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Britain By Car - A Motoring History

Cowley

The industrial centre of Oxford, located two miles south east of the city.

A 1967/68 Mini outside the house that was once the home of William Morris, © Morris Oxford: People, Places, Things, morrisoxford.co.uk.

William Morris, cycle maker

The home of William Morris as a young man, and the site of his first cycle business.

Location
16 James Street, Cowley, OX4 1ET.

Date
1892 - 1901

The old Military College shortly after it was taken over by William Morris.

W.R.M Motors Ltd

William Morris’s first car factory.

Location
Old Military College, Oxford Road, Cowley.

Date
1912/3 – c1992.

Morris 1100s leaving the Finishing Line at Cowley, 1966, © British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, source: www.motorgraphs.com.

Morris Motors Ltd

The main Morris factory for the greater part of the 20th century.

Location
The North Works and South Works, Morris Motors Ltd, Cowley,

These were situated on the west side of the Eastern By-Pass Road, the A4142, and separated by Garsington Road, the B480.

Date
Constructed 1921-1922, closed in 1992, and demolished 2001-2002.

Adjusting a bodyshell on the line at Pressed Steel Cowley, 1932, © British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, source: www.motorgraphs.com.

Pressed Steel

The metal car body and pressings plant, originally established by William Morris.

Location
Eastern Bypass Road, Cowley, OX4 6NL.

Date
1926 - 1993.

The Oxfordshire County Records Office, Cowley (2010), © David Nixon, via Geograph.

The Oxfordshire Record Office

Originally, a church built for the parishioners of Cowley and workers at the Morris Motors car factory.

Location
Oxfordshire Record Office, St Luke’s Church, Temple Road, Cowley, OX4 2HT.

Date
1938 - date

St Francis Church, Cowley, 2016, © Dave Kelly, via Geograph.

The Church of St Francis

A church built on land donated by William, Lord Nuffield, who laid the foundation stone in 1930.

Location
The Church of St Francis, 226 Hollow Way, Cowley, OX3 7JF.

Date
1930 - date

MINI advertising on the wall of the Cowley works, 2008, © Des Blenkinsopp, via Geograp.

MINI

One of three factories in the UK where BMW’s MINI is produced.

Location
MINI Plant Oxford, Eastern Bypass Road, Cowley, OX4 6NL.

Date
2001 - date.