Botley is a village in the civil parish of North Hinksey in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, just west of the Oxford city boundary. Historically part of Berkshire, it stands on the Seacourt Stream, a stream running off the River Thames. The intersection of the A34 and A420 is to the village's north. Topography Botley, aside from central offices and a modest row of shops, is a residential suburb of Oxford. Generally, house prices are above average for the Oxford area, from average in its east (similar to much of Dean Court), to very expensive towards where the settlement adjoins Cumnor Hill, in its south. It lies, apart from a small section which is southeast, southwest of the junction between the A34 (Oxford ring road) and the A420 westward to Swindon. The contiguous neighbourhood Dean Court adjoins Botley to its west, in the Cumnor civil parish. The other settlements which merge into this settlement are North Hinksey and Cumnor Hill. Elevations range from 56m on the Hinksey Stream marking much of the eastern border to the western border which ranges from 80 to 120m AOD from north to south. The southern point is a border of Cumnor Hill and adjoins Matthew Arnold School. Landmarks and economy Botley shops comprise Elms Parade and the West Way shopping precinct. The various large office buildings along the main road include Seacourt Tower, known locally as "Botley Cathedral" owing to its small metal spire, originally built in 1965–66 as a car showroom and garage to a design by Beecher and Stamford. It remains in the ownership of Hartwell Ford. Religion Botley's Church of England church of St Peter and St Paul on West Way, built in 1958, is one of four in its benefice which reaches outside the historic ecclesiastical parish to include St Frideswide's Church, Oxford, St Lawrence's Church, North Hinksey and St. Margaret of Antioch, Binsey. Other Christian churches in Botley include Calvery Chapel and Roman Catholic Church, the oldest being Botley Baptist established in 1890. History Botley was first settled in the Saxon era. Its toponym comes from the Old English, meaning a woodland clearing of a man called Bota. It has since fallen within the parish of North Hinksey, and so was historically in the county of Berkshire, as marked in its northern half by the Vale of White Horse district boundary on the map. Because the main road west