Banbury Road

Last updated

UK road A4165.svg
A4165
BBC Radio Oxford.jpg
Route information
Length3.7 mi (6.0 km)
Major junctions
South end Oxford
Major intersectionsUK road A4144.svg A4144
UK road A40.svg A40
UK road A4260.svg A4260
North endNear Kidlington
Location
Country United Kingdom
Constituent country England
Road network

Banbury Road [1] is a major arterial road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' at the south end, north towards Banbury through the leafy suburb of North Oxford and Summertown, with its local shopping centre. Parallel and to the west is the Woodstock Road, which it meets at the junction with St Giles'. To the north, Banbury Road meets the Oxford Ring Road at a roundabout. The road is designated the A4165 (which continues for a short distance as Oxford Road to Kidlington). Prior to the building of the M40 motorway extension in 1990, the road formed part of the A423 from Maidenhead to Coventry.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Buildings

Shops on Banbury Road in Summertown. Summertown Shops (Oxford).jpg
Shops on Banbury Road in Summertown.
The former residence of the lexicographer James Murray, first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, at 78 Banbury Road, opposite the junction with St Margaret's Road. Note the pillar box in front of the house, installed because of the volume of post that he sent, with a commemorative blue plaque behind, added in 2002. 78 Banbury Road Oxford 20060715.jpg
The former residence of the lexicographer James Murray, first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, at 78 Banbury Road, opposite the junction with St Margaret's Road. Note the pillar box in front of the house, installed because of the volume of post that he sent, with a commemorative blue plaque behind, added in 2002.

The former Mathematical Institute of Oxford University is at the lower end of the road on the east side. Opposite Keble Road is St Giles' Church, built in 1120 and consecrated in 1200. Further north are the Denys Wilkinson Building (astrophysics) and the prominent 1960s Thom Building of the Engineering Science department.

One of the university's former women's colleges, St Anne's College backs onto Banbury Road and another, St Hugh's College, flanks the road further up. Kellogg College and Wycliffe Hall, which are also part of the university are situated on Banbury Road, near to the junction with Bevington Road. The Independent Sixth Form of d'Overbroeck's College is housed in both the Swan Building at 111 and the adjacent number 113 which was, by the turn of the 20th century, occupied by a Mr R. Lamb Abbott MA who advertised for students to take instruction in "a course of lectures" over four weeks or so to enable them to sit their responsions and thus matriculate at the university. [3]

Wychwood School, an independent girls' school, is at 74 Banbury Road. Established in 1897 as Miss Batty's School for the daughters of Oxford dons, from 1898 to 1907, the school was housed at 77 Banbury Road – a "charming Regency house" – where residents Miss A.S. Batty and Miss Margaret Lee MA taught a handful of day girls. Miss Lee would later acquire ownership of number 77. The school at that time also provided accommodation for young women sitting examinations who were members of the Society of Oxford Home Students – later St Anne's College, Oxford where Miss Lee tutored from 1913 to 1936. 77 Banbury Road was religious in nature: Miss Batty had an academic interest in religious matters and Miss Lee was the granddaughter of an Anglican vicar. [4] [5] [6]

Banbury Road Medical Centre is a National Health Service facility at 172 Banbury Road. [7]

BBC Oxford is also based on Banbury Road and is home to the local televised news output and BBC Radio Oxford. In early 1970 the BBC Oxford studios were actually located further down at 242–254 Banbury Road (now a branch of Marks & Spencer), but were later moved to 269 in 1989 as local media services within BBC Oxford expanded.

People

Famous residents include the lexicographer James Murray who produced the first Oxford English Dictionary (a blue plaque now marks the site) and the zoologist Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape .

The artist Paul Nash (1889–1946) lived at 106 Banbury Road, marked with an Oxfordshire Blue Plaque. [8] [9]

Jesse Elliston, the proprietor of what became Oxford's leading department store, Elliston & Cavell, died in the Banbury Road in 1853 at the age of only 47.

