Oxford MD Maryland
Frequently Asked Questions
On the Tred Avon River in Chesapeake Bay. Only small coastal cruise vessels call here, and the village begins where the gangway ends: no shuttle is needed.
Yes, the whole visit is one walk. The main street slopes gently down to the water, lined with houses some of which date from the 1600s and 1700s, ending at the small beach known as the Strand.
Walk the main street to the shore, visit the local museum covering three centuries of sailing and oystering, ride the Bellevue ferry there and back, then sit down to a plate of blue crab.
A small ferry that has crossed the Tred Avon River almost without interruption since 1683, making it the oldest privately operated ferry in continuous service in the United States. The crossing is short, and it is precisely the sort of thing you come here for.
Yes, long ago. Founded in 1683, it was designated in 1694 as the official port of entry for Maryland's Eastern Shore: merchant ships unloaded cargo here and left laden with tobacco. Trade moved elsewhere, leaving a village at human scale.
Chesapeake blue crab, as crab cakes or picked yourself, depending on the season. The bay's watermen still work their pots here, and the local recipes need no embellishment.
A commercial fisher of the bay, working crab pots and oyster beds by season. Oxford remains a working port in its own way, and the boatyards maintain yachts and wooden craft in a smell of varnish and shavings.
The US dollar. Cards work at the inn and in restaurants, but Oxford is a very small village: bring cash for the ferry and the small shops.
May through October. Summer is warm but the bay breeze softens it, and it is peak blue crab season. Autumn brings superb light on the Tred Avon and far fewer people.
Yes, for a very quiet call. The ferry, the small Strand beach and watching the boats appeal to children. There are no organized attractions, though: the village keeps the pace of sailboats coming back to their moorings.
