FROM a medieval leper colony, to a Victorian workhouse and the scene of some of Oxford’s most famous protest movements, Cowley Road has always reflected social change in Oxford.

Now a documentary film is being made telling the history of the road, traced through the bronze ingots installed along its length in 2005.

Bronze Eyes, by film maker Owen Edwards, will tell the story of Cowley Road’s development from 1126 to the present day.

He aims to premiere the documentary early next year.

Mr Edwards, 31, has interviewed residents and local historians to tell the story, which is centred on the events and individuals celebrated on 58 bronze studs embedded in the road by Fusion Arts five years ago.

Along the way, he will tell the stories of the leper colony built three miles from Oxford in the 12th century to sell wares to travellers entering and leaving the city, the development as a residential area in the 1840s and 1850s, the Victorian workhouse and Cowley Road’s churches.

It will also describe how the 1960s brought a wave of change over East Oxford, turning it into a thriving hub of immigrant communities moving to Oxford for the first time.

Cowley Road has also been a starting point for many protests, from the suffragettes, to trade union demonstrations, to the anti-cuts march that started from Manzil Way last weekend.

Mr Edwards, from Cowley, said: “There has been nothing like this before, which is a shame because there is so much history to the Cowley Road.

“We have done some vox pops where people have said they have lived on the road for 36 years, but never knew about the place’s history. It’s about time people know about the place they live and work.”

The new work will be Mr Edwards’ first full-length project, lasting at least 45 minutes, following up from an earlier five-minute film exploring the same theme.

Local historian Annie Skinner, whose book Cowley Road: A History has provided the background for much of the film, said: “East Oxford has always been the Cinderella of Oxford, but it is so rich in history.

“We’re in danger of losing our heritage and forgetting where places come from.”

The bronze ingots were installed as a time capsule reflecting Cowley Road’s past. A cryptic puzzle links all the studs, although the secret will not be given away in the new film.

Since they were installed in 2005, some have been hit by vandalism, with yobs ripping them out of the ground.

Tara Stewart, of Fusion Arts, said: “We’re really delighted Owen is doing this. When we put in the ingots we wanted people to use them to find out about the area.

“We wanted them to become part of the community, and it’s great people will be engaging with them through his film.”