Oxford Street in front of Virgin Megastore, London
Photo: Pavilion 143, GNU Free Documentation License
Oxford Street in the City of Westminster is a major thoroughfare in London, England. With over 300 shops, it is also Europe's largest shopping street. The length of Oxford Street is approximately a mile and a half, from Marble Arch at the north east corner of Hyde Park, through Oxford Circus to St Giles' Circus, at the intersection with Charing Cross Road and Tottenham Court Road. Eastwards, Oxford Street becomes New Oxford Street until it runs into High Holborn. West of Marble Arch, Oxford Street becomes Bayswater Road or the A40 which continues west towards Oxford. Oxford Street intersects with other London roads including Park Lane, New Bond Street and Regent Street.
Oxford Street traces the route of an old Roman road, the via Trinobantina, which linked Hampshire with Colchester. It was one of the major routes in and out of London. Between the 12th century and 1782, Oxford Street was known as Tyburn Road (after the River Tyburn that ran just to the south of it, and now flows underneath it), Uxbridge Road, Worcester Road and Oxford Road. It was the route for prisoners on their final journey from Newgate Prison to the gallows at Tyburn near Marble Arch.
The street was named after the Earl of Oxford, who in the late 18th century purchased many of the surrounding fields and developed the area. Since the 19th century, the Oxford Street area has become known for its shops. Today Oxford Street is home to major department stores and numerous brands' flagship stores, as well as hundreds of smaller shops.
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