Why go
The Princess's Theatre opened in 1840, and is now the site of Oxford Walk shopping area. Taxis are popular, particularly along the stretch between Oxford Circus and Selfridges. In addition, the facades to Oxford Circus tube station are also listed.
What to look for
- By about 1729, the road had become known as Oxford Street.
- The music retailer HMV was opened at No. 363 Oxford Street in 1921 by Sir Edward Elgar.
- The cosmetics retailer Lush opened a store in Oxford Street in 2015.
The full story
The road was originally a Roman road, part of the Via Trinobantina between Essex and Hampshire via London. Unlike nearby shopping streets such as Bond Street, it has retained an element of downmarket street trading alongside more prestigious retail stores. The street suffered heavy bombing during World War II, and several longstanding stores including John Lewis were completely destroyed and rebuilt from scratch. Despite competition from other shopping centres such as Westfield Stratford City and the Brent Cross shopping centre, Oxford Street remains in high demand as a retail location, with several chains hosting their flagship stores on the street, and has a number of listed buildings. The annual switching on of Christmas lights by a celebrity has been a popular event since 1959.
Your next visit
Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.
Outdoor visit · 45–90 min
World planning estimate; admission, opening, visit duration and access need checking.