Email: enquiries@southoxford.orgPhone: 01865 242666, Community fridge Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, May Artweