Inspector Morse responsible for Oxford property boom
Published On 24 January 2007
Popular TV detective series Inspector Morse, which featured the late John Thaw and the picturesque spires of Oxford, has caused something of a property boom in the town. Despite the show being first aired 20 years ago this month, property buyers still view Oxford fondly with house prices there outperforming the regional and national average since the inception of the series.
Figures from Halifax found that the average house price in Oxford is now £304,467 compared to an average of £62,444 back in 1986 – a massive increase of 388 per cent.
Comparatively, the same period saw house prices increase by 348 per cent to £179,601 across the UK.
Martin Ellis, Halifax chief economist, said: "The premium between house prices in Oxford and the UK average has increased over the 20 years since Inspector Morse first appeared on our TV screens.
"The average price in Oxford is now 70 per cent above the national average, compared with 56 per cent back in 1986."
Jericho, an Oxford district which lies in the town's most expensive OX2 postcode and also starred in the first ever Morse episode, has seen house prices increase by 604 per cent in the last 20 years.
