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We'll be rebuilding our city guides in 2024. For now, we hope you find them useful but we suggest you double-check any details that might have changed.

Cross-town: north-south

With Cornmarket Street closed to cyclists, Sustrans route 5 provides the easiest and safest north-south route, skirting the centre along New Inn Hall Street.

From Headington

You can’t dodge the climb of Headington Hill, but you can avoid the busy road. Oxford University has opened up a permissive route across the University Parks; combined with recent improvements to Jack Straw’s Lane, it makes a lightly-trafficked quiet route to the city centre. The route can be impassable when the Cherwell is in flood: check with this useful page.

Cross-town: east-west

Getting across the city centre without hitting a pedestrianised street takes experience. From east to west, follow Sustrans routes 51/57 via Broad Street. The highlight is New College Lane, a delightful hidden lane round the back of colleges. Take care at Magdalen Bridge and the Plain, where all the roads from East Oxford converge.