Bonn Square is easy to spot: just look for an open, paved plaza with young trees dotted around, a stone memorial rising proudly near the center, and people resting or chatting at its steps-plus, you might notice the flurry of pigeons hoping you drop a crumb!
Now, as you stand here, imagine you’re stepping across seven whole centuries of Oxford history. Picture it: where shoppers and students gather today, thousands of townsfolk once walked with quieter steps-because from the 1100s until almost 150 years ago, this was the graveyard of St Peter-le-Bailey Church. Beneath your feet are stories untold and secrets kept, with nearly 6,800 souls recorded as buried here between the late 1500s and 1870. In those days, the church stood not far from where you are now, right on what’s now the busy Queen Street.
The church was eventually moved up the road for a little more peace and quiet, and the old one was taken down in the name of road-widening progress-city planning: not always restful for the departed! For over a century, Bonn Square was a peaceful memorial garden. But history here is never dull: in 1900, Oxford’s first war memorial, the Tirah Memorial, was planted right in the square.
Fast forward to 1974-Oxford decided to name this spot after its German twin city, Bonn. But the real excitement erupted in 2008, when a major transformation began. Picture workers with shovels, archaeologists brushing off centuries-old gravestones, and passionate locals protesting fiercely to save beloved trees. It was a regular soap opera, with even county councillors getting arrested!
When the dust settled, Bonn Square emerged as the lively plaza you see now. And look around for that striking sculpture of stacks of books-created by artist Diana Bell to celebrate friendship and learning between Bonn and Oxford. If you listen closely, maybe you’ll hear the echoes of old Oxford gossiping through the trees-or just a very wise pigeon plotting to swipe your sandwich.
