would drink in the Bull Nose Morris and the Original Swan Pub
@ I lived there basically all my life so I’d say it’s the best place ever but lots of people don’t like the Brutalist art and the designs of other buildings which I find ridiculous
I was brought up in BBL 40+ years ago, it was always known as a 'rougher' estate, but it is sad to see so much of it in a state of disrepair. I wouldn't say crime has increased imo, Oxford as a whole, has just become more and more run down over the years. Like Cowley, Rose Hill, Woodfarm, Barton. It is sad to see these places in this state, as I have many happy memories, especially of BBL.
Thr part of Oxford at the start of the video near the pub...it really isn't dangerous at all. Used to go there often as my mums friend lived there, who used to take care of me and my brother a lot, never heard or seen anything bad going on. Lovely park down the road too, big open fields and kids parks
Ed, you picked the very worst looking corner of BBL, I live in Greater Leys right next to BBL. We have far less crime than years ago and its generally nice place to live. Its a shame you didn't show all the building going on in the Science Park and BBL - even our migrant hotel (yes, we have one too) isn't too bad - not many of them hanging around outside but I do wish it was being used for tourists. I'm not a fan of Labour but I think apart from the Uni wealth, having a consistent government (Labour stronghold) has made Oxford stay a decent place to live.
@@sgb6476 yeah it was to start off the video otherwise people say it's clickbait if the title is one thing and I start with the nice town centre ect. It's also the first thing I saw driving in. Thanks for your comment though I appreciate you
Blackbird Leys Estate was always part of the divided city. I lived here as a child and consider it my home town. Lived on the Cowley Road. These are the places that the real people live. Everywhere else is for students and tourists.
Altough some things are definately worsening in some ways.....it's definately fear p*rn. People sometimes prefer to complain than look for the positive.
I love on the rose from here and once this pub was really busy at all times especially at the weekends and yes it’s a green king they was going to reopen it but that was heard ago and it’s still shut.
I know Oxford pretty well, and the the content of Ed's video is actually quite considered. The problem is the title. I do worry that some of these urban discovery videos sometimes serve a kind of right wing agenda; but that just isn't the case here. The real populartiy of the genre is, predictably, around some of the American cities, where deprivation is at a level that we Brits really would find quite shocking.
You don't just drive past the bullnose morris on the way into Oxford, unless you are lost, and it certainly did food as it was a hungry horse but never seemed to reopen after lockdown.
I've worked in Oxford over the years and the traffic is an absolute nightmare...ive met many skanks in Oxford its worse than what you think but lets be honest everywhere is bad ...also the name comes from maybe old Norse or Germanic language as you can't access Oxford without going over a body of water ie ox being over and ford / fyord being body of water so together making Oxford 😊
Yes got worse for sure . The traffic is going to be even worse soon as few big developments gone in for housing and the roads don’t cope now let alone when more people move in …
yes, very different, also the high Main Street in the town centre with all the McDonalds, KFC and the Bus station area gets a bit rowdy at night or at the weekend. You’re definitely right when you say that all cities have areas like Blackbird Leys and Oxford are nothing like the major cities for trouble. I really like Oxford and feel perfectly safe there, it’s like anywhere, don’t wander into quiet areas alone and you’ll be fine. Good video though, where are you off next?
@@EdBrinton depends what you’re looking for, is it just places that have a bad reputation? Lots of people doing that kind of content? You need to find a niche that isn’t being covered, that’s the ticket, rather than cities have you thought about the decline of market towns, where I used to live was once a thriving market town and has now gone to the dogs, loads of really interesting buildings too
@josephstevenson9549 id love to visit mate feel free to shoot any towns at me to visit. And I just do random places I feel like going and bring my camera tbh just for enjoyment but you have good advice cheers mate
Tbh no one is sad about bullnose morris closing down, place was a dump and full of drugs. Even notes on the managers desk about incidents involving coke.
Supposedly one of Englands first 15 minute city's. Only for the very top earners today I think. The rest will just commute. And if they keep moving people out of the cities, to places like Kent, Essex, Sussex ect, this is what all future cities may end up like. 🤔
You got BBL so wrong! Those shops aren’t abandoned they’re just closed, what day did you visit? Also the nursery isn’t abandoned its for sale, and the for sale sign was clearly in your video! I’ve live here for 25 years and I’m Oxford born and bred. You need to get your facts straight before making videos like this
0:10 Abandoned pub
2:27 Blackbird Leys Estate
5:01 Ghost town?
6:54 My thoughts, is it that bad?
8:15 Beautiful park
10:32 Exploring oxford city centre and attractions
Thanks. Merry Christmas Ed. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more thought provoking content in 2025. 🌲👍💯🇬🇧✔️😉
@@InvictaView thank you so much brother that's my first super like. That's made my week truly.
