Oxford Webcam – Watch Broad Street and the Bodleian

The Oxford Webcam looks west along Broad Street from the Oxford Martin School, a University of Oxford research institute at the street’s eastern end. The Weston Library fills the right of the frame, its long stone front stepping down to a wide pavement, and the Clarendon Building stands close on the left. Between them the street runs away past college buildings and shops, with a cluster of spires on the skyline at the far end. On a fine day people on foot spill off the pavements into the roadway while a red double-decker bus works its way through at the far end. Morning sun reaches the north side first and picks out the library’s pale stone.

About Oxford and Broad Street

Oxford sits about 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of London, and its university buildings fill much of the old center. Broad Street, known locally as The Broad, was once called Horsemonger Street because it held the city’s horse market. The camera belongs to the Oxford Martin School, whose home is the old Indian Institute, a building designed by Basil Champneys on the corner of Catte Street and Holywell Street, where Broad Street ends in a junction with Parks Road.

The Weston Library on the right was built from 1937 to 1940 to designs by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott as the New Bodleian Library, and it reopened under its present name on 21 March 2015. Its Blackwell Hall, two exhibition rooms, a shop and a cafe are open to the public. Across the street, the Clarendon Building went up between 1711 and 1715 to designs by Nicholas Hawksmoor. Nine statues of the Greek Muses have stood on its roofline since 1717. Two fell and were destroyed in the late 18th century, and the fiberglass replacements of 1974 copied the wrong Muses. A conservation project that began in 2022 is correcting that, and while the work goes on the building is wrapped in white sheeting and scaffolding.

Beyond it, along the same side of the street, stand the Sheldonian Theatre, built by Christopher Wren between 1664 and 1668 and fronted by stone pillars topped with carved heads that are traditionally called Roman emperors, and the History of Science Museum. The museum’s home, the Old Ashmolean, opened in 1683 and is the oldest surviving purpose-built museum building in the world. At the far western end, a cross set into the roadway opposite Balliol College marks where three of the Oxford Martyrs were burned in 1555 and 1556.

Weather and Climate in Oxford

Oxford has a mild climate. Averages from the Radcliffe Meteorological Station for 1991 to 2020 give January a high of 8 C (46 F) and a low of 2 C (36 F). Spring warms steadily, and April averages 14 C (58 F) by day and 5 C (42 F) at night. July brings 23 C (74 F) afternoons and 13 C (56 F) nights, while October settles back to 15 C (59 F) and 8 C (46 F). The station records about 680 millimeters (26.8 inches) of rain and roughly 1,615 hours of sunshine in an average year.

The station’s record high of 38.1 C (100.6 F) came on 19 July 2022, and its record low of minus 17.8 C (0 F) dates back to 24 December 1860. On camera, the long days of late spring and summer keep the street lit well into the evening and bring the heaviest foot traffic. Autumn light comes in low and warm across the stone fronts, and in midwinter the street lamps come on by late afternoon, with wet days leaving the roadway shining under them.

Things to Do Near Broad Street, Oxford

The Weston Library is the easiest first stop, since its exhibition rooms and cafe sit right in the frame. A short walk behind the Sheldonian Theatre lie the Bodleian’s Divinity School and Duke Humfrey’s Library, both used as Hogwarts rooms in the Harry Potter films. Back on Broad Street, the History of Science Museum keeps its collection of scientific instruments in the Old Ashmolean, and Blackwell’s bookshop is on the north side of the street.

South along Catte Street, the domed Radcliffe Camera stands in Radcliffe Square, and Hertford College’s Bridge of Sighs crosses New College Lane just around the corner from the camera. Walk west past the far end of Broad Street and the Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street holds the university’s collections of art and archaeology, with St Giles’ and its college frontages a few steps further on.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

These cameras cover more of England, from elsewhere in Oxfordshire to London and the south coast.

• Banbury Station Webcam
• Abbey Road Webcam
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Broad Street in Oxford?

Broad Street is in the center of Oxford, England. It runs east from Magdalen Street to the junction with Catte Street, Parks Road and Holywell Street, where the Oxford Martin School has its building.

What can you see on the Oxford Webcam?

The camera faces west down Broad Street. The Weston Library fills the right side, the Clarendon Building stands on the left, currently under scaffolding for restoration, and the street runs away past college frontages and shops toward spires on the skyline. Most of the movement is people on foot, with the odd bus and service vehicle passing through.

Does the Oxford Webcam show St Giles’ or the High Street?

No. This camera shows Broad Street only. St Giles’ lies around the corner beyond the far western end of the street, out of view, and the High Street and the Radcliffe Camera are to the south, hidden behind the Clarendon Building and the Bodleian. Carfax and Christ Church are out of view as well.

Where is the cross on Broad Street in Oxford?

A cross of granite setts is laid into the roadway opposite Balliol College, near the western end of Broad Street. It marks where Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burned on 16 October 1555 and Thomas Cranmer on 21 March 1556. It sits at the far end of the street from the camera, too far away to pick out clearly on screen.

Is Broad Street in Oxford connected to Harry Potter?

Indirectly. The Bodleian’s Divinity School, a 15th-century room a short walk behind the Sheldonian Theatre, was used as the Hogwarts infirmary, and Duke Humfrey’s Library above it appeared as the Hogwarts library in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Neither interior shows on the camera.

What is the weather like in Oxford?

Mild for most of the year. Average highs run from 8 C (46 F) in January to 23 C (74 F) in July, with nights around 2 C (36 F) in midwinter and 13 C (56 F) in midsummer. Rainfall is moderate, at about 680 millimeters (26.8 inches) a year.

Does the Broad Street camera work at night?

Yes. The camera streams around the clock, and the current broadcast has been running since April 2026. After dark the picture depends on the street lighting, and the street is usually far quieter than in the daytime.

Source: Oxford Martin School