Ship Street (off east side of Cornmarket)
Ship Street runs between 28 Cornmarket Street and the Church of St Michael-at-the-Northgate eastwards, ending at Turl Street. Exeter College Chapel stands opposite the end of the street. It was just inside the city wall, which ran along the back gardens of the houses on the north side.
Before 1623 the road wound on to Catte Street, ending at the city wall near the East Gate. H. E. Salter states that Wiliam of Wykeham bought the eastern part of the road which ran through New College to the East Gate, while Exeter bought most of the remainder in the seventeenth century.
In the thirteenth century it was called Dewy's Lane after the family of de Ou, de Ewe, or Dewy.
In 1385 it was known as Somenor's Lane after a man who rented the Blue Anchor here.
In the sixteenth century it was also called Lawrence Lane after Lawrence Hall, which stood on the east side of the churchyard.
From 1679 Ship Street was known as both St Michael's Lane (after the church on its corner) and Jesus Lane (after Jesus College, which runs along its south-eastern side). The latter is rather confusing, as Market Street, lined by the south part of the college, was also known as Jesus Lane.
Jackson's Oxford Journal commenced publication on 5 May 1753, and its first reference to Ship Lane occurs in an advertisement on 13 April 1754:
At SAVAGE'S Long Room in Ship-Lane, OXFORD,
Where Ladies and Gentlemen are Taught to Dance in the Newest Method, and the different Way of Footing Country Dances; and Gentlemen are taught Fencing: There will be a BALL on Tuesday next:—To begin at Seven o'Clock.
Tickets to be had at Mr. Broughton's, Bookseller in the High-street, at One Shilling each.
Further advertisements followed for performances by the balance-master Matteaux Solomon, by a native Hussar, by Mr. Coan “the famous Dwarf”, and many others at the “Dancing Room in Ship-Lane”.
Ship Lane or Street was probably after the Ship Inn at No. 3 Ship Street, although some believe that “Ship” is a corruption of “Sheep”, and that a sheep market was held nearby.
The first reference to the “Ship Inn in Ship Lane” in Jackson's Oxford Journal occurs on 5 November 1757. The following advertisement on 5 May 1758 states that the inn was then new-built, but that description is often used of buildings that are a number of years old:
To be LETT and Enter'd upon immediately, or at Midsummer next,
THE SHIP INN in OXFORD, being a large, new-built, well accustomed House, compleatly fitted up, and furnished with the best Bedding, and all Manner of other Houshold Goods and Furniture, a good Wine-Vault with several Cellars, a large Brewhouse with the River Water in it, and Copper, Coolers, Vessels, and all other Implements and Utensils for Brewing, also good stabling; Alexander Davis, the present Tenant, intending to leave off Publick Business.
In April 1809 the new post coach “to carry Four Insides only, called the Oxford University Volunteer” ran from the Ship Inn here to Bath and Bristol every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning at 7am.
On 5 April 1813 the city council granted a new lease of the Ship Inn to Edward Micklem.
The Ship Inn survived until at least 1876.
The street has been Ship Street (rather than Lane) since at least 1836.
The engraving below which dates from 1834 shows the entrance to Ship Street before it was widened:
In 1878 the wall around St Michael's churchyard was pulled down and replaced by iron railings, and the ground lowered by about two feet. This had the effect of widening the corner of Ship Street by about two feet. Bruton was the architect, and Hobdell carried out the work. The postcard below shows the same scene after the railings were erected:
Below are some of the shops on the south side of Ship Street in 1911 (Historic England HT11338):
Oxford City Council owns a number of properties in Ship Street, and in June 2025 is considering disposing of Nos. 9, 10, and 16 on a 125-year lease.