Bicester

Bicester (pronounced 'bister') is a town in the Cherwell district of north-eastern Oxfordshire in England, with a population of 28,672 (2001 census).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It is currently one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire. This growth has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to Oxford, Birmingham and London.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bicester is home to two secondary schools: Bicester Community College (BCC) and The Cooper School. There are also a number of different primary schools in the locality.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town is twinned with Neunkirchen-Seelscheid near Bonn and Cologne in Germany and also with Canton des Essarts lying between Nantes and Bordeaux in France.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town has a long-standing connection to the military. The British Army's largest ordnance depot - the Central Ordnance Depot of the Royal Logistic Corps (formerly the Royal Army Ordnance Corps) - is located just outside the town. The depot has its own internal railway system, the Bicester Military Railway.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The charity Oxfam has its emergency warehouse near Bicester.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The town has two railway stations: Bicester North and Bicester Town. Bicester North is served by Chiltern Railways train services between London (Marylebone) and Birmingham (Snow Hill). Bicester Town has a branch-line service to Oxford.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The trilogy Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson was based in the north east of Bicester. Some of the book's plot was set in the nearby villages of Juniper Hill, Hethe and Fringford.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bicester is also the location of the retail outlet Bicester Village Shopping Centre.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nearby places include Banbury, Kidlington, Brackley, Buckingham, Oxford, and Witney.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cherwell: Cherwell is a local government district in northern Oxfordshire, England. The district takes its name from the River Cherwell, which drains south through the region to meet up with the River Thames at Oxford....

Oxfordshire: Oxfordshire (abbreviated Oxon, from Latin Oxonia) is a county in South East England, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire....

England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....