Hope you have a good Christmas too
I lived in Oxford between 1990 and 1998. I remember the Bullnose Morris pub because I used to work In Unipart which was just up the road. I was in it a few times and it was just an ordinary working man's pub with friendly locals. Sad to see it closed down now.
And Blackbird Leys back then was regarded as the "wrong side of the tracks" but it was a decent place populated by decent people. There was hardly any trouble there then and I'm sure it's not that bad now either.
The last time I was back in Oxford was 2006/7 and it looks like it's changed a lot since. Hopefully I'll get back there and see what it's like now. What I can say though when I lived there in the mid 90's was that it was a great place to live even though it was more expensive than most places even back then. I have a lot of great memories of this town. So thanks for re-living some of them here.
I love comments like this cause it gives you so much insight into how a city or town was. Thanks man
@@EdBrinton More than welcome man.
@@vladtheinhaler6579 have a good new year man
I went to Oxford about 40 years ago to see a friend who’d studied there. He was in one of the colleges but to be honest, I never took to the place and have no desire to go back. Can’t explain it really. Great video.
@@andrewjones4006 fair enough mate!
There are too many feral academics.
Well done Ed. Good to see those dreamy spires again.
I've been around there in the 90's and noughties and back once or twice in the past ten years.
I passed my Motorcycle test in 1992 at Oxford Stadium in Cowley, still the home of speedway and greyhounds, and a big part of British life a few years back.
The international student population there adds to the positives, and those dreamy spires and old buildings bring the tourists in, and then you found Blackbird Leys!
Has an interesting history that area. They cleared the slums of Oxford in the 1950's and moved everyone out to the new estate called Blackbird Leys. (Comic Hugh Laurie came from Blackbird Leys). That area, Cowley, was the base of our once great British Motoring industry. Only BMW Mini left now. I visited Wetherspoons in Cowley in 2019 and a picture there showed how massive the manufacturing area was when making cars, and would've employed, in many cases a job for life, a lot of people back in the day.
The pub you passed closed in 2021.
That area does have a well known bad reputation, lots of low earners and poverty, with riots in the 90's, but this is the same everywhere.
You saw good and not so good again, and the times we are living in, economy, ect, just change things so much.
Overall, I would not hesitate to return to Oxford again.
What you missed actually, and more importantly, was Didcot! A 'must visit' for another time. 👍💯🇬🇧✔️😉
@@InvictaView yeah I'll definitely try to visit asap, good shout indeed mate
Where abouts in Oxford is Arvingtin Park?
I grew up in Oxford. Our old house in Headington has quadrupled in value this century. The socioeconomic gulf between North Oxford with its £2m Georgian mini-mansions and Blackbird Leys is about as extreme as you can get. I’ve got mates from both sides and the rich really have zero idea how the poor live cos they just don’t go there.
@@StrangeAttractor it's crazy
The pub Bullnose Norris was a weatherspoons ran pub around 10 years ago then changed hands and was a very popular pub. I am not sure why I closed but I used to love going there. My mums friend of 40+ years lived behind it pretty much and she was practically my nan figure, she passed a few months ago and that was her favourite pub.
The pub was a major part of the British way of life. At some point in the early 90's that changed and the Tax attached to a pint in a pub was seen as easy meat by our Peers.
Exactly this mate
Yup! Very sad! I live here too! I pass that pub numerous times on my way into work! Oxford is VERY expensive… just like London prices!
Super expensive indeed it's crazy! 🤯
Definately LEEEES. Oxford has always had a "towny" rougher side (we seperate in Oxford between "town and gown") and a Cowley car factory has nothing to do with a 15th century "quad" in the center. In that respect, Cambridge is a much more homogeneous place. Go check it out ! At 12' (with the shopping trolley), you were outside Christ Church, with it's largest quad in Oxford, founded by Cardinal Wolsey / Henry VIII, and with THE (one and only !) Cathedral inside. I believe also that part of the prison is now a hotel, and that you keep sleep in a (very expensive) cell ... Glad you showed the old covered market as well. Great place !!!
Very Merry Christmas, Ed !!
Blackbird leys was built to provide homes for the car factory back in the 60s
Interesting mate. I wish I could add info like this before I make my videos. Might make a forum for locals perhaps
Hi there ... local here ... we don't say Arbington ... we call that area you're in near the lakes Hinksey. Abingdon is a town 7 miles south of the City.
@@squeezyjohn1 ahhh interesting, thanks for the insight:)
Seeing the outskirts here, you'll find them in The Netherlands, including the exact same architecture of social housing of the 60's -80's outside historic cities and towns (from the 15-17 hundreds).....
@@jsb7975 good insight thanks man!
I went to Oxford years ago, only the city centre though. But like most cities way too expensive for ordinary people to live (and are not encouraged to) hence the estates that all look identical. The contrast is stark. Really good video once again.
