Oxfordshire Towns: |
Bicester |
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Bicester is a small Oxfordshire town close to the M40 Motorway (and the Cherwell Valley Services at Junction 10, just to the north of Bicester). Bicester may also be reached by rail to either of its two railway stations. (Bicester Town has services to/from Oxford, while Bicester North is on the Chiltern Line between Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone.) In common with many Oxfordshire towns, Bicester has a long and fascinating history. There are ruins of the Roman settlement of Alchester of an Augustinian priory just 1.5 miles from Bicester. Bicester itself is thought to date back to the sixth century when a town was established here by the west Saxons. This was recorded as "Berencestra" in the Domesday Book (1086).There are also records of manor houses in the immediate area throughout the Middle Ages. Modern history of Bicester includes its established military presence. The British Army's largest ordnance depot - the Central Ordnance Depot of the Royal Logistic Corps was located just outside Bicester and had its own railway system, the Bicester Military Railway. The Royal Air Force station at Bicester was used during WWII and later became simply Bicester Airfield, now used by a local glider club.
Today Bicester benefits from a wide range of amenities including pubs, restaurants, bars, businesses, sporting facilities (such as the Rugby Football Club), Garden Centres, and of course, shopping ! One of Bicester's main tourist attractions is the "Bicester Village" Shopping Outlet, featuring many designer stores selling goods at only a fraction of the usual retail price. This takes the form of a few inter-connected streets of pastel-coloured shops in a purpose-built pedestrian-only area. There are a wide range of refreshments available, both outside and inside. Other facilities include cash machines, spacious clean toilets, a large outdoor children's play area (and also a smaller play-area in the garden of the Pret-a-Manger cafe), and extensive free car parking - with staff directing vehicles during busy periods. The combination of pleasant ambiance and fantastic bargains on established brands such as Helly Hanson, Tog-24, Cath Kidson, Clarks, Monsoon, Puma, and Whistles (to name just a few), result in many visitors to Bicester Village. As well as visitors by car there are bus services directly to the village and coaches bring parties from further afield - including London and the Midlands. |
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