Lost on the Flipped Side

One thing about living in a city founded in the 8th century is of course that it's streets can be quite narrow, winding, claustrophobic, and overall, pretty confusing.

For a brief history lesson...Oxford grew up around a priory with its settlement name "Oxenaforda". This city is a place where the Oxen could ford the river Thames. And some of its streets are still about as wide as they were back then. Yet, this is to be expected.

What I didn't realize before actually living in England is how common it is to name a street something different every few blocks.

To the foreign visitor, the city centre can be so unnecessarily confusing. Pick a name and stick with it!

• George Street becomes Broad Street turns into Holywell St.
• Abingdon Road turns into St. Aldates, then Cornmarket, then Magdalen which turns into St.Giles which splits and becomes Banbury and Woodstock roads.
• Parks Road is Catte St is Magpie Lane is Merton

I know it isn't just me. I've passed tourists standing on corners with maps in front of them and have eavesdropped on conversations such as: "Wait. We are going the right way. Look - George Street is the same as Holywell over that way."

Last week I wanted to cut through the center of Oxford via Marston Ferry Road. I had been on the road before, but hadn't driven it myself and had apparently only paid attention to the street name when entering it starting from the west. Coming from the east, I drove down Headley Way because it looked like it might turn into Marston Ferry and it looked familiar but then I wound up turning around when I couldn't find it. I should have known better. Headley Way becomes Marston Ferry in the middle of the Marston neighborhood, halfway through.

I'll admit, that once you do know all of these short street names and where they are, it is convenient to know which "section" of the street you need to go to.

The other thing is that while the city centre has decently labelled street corners, if you are elsewhere in Oxford and you come out to an intersection, half the time you will not see the name of the major street you have come across. You may need to walk a block or two either way to find a street sign telling you which road you're on.

Sigh. I miss you, grid system.