Dame Honor Fell DBE, FRS (1900–1986) studied at Wychwood School and this is commemorated with a blue plaque from the Society of Biology, installed in 2015. [10]

Christopher Strachey (1916–1975) founded and led the Programming Research Group (part of Oxford University) from 1965 until his untimely death, at 45 Banbury Road. [11] From 1977, the PRG was then led by Tony Hoare, located here until 1984.

Adjoining roads in North Oxford

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Anne's College, Oxford</span> College of Oxford University, England

St Anne's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It was founded in 1879 and gained full college status in 1959. Originally a women's college, it has admitted men since 1979. It has some 450 undergraduate and 200 graduate students and retains an original aim of allowing women of any financial background to study at Oxford. It still has a student base with a higher than average proportion of female students. The college stands between Woodstock and Banbury roads, next to the University Parks. In April 2017, Helen King, a retired Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, took over as Principal from Tim Gardam. Former members include Danny Alexander, Edwina Currie, Ruth Deech, Helen Fielding, William MacAskill, Amanda Pritchard, Simon Rattle, Tina Brown, Mr Hudson and Victor Ubogu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Oxford</span> Human settlement in England

North Oxford is a suburban part of the city of Oxford in England. It was owned for many centuries largely by St John's College, Oxford and many of the area's Victorian houses were initially sold on leasehold by the college.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summertown, Oxford</span> Human settlement in England

Summertown in North Oxford is a suburb of Oxford, England. Summertown is a one-mile square residential area, north of St Giles, the boulevard leading out of Oxford's city centre. Summertown is home to several independent schools and the city's most expensive houses. On both sides of Banbury Road are Summertown's popular shops. There is also a smaller street of shops and restaurants, South Parade, that links Banbury Road and Woodstock Road. Summertown is home to much of Oxford's broadcast media. BBC Radio Oxford and the BBC Television's Oxford studios are on Banbury Road. Start-ups also have an increasing presence on the parade, such as Brainomix and Passle. The studios for JACK FM, Glide FM, and Six TV Oxford are on Woodstock Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock Road, Oxford</span> Road in Oxford, England

Woodstock Road is a major road in Oxford, England, running from St Giles' in the south, north towards Woodstock through the leafy suburb of North Oxford. To the east is Banbury Road, which it meets at the junction with St Giles'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parks Road</span> Road in Oxford, England

Parks Road is a road in Oxford, England, with several Oxford University colleges along its route. It runs north–south from the Banbury Road and Norham Gardens at the northern end, where it continues into Bradmore Road, to the junction with Broad Street, Holywell Street and Catte Street to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keble Road</span> Road in central Oxford, England

Keble Road is a short road running east–west in central Oxford, England. To the west is the southern end of the Banbury Road with St Giles' Church opposite. To the east is Parks Road with the University Parks opposite. Blackhall Road leads off the road to the south near the western end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bardwell Road</span> Road in North Oxford, England

Bardwell Road is a residential road in Oxford, England. It is located in North Oxford off the Banbury Road, within the area of Oxford once owned by St John's College, Oxford. The road is known for its schools, especially the Dragon School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bevington Road</span> Residential road in North Oxford, England

Bevington Road is a residential road in central North Oxford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norham Gardens</span> Road in North Oxford, England

Norham Gardens is a residential road in central North Oxford, England. It adjoins the north end of Parks Road near the junction with Banbury Road, directly opposite St Anne's College. From here it skirts the north side of the Oxford University Parks, ending up at Lady Margaret Hall, a college of Oxford University that was formerly for women only, backing onto the River Cherwell. Public access to the Parks is available from the two ends of the road. To the north of the road are Bradmore Road near the western end and Fyfield Road near the eastern end.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Margaret's Road</span> Road in North Oxford, England

St Margaret's Road is a road in North Oxford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Giles' Church, Oxford</span> Church in Oxford, United Kingdom

St Giles' Church is a church in North Oxford, England. It is at the northern end of the wide thoroughfare of St Giles', at the point where it meets Woodstock Road and Banbury Road. It stands between where Little Clarendon Street joins Woodstock Road and Keble Road joins Banbury Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norham Manor</span> Human settlement in England

