Broad Street, Oxford – Martin School Live Camera

Please note the Clarendon Building (left) is currently undergoing restoration works. The Clarendon Building's spectacular rooftop statues have stood watch over the city since 1717. The nine statues represent the Greek Muses – the mythical daughters of Zeus who presided over literature, science, and the arts. But centuries of British weather have taken their toll on the unsecured statues. By 1780, Calliope (the Muse of Epic Poetry) had fallen and was destroyed, and shortly after, Melpomene (the Muse of Tragedy) suffered the same fate.

In 1974, Blackwell's Bookshop funded fibreglass replicas to replace the missing statues. However, an historical mix-up meant the wrong Muses were replicated and placed in the wrong positions on the roofline. This conservation project, which began in 2022, is finally correcting this 50-year-old mistake.

In September 2026, the Muses will be lifted back into their historically correct positions on the roofline, marking a proud milestone for all the teams involved in the completion of this collaborative conservation effort.

Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk

This live camera offers a window into the heart of Oxford's university district, capturing the vibrant streetscape of Broad Street day and night. Watch as pedestrians move through this centuries-old thoroughfare lined with iconic academic buildings, bookshops, and historic facades. The current view showcases the Clarendon Building's conservation work—a rare glimpse of Oxford's living heritage restoration in progress.