Dame's Delight

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Dame's Delight was a place for women to bathe on the bank of the River Cherwell in the meadows near the Oxford University Parks opposite Mesopotamia Walk in Oxford, England. [1] [2]

The site existed from 1934 to 1970, when it closed because of maintenance difficulties caused by flooding. [3]

A similar bathing area Parson's Pleasure for nude male bathing, also existed nearby until 1991. [4] [5] It had been established at a much earlier date; both sites are now part of the folklore of Oxford University.

Dame's Delight inspired the title of a 1964 novel by Margaret Forster. [6]

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References

  1. Partridge, Eric (2 May 2006). A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. p. 288. ISBN   978-1-134-96365-2.
  2. "Halcyon summer days taking a cool dip at Dame's Delight". Oxford Mail . UK. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  3. "Dipping at Dame's Delight – A Celebration of Women". www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com. The Outdoor Swimming Society. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. "Parson's Pleasure and Dame's Delight bathing places, Oxford". Dereliction in the Shires. Google Sites . Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  5. "Now there's nothing like a Dame's Delight". Oxford Mail . UK. 30 June 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  6. Forster, Margaret (1964). Dame's Delight. Sphere. ISBN   978-0-7221-3626-3..

Coordinates: 51°45′40″N1°14′49″W / 51.761°N 1.247°W / 51.761; -1.247