@@garethpayne6907 thank you mate I appreciate that. Have a good Christmas yourself mate
Prudent to highlight the other side of Oxford. The closure and abandonment of some parts can be explained socially, politically and culturally. Awesome and unique content.
@@edd60 thanks mate that's made my day truly. Definitely all 3 reasons I believe also man!
Is it always windy in the winter in UK?😅
@@teresa86114 always 🤣
Oxford has more crime than smaller towns nearby. Great reporting mate
Thanks mate glad you enjoyed
Many thanks for the video.i lived and worked in and around Oxford from 1962 to 2014 and still have a house there. It has changed, not because of the people that live there but the governments that rule over us, taking more and more of our disposable income in taxes and inflation until there us nothing left to spend in the pubs and shops to kerp them in business.
@@MrNijoe exactly this it's always the governments and elite. Never the people
3:04 Palm tree giving a tropical housing estate vibe😊
@@Firode9856 indeed! Felt pretty cool haha
Im Scouse and worked in Cowley Rover plant early 1980s, it was full of scots, geordies, taffs and scousers, we all got rooms with familes on Blackbird Leys estate, they welcomed us, never got no trouble there, we would drink in the Bull Nose Morris and the Original Swan Pub
@@goldroversix that's good man it seemed like a good place
12:24 damn I remember going down this road to get to like Oxford university or something and I thought it was quite pretty
@JimmuCossey it's so beautiful isn't it
@@EdBrinton it’s decent I’d say 7/10 a place like Canterbury or West Yorkshire or the City of London is way more beautiful
Is city of London good@JimmuCossey
@ I lived there basically all my life so I’d say it’s the best place ever but lots of people don’t like the Brutalist art and the designs of other buildings which I find ridiculous
@JimmuCosseysounds pretty cool actually 😊
I work near that closed down pub, used to be great to go there for lunch and a couple of pints on a quiet work day!
thanks for the tour!
Anytime brother
I was brought up in BBL 40+ years ago, it was always known as a 'rougher' estate, but it is sad to see so much of it in a state of disrepair. I wouldn't say crime has increased imo, Oxford as a whole, has just become more and more run down over the years. Like Cowley, Rose Hill, Woodfarm, Barton. It is sad to see these places in this state, as I have many happy memories, especially of BBL.
@@thesickbot2895 yeah I heard rose hill was a mixed place too right?
Thr part of Oxford at the start of the video near the pub...it really isn't dangerous at all. Used to go there often as my mums friend lived there, who used to take care of me and my brother a lot, never heard or seen anything bad going on. Lovely park down the road too, big open fields and kids parks
@@YRDX I agree mate
Ed, you picked the very worst looking corner of BBL, I live in Greater Leys right next to BBL. We have far less crime than years ago and its generally nice place to live. Its a shame you didn't show all the building going on in the Science Park and BBL - even our migrant hotel (yes, we have one too) isn't too bad - not many of them hanging around outside but I do wish it was being used for tourists. I'm not a fan of Labour but I think apart from the Uni wealth, having a consistent government (Labour stronghold) has made Oxford stay a decent place to live.
@@sgb6476 yeah it was to start off the video otherwise people say it's clickbait if the title is one thing and I start with the nice town centre ect. It's also the first thing I saw driving in. Thanks for your comment though I appreciate you
Blackbird Leys Estate was always part of the divided city. I lived here as a child and consider it my home town. Lived on the Cowley Road. These are the places that the real people live. Everywhere else is for students and tourists.
Exactly mate I bet it's still expensive to live there for the average person too
Those shops in the Leys are normally open!
Why are there so many youtube vids saying everywhere is shit?
@@Paul-eb4jp did I say Oxford was shit?
Because it is
Altough some things are definately worsening in some ways.....it's definately fear p*rn. People sometimes prefer to complain than look for the positive.
@EdBrinton Not in so many words.
@@Paul-eb4jp can't name one sentence. Interesting
hello some of this vid is on a housing estate but not good grr oxford used to be a aflueint area
@@classics144sportscarschannel I know right mate
The shops etc are coming down, rejuvenating the area
Areas adjoining rivers/canals may look attractive, but aren't a great bet as we get more flood events due to climate change.
@@londonEnglishVideos yeah the rivers were so high there
It seems really nice, even Blackbird Leys looks nicer than most parts of the South East😂
True that mate!
Leys *
@@TopCatsBack My bad😂
I love on the rose from here and once this pub was really busy at all times especially at the weekends and yes it’s a green king they was going to reopen it but that was heard ago and it’s still shut.
@@tatufan3 I hope it reopens :)
I know Oxford pretty well, and the the content of Ed's video is actually quite considered. The problem is the title. I do worry that some of these urban discovery videos sometimes serve a kind of right wing agenda; but that just isn't the case here. The real populartiy of the genre is, predictably, around some of the American cities, where deprivation is at a level that we Brits really would find quite shocking.
@@mookie2637 I have to make some of my petrol costs back with a clickable title mate. Thanks for your comment also
You don't just drive past the bullnose morris on the way into Oxford, unless you are lost, and it certainly did food as it was a hungry horse but never seemed to reopen after lockdown.
Also the prison that you say has been done up a bit is now a Mal Maison Hotel
@@josephstevenson9549 interesting mate!
Also they used to film the tv show ‘bad forks’ on that old prison
No way mate
Im from bbl and it’s pretty bad for crime and deprived but it’s got a good community it used to look worse in my opinion
@ArchieAnderson-s9t definitely has a good community, I would live there
Should've visited Templars Square
The old prison is actually a hotel now
Would be cool to stay there
God bless England 🏴 the greatest country in history largest empire gave the world its law language sports god bless it
🏴🏴🏴
There is no Arvington Park in Oxford. You were at Hinksey park in New Hinksey. 😂
I knew that wasn't the name mate but that's all I could say at the time hahaha
I've worked in Oxford over the years and the traffic is an absolute nightmare...ive met many skanks in Oxford its worse than what you think but lets be honest everywhere is bad ...also the name comes from maybe old Norse or Germanic language as you can't access Oxford without going over a body of water ie ox being over and ford / fyord being body of water so together making Oxford 😊
Intriguing, has it changed over the years would you say?
Yes got worse for sure . The traffic is going to be even worse soon as few big developments gone in for housing and the roads don’t cope now let alone when more people move in …
Ummmm, Christmas? Bloody hell.
Christmas?
Another good video Ed I've never been to Oxford but it doesn't look too bad! If you want to see somewhere really run down I'd say Stoke
@@garyrigby21 yeah I definitely need to go up north at some point mate! Cheers
@EdBrinton I'd love to see your take on Liverpool and Leeds
I live behind that pub😢
@@Bg-bc2sh no way? What are the chances lol
I really think you need to do you research before you visit a city ( like Oxford) so that you know what you are looking at.
@@nickalderson4563 I'm just a normal guy exploring random towns really. I like to learn about places as I go personally:)
Go back at about 7pm in the 1990’s and you would have been dodging fireballs and cars being joy rided around the BL estate
@@josephstevenson9549 was it different would you say
yes, very different, also the high Main Street in the town centre with all the McDonalds, KFC and the Bus station area gets a bit rowdy at night or at the weekend. You’re definitely right when you say that all cities have areas like Blackbird Leys and Oxford are nothing like the major cities for trouble. I really like Oxford and feel perfectly safe there, it’s like anywhere, don’t wander into quiet areas alone and you’ll be fine. Good video though, where are you off next?
@josephstevenson9549 exactly this bro and not too sure yet mate. Any recommendations?
@@EdBrinton depends what you’re looking for, is it just places that have a bad reputation? Lots of people doing that kind of content? You need to find a niche that isn’t being covered, that’s the ticket, rather than cities have you thought about the decline of market towns, where I used to live was once a thriving market town and has now gone to the dogs, loads of really interesting buildings too
@josephstevenson9549 id love to visit mate feel free to shoot any towns at me to visit. And I just do random places I feel like going and bring my camera tbh just for enjoyment but you have good advice cheers mate
Tbh no one is sad about bullnose morris closing down, place was a dump and full of drugs. Even notes on the managers desk about incidents involving coke.
@@SteveTurnbull666 oh really? That's mental
Btw u didn’t go to the run down estates in black bird leys
@ArchieAnderson-s9t where are they
@@EdBrintondid u watch it ???
@ArchieAnderson-s9t wdym
@@EdBrintonbasically watch that video and u will see the bad parts it’s called inside oxfords worst poverty areas
@ArchieAnderson-s9t I made the video? 😂
And wood farm is pretty bad so is barton
it’s called gentrification mate
@Trey12392 yeah
Ah lovely Oxford the place where cars are banned and the city Hitler wanted to make Englands new capital if he had won the war! 😂
Supposedly one of Englands first 15 minute city's. Only for the very top earners today I think. The rest will just commute.
And if they keep moving people out of the cities, to places like Kent, Essex, Sussex ect, this is what all future cities may end up like. 🤔
Nice
You got BBL so wrong! Those shops aren’t abandoned they’re just closed, what day did you visit? Also the nursery isn’t abandoned its for sale, and the for sale sign was clearly in your video! I’ve live here for 25 years and I’m Oxford born and bred. You need to get your facts straight before making videos like this
@@oxfordrc1613 I said it was for sale not abandoned when I saw the sign. Don't play that game with me 🤣