Turl Street, Oxford
Turl Street (or “The Turl”) runs northwards off the High Street between the Mitre Hotel (now Gusto Italiano) to the west and All Saints’ Church (now Lincoln College library) to the east. It has been closed to traffic (except for access) since 1985. The east side of Turl Street was in All Saints' parish, and the west side in St Michael's parish.
Turl Street was called St Mildred’s Street in 1363 after St Mildred's Church. That church was suppressed in 1427 for the foundation of Lincoln College, and its first quadrangle now stands on the site.
It was known as Turl Gate Street by the mid-seventeenth century. One theory is that the gate in question, which was in a postern in the city wall at its junction with Ship Street, was named after Peter Torald, Mayor of Oxford 1232–6, 1240, and 1243–4, and Torald was corrupted to Turl; the other is that it was a twirling gate, and Twirl Gate became Turl Gate.
The part of Turl Street running north from the High Street as far as Ship Street was alternatively known as Sylver Street or Lincoln College Lane, and originally the road came to an abrupt halt here at the city wall, but by 1551 it was extended by a path (known as “The path leading from the Hole in the Wall”) to reach what is now Broad Street. In 1722 the Turl Gate was removed altogether.
Much of Turl Street is occupied by “the little colleges that front the Turl” (John Betjeman). These are Lincoln College and Exeter College on the east side, and Jesus College on the west to the north of Market Street. For stereoscopic photographs of Exeter College as it was in the 1850s, see Dominic Berry, “Early Photographs of Exeter College from the Brian May Archive of Stereoscopy” (Exeter College Register, 2025), which can be seen online here on pp. 28–38.
The shops in Turl Street are mostly at the south-west end, and some of them occupy buildings dating from the seventeenth century.
The following notice appeared in Jackson's Oxford Journal of 4 May 1782:
Clause in the New Paving Act.
“WHEREAS in Case the Street or Passage, in the said City of Oxford, called the Turl, which is at present very narrow, was made sufficient to admit Carriages to pass commodiously, a very convenient Communication would be made between the Streets called Broad-Street and the High-Street; Be it therefore Enacted, That it shall be lawful for the said Commissioners, or any Fifteen or more of them, to treat and agree with the Owners and Occupiers of, and all other Persons interested in the Houses and other Buildings and Ground, both on the East and West Sides of the said Street or Passage called the Turl, for the same or so much thereof as may be necessary for the Purpose aforesaid, and to purchase and become seised and possessed thereof, and to pay for the same out of any Money that shall come to their Hands for such Purpose, either by Subscription, or publick or private Donation or Bequest.”
All Persons willing to contribute to this Improvement, are requested to send their Names and the Sums they intend to subscribe, to Mr. Jackson, Printer, in the High-Street; with whom an Estimate of the Expence will be left, as soon as it can be made out. No Money will be collected till Houses are agreed for; and all Sums received and expended will be accounted for in this Paper.
On 6 July 1782 it was announced in the same newspaper that some difficulties had arisen in ascertaining the value of houses, as well as in drawing the lines east and west, in which the street would be carried, and it was not possible to give an accurate estimate, but it was likely to cost c.£700. Subscriptions were still coming in when on 12 May 1787 the newspaper announced that the west side of the Turl had been resold to Mr Pears, builder. On 8 December 1787 it was reported that almost enough money had been raised by subscriptions.
On 8 December 1787 a notice published in Jackson's Oxford Journal stated that the improvements in Turl Street were nearly completed and that subscriptions were sought to make up the deficit of “upwards of Eighty Pounds”.
James Basire II: View of Exeter College, All Saints Church, &c. from the Turl, 1806 (Yale Center for British Art)
Businesses in Turl Street in 1823/4
The following businesses were listed in the Turl in Pigot’s Directory for 1823/4:
- Attorneys: Robert MORRELL and Daniel TAUNTON
- Booksellers & Stationers: Joseph PARKER
- Coffee houses: Joseph DICKESON
- Confectioners and Fruiterers: James HILLIER
- Glovers & Breeches Makers: Richard HICKMAN
- Music & Musical Instrument Sellers: M. WICKENS
- Printsellers, Carvers, & Gilders, & Picture frame makers: Thomas TAYLOR
- Professors (Music): William WOODCOCK, M.B.
- Tailors & Drapers: DAVENPORT & Son
- Taverns and Public Houses: Maidenhead: Thomas HOLLIS and Saddler’s Arms: J. WALLIS
- Whitesmiths, &c.: J. ROBINSON
- Saddlers, &c.: Richard SECKHAM
The Saddler's Arms was at 4 Turl Street but was burnt to the ground on 12 January 1865.
Joseph Dickeson kept the Turl Coffee House, which was at Exeter Hall, 16 Turl Street (on the corner of Market Street and Ship Street) from at least 1817. It was formerly numbered 11.
The bookseller Joseph Parker who is listed above had a shop on Broad Street that went around the corner into the Turl. In 1821 he had taken on as his apprentice his nephew John Henry Parker, and the latter continued the business, which survived until about 1988.
The Maidenhead Tavern or Inn (later the Maidenhead Hotel) was at 11 & 12 Turl Street (originally numbered 9 Turl Street). It is described thus in an auction notice in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 31 July 1841:
The MAIDENHEAD INN, most eligibly situated, and in full trade, in Turl-street, Oxford. The House consists on the ground floor of a large front market or smoking room, convenient bar and bar parlour adjoining, tap room, large convenient kitchen, with servants' bed room over, &c.; spacious front dining room, two sitting rooms, and two bed rooms on the first floor, with six other bed chambers over; extensive beer, wine, and spirit cellars; a good yard, with front entrance from the street, in which is a very lofty and newly-erected room, 40 feet by 15½; ante-room adjoining, built and fitted up at a great expense; a brew-house, with a 4-quarter brewery plant, complete, well supplied with water; three stables, containing ten stalls, with lofts over; granary, wood, and coal houses, lock-up coach-house, fronting the street, and other conveniences.
The premises are substantial and in good repair, the proprietor having expended a large sum of money upon them, and have a frontage to the street of 46 feet. It rarely occurs that so eligible a property is offered for public competition, and the present opportunity is well worth the attention of any person desirous of conducting a respectable and good accustomed Inn.
The Estate is held by a renewable Lease of the Feoffees of All Saints' Parish for a term of 40 years from Lady Day, 1828. Land Tax, 4l. 4s. 4d.; Quit Rent, 2l.
The purchaser will be required to take to the Furniture Fixtures, and Stock, at a valuation to be made in the usual manner.
Thomas Hollis was the landlord here in 1823, Thomas Frederick Neale in 1881, and William Slay in 1891. The Maidenhead Hotel closed in 1911.
Renumbering of the Turl
At some point between the 1881 and 1891 censuses, Turl Street was partly renumbered.
Photograph of the Turl in 1890
This photograph looks south and shows on the right some of the shop fronts at the south-west end of Turl Street (Historic England CC56/00737). The building with the two lamps is the Maidenhead Hotel:
Photograph of the Turl in 1907
This photograph looks north and shows the entrance to Turl Street from the High, with part of the Mitre on the left and All Saints Church on the right (Historic England CC73/00501)
Listed buildings in Turl Street |
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West side, running south to north |
East side, running north to south |
The old street sign of the Turl
This street sign shown below on the side of Gusto (the former Mitre Inn) reads TURL-STREET, and the hyphen indicates that it is one of the mid-nineteenth-century street-signs of Oxford:
The newer street sign on the other side of the road is modern and at street level.