The Norham Manor estate is a residential suburb in Oxford, England. It is part of central North Oxford. To the north is Park Town with its crescents, to the east is the River Cherwell, to the south are the University Parks and to the west is Walton Manor, on the other side of Banbury Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lathbury Road</span> Road in North Oxford, England

Lathbury Road is a short residential road in north Oxford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norham Road</span> Road in North Oxford, England

Norham Road is a road which lies east of the Banbury Road in central North Oxford, a suburb in the city of Oxford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rawlinson Road</span>

Rawlinson Road is a residential road in North Oxford, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crick Road</span> Road in North Oxford, England

Crick Road is a road in North Oxford, England, an area characterised by large Victorian Gothic villas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wychwood School</span> Girls school in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Wychwood School is a co-educational private day and boarding school for pupils aged 11–18, located in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England. The school is a member of the Girls' Schools Association and is owned by Albion Schools and Wychwood School Charity Ltd. The school is located on the southern corner of Bardwell Road and Banbury Road in North Oxford.

References

  1. "Banbury Road". UK: Oxford History. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  2. Blue Plaque marks home of first OED Editor, Blueprint: The newsletter of the University of Oxford , 21 November 2002.
  3. "The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art". Google books. 1893. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. "London's National Portrait Gallery – Miss Lee". NPG – London. Retrieved 13 April 2021. By this time [1896] Margaret had made a plan to take rooms in Oxford for both of them and help Miss [A.S.] Batty to establish a school for girls. This plan was successfully carried out. Margaret and Miss Batty established themselves at 41 Banbury Road and in January I897 a few pupils, daughters of Oxford dons, formed a nucleus of what was later to become Wychwood School. The little school flourished, pupils flocked in, more rooms in the house were added till, in 1898, the lease and later the ownership of 77 Banbury Road were acquired. Miss Batty's health improved marvellously and her wonderful power as a teacher began to be felt. 77 Banbury Road, a charming Regency house with a little garden stretching along North Parade, swarmed with school-children by day, and there were usually a few young women living there while reading for various examinations. The school soon overflowed and moved to Park Crescent in 1906...To return to Margaret's academic career at Oxford: she held her teaching appointments under the Association for the Education of Women and in 1913 was appointed Tutor to the Oxford Home Students (later St. Anne's College) and she held this until she retired in 1936...MARGARET LUCY LEE was born on 14 July 1871, the eldest child of Thomas William Lee, son of Joseph Lee, of Redbrook House, Flint, and Margaret Anne, daughter of Rev. C. H. Lyon, of Glen Ogil, the seat for 500 years of the cadet branch of the Bowes-Lyons of Glamis Castle.
  5. Religions of the lower culture. Section II. Religions of China and Japan. Section III. Religions of the Egyptians. Section IV. Religions of the Semites. 1908. Retrieved 13 February 2022. Miss Batty, 77 Banbury Road, Oxford – page vi
  6. Kloester, J. (2013). Georgette Heyer: Biography of a Bestseller. Arrow Books. p. 42. ISBN   9780434020713 . Retrieved 12 April 2022. Later, Carola and Joanna both went to Miss Batty's School for the daughters of Oxford dons (later called the Wychwood School) where they created a ...
  7. "Banbury Road Medical Centre". UK: Oxfordshire NHS.
  8. "Paul Nash (1889–1946) Artist, 106 Banbury Road, Oxford". UK: Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board . Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  9. "Paul Nash 1889–1946 artist lived here 1940–1946". Open Plaques. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
  10. "Oxford Inscriptions: Dame Honor Fell, Wychwood School". History on the streets of Oxford. UK. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  11. "Expenditure for house occupied by the Programming Research Group, 1966–1968". Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts. UK: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford. MS. Eng. misc. b. 255/B.25. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  12. Hinchcliffe, p. 217.

Bibliography

51°46′53″N1°15′59″W / 51.78133°N 1.26652°W / 51.78133; -1.26652