In April 2004, a plaque was unveiled at an apparently insignificant house at 16 James Street, Cowley. What few may appreciate, even now, is that this was the childhood home of William Richard Morris, one of Oxford's greatest industrial pioneers.

From this humble dwelling emerged the man who would change the economic fabric of the city forever.

Morris was born in Worcester on October 10, 1877, but moved to Oxford when he was three. He attended schools in Headington and Cowley, and by the age of 15 had launched a bicycle repair business in the shed at the bottom of his father's garden. In those early days, cycling was his passion and he became a champion racer, securing no less than seven medals for his exploits. It was through his membership of a local cycling club that he met his future wife, Elizabeth Anstey always known as Lillian. The couple married in 1904.

Morris's cycle business expanded to include motorcycles, and he became known as the "Sole maker of the celebrated Morris Cycles and Motor Cycles". Soon he had a showroom at 48 High Street, and a workshop for storage and repairs at 1 Queen's Lane. In 1901, Morris moved his business to new premises at 100a Holywell Street, now 21 Longwall Street. Two years later, he formed the Oxford Automobile and Cycle Agency with Oxford undergraduate Launcelot Creyke and a local businessman, F G Barton, but the firm collapsed within a year, allegedly due to Creyke's profligacy. After this disaster, Morris vowed that in future he would always retain sole control of his businesses.

By the end of the decade, Morris was trading as a motor car hire and repair business, under the name of WRM Motors Ltd, and soon began selling new cars as well.

Between 1910 and 1911 his landlords, Merton College, established a new building on the Longwall Street site, known thereafter as the Morris Garage.

It was here, in 1912, that he designed his first car, the Bullnose Morris, which was manufactured at a disused military training college in Hollow Way, Cowley. Although later converted to residential accommodation, the frontage of the old garage in Longwall Street has been carefully preserved, and now features a display window celebrating Morris's achievements.

The First World War saw a brief slump in business but, in 1916, Morris landed a lucrative contract to make mine sinkers from his Cowley plant. From an initial production of 250, the firm was soon producing 2,000 a week.

For this vital contribution to the war effort Morris was awarded the OBE.

After the war, W.R.M. Motors Ltd was put into voluntary liquidation to make way for a new company, Morris Motors Ltd, which flourished throughout the 1920s thanks largely to the popularity of the Morris Cowley and the Morris Oxford, both renowned for their reliability and affordability, and the ongoing improvements to their specifications. By 1925, Morris Motors was producing around 1000 vehicles per week, and was recognised as the leading car manufacturer in Britain.

During the same period, Morris pioneered the all-steel motor vehicle, and helped to establish the famous Pressed Steel Company at Cowley in 1927.

But the following year the company suffered an unexpected slump, due to a general increase in taxation and the resultant demand for smaller, more economical cars. The situation was exacerbated by the 1929 Wall Street crash.

Morris's solution was to produce the 8hp Morris Minor, but it failed to halt the decline. The company's saviour came in the form of Leonard Lord, a production engineer, who implemented a major modernisation of the company, resulting in a massive upturn in the company's fortunes. By 1937, Morris Motors Ltd had become the largest manufacturer in Europe, and in 1938 became the first British company to make a million vehicles.

The biggest triumph was the famous Morris Minor of 1948, an improved version of earlier models, which rolled off the production line for the first time in September that year, in time for the Earls Court Motor Show.

By this time Morris had amassed a vast personal fortune, but he gave most of it away, earning himself a place in the Guinness Book of Records as one of Britain's greatest philanthropists. During the 1930s he donated money to the Radcliffe Hospital, St Peter's Hall (later St Peter's College) and Guy's Hospital in London, and endowed four medical professorships at Oxford University, helping to establish the Oxford Medical School.

However, he did spend some of the money on himself. He bought Huntercombe Golf Course in 1926, so that he could indulge in his favourite sport, and the nearby Nuffield Place in 1933. When he was made a Viscount in 1938, he took the title Lord Nuffield.

In 1943 he established the Nuffield Foundation to support medical and health services, scientific research, care of the elderly and other charitable purposes. He also donated £1 million towards the building of Nuffield College, and the foundation stone was laid in 1948.

Morris died on 22nd August 1963, and was buried at the Holy Trinity Church, Nuffield. His wife had predeceased him by four years, and the couple had no children, so the entire contents of his estate passed to Nuffield College, which today still owns and administers his former home. The house remains much as Morris left it, with his furniture and other belongings on display. The recently-opened Morris Motors Museum in Long Hanborough tells the story of the various Morris enterprises, and is a fitting tribute to a remarkable man.

On the Nuffield Trail 16 James Street, Cowley, Oxford Nuffield's childhood home, now marked with a blue plaque Longwall Street, Oxford Nuffield's former garage, where he designed the Bullnose Morris, now marked with a window display Morris Motors Museum, Long Hanborough Open every Sat Mar-Oct 10.30am-4.30pm; Wed, Sun and BH Mon throughout the year 10.30am-4.30pm Tel: 01993 883617 Nuffield Place, nr Wallingford Open last Sunday in April and 2nd and 4th Sundays May-Sept 2pm-5pm Tel: 01491 641224 Holy Trinity Church, Nuffield Site of Nuffield's grave ends