Oxford history

Oxford was founded in the 9th century when Alfred the Great created a network of fortified towns called burghs across his kingdom.

In the 1140's there was civil war in England between Stephen and Matilda. In 1142 Matilda was at Oxford castle but her rival's troops burned the town and besieged the castle.
The university at Oxford was founded in 1167. In Medieval Oxford there was much tension between townspeople and students. Some of the students fled to Cambridge but in 1214 they were invited back.

In 1642 came civil war between king and parliament. Opinion among the townspeople was probably divided but in 1642 a royalist army occupied Oxford. For the rest of the war the king made Oxford his headquarters. Oxford eventually surrendered to a parliamentary army. Although there was a fire in 1644 Oxford was not seriously damaged by the civil war. In 1651 the first coffee house in England opened in Oxford. Coffee was a new drink at that time but it soon became popular.