Carfax is the name of the central
crossroads in the centre of
Oxford,
UK. It is the intersection of two roads which both change their name.
- North - Cornmarket, Pedestrianised, buses only
- South - St. Aldates, Open to traffic.
- East - High Street (also known as The High), Open to traffic.
- West - Queen Street (also known as Queens), pedestrianised.
The name 'Carfax' is a corruption of the Latin Quadrifurcus, or the French "Quatre faces". What would 17th Century inhabitants make of the modern meaning of car-fax I wonder?
There is a building, referred to as Carfax Tower, on the North West corner of the junction. This is part of what was St. Martin's Church - which was demolished in 1896 for road widening. The building is now a tourist attraction.