Hot Spot: Oxford

The fabled university city is winning the property race - with a little help from the film-makers, says Robert Liebman

Harry Potter studied wizardry at Hogwarts school (Oxford's Christ Church in the movie), and Inspector Morse swooned to Wagner in various locations in and around the university town. While Oxford was attracting film crews, Cambridge was luring high-tech and other booming industries to its science parks. In terms of property prices magically defying gravity, the action was in fenland.

However, figures compiled by the Halifax for the past 20 years suggest that, whereas Cambridge had a volatile and temporary spurt related to the bull market and dot-com bubble, Oxford enjoyed steady sustained growth. In the Halifax's list of nearly 650 towns, Oxford (189 on the list) rose by 148 per cent from 1983 to the present, whereas Cambridge (388) jumped 119 per cent.

"It is an oversimplification, but Cambridge is essentially the university and country fields, whereas Oxford has always been town and gown," says Ronnie van der Ploeg of estate agents John D Wood. "Oxford University has been supplemented by industry, hospitals and good schools. Now we are getting more business and science parks." This mix brings a reliable stream of buyers comprising families, doctors, nurses and automobile engineers as well as academics and students. New luxury developments are luring single professionals.

These distinct constituencies gravitate to different neighbourhoods. "Summertown, the place to be, is in North Oxford, and has Victorian and Edwardian homes. These are substantial properties, and some have been converted into flats," says van der Ploeg. "Substantial" means eight or more bedrooms, and conversions can similarly contain eight or more flats. Individual flats, occupying one or more floors, can themselves be sizeable. "Former workmen's cottages are located west of the city centre in Osney Island and Botley Road, which are now quite trendy, and popular with people needing access to the train station," says van der Ploeg. "East Oxford is cosmopolitan, with turn-of-the-century homes and many international restaurants in narrow side streets." Headington, three miles from Oxford, "has more chimney pots, and a greater range of properties, from period through to 1930s. This area is particularly attractive for students at Oxford Brookes University and for doctors, nurses and others working at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Nuffield Hospitals."

The low-down

Getting there

London Paddington is about 50 minutes. Oxford's transport glory is a frequent and affordable bus service to London, Heathrow, Gatwick and Birmingham, and less frequently to Stansted and Luton.

Shopping

In town, the Westgate Centre has branches of Sainsbury and Allders, and out of town, there is a factory outlet in Bicester. Market days are Wednesday and Thursday, with a Farmers' Market on the first Thursday of the month.

Time out

The nine leisure centres run by Oxford City Council include facilities for ice skating, badminton and squash. Esporta Health and Racquet Club in north Oxford is one of several private clubs.

Time in

Oxford has four cinemas with outdoor screenings in the summer. Theatres include The Playhouse, which has pre-West End shows, The Apollo and the Pegasus. Live performances are also held at the Sheldonian and Christ Church Cathedral.

Museums

In addition to the well-known Ashmolean, the Pitt Rivers anthropology museum, and the Museum of Natural History, Oxford also has the Bate Collection of Musical Instruments, Christ Church Picture Gallery, Curioxity (hands-on science) and museums devoted to science, modern art and local history.

Prices

According to Connells, average prices are £140,000 for one-bed flats, £175,000 for two beds, £225,000 for three-bed semis, and £375,000 for four-bed detached. Cluttons are selling a two-bed Grade II terrace in North Oxford for about £320,000.

Properties

Shona Endicott of Allen & Harris says that Oxford has converted warehouses, luxury waterside homes and luxury studio flats as well as period houses. Same road (Woodstock), similar Victorian houses, different properties: Number 161 is a four-storey (including small basement) double-fronted 10-bedder with garage and car port; £2m. Number 165 is a conversion with seven flats, down from eight: a previous owner reunited the two flats comprising the first floor, now available for £575,000; at John D Wood.

Landed gentry

Fyfield Grange, eight miles from Oxford, is a four-bed former vicarage with two-bed guest outhouse, triple garage and tennis court on nearly three acres; £1.5m at John D Wood.

New flats

Three flats remain in Berkeley's Summersgate in Summertown, two miles from the town centre; £295,000 to £385,000 at FPDSavills. At Bryant's Bakers Yard in Headington, two-bed flats with allocated parking are available from £199,000 at Connells.

New houses

Seven three-storey houses are available at Banner's Carlyle Place, from

£310,000 to £340,000 via Knight Frank. Bryant's Sandhills has detached homes from £345,000 at Connells.

Estate agents

Allen & Harris (Didcot), 01235 812333; Buckell & Ballard, 01865 760881; Connells, 01865 763501; FPDSavills, 01865 269000; Hamptons 01865 240240; John D Wood, 01865 311522; Knight Frank, 01865 790077; Mallams, 01865 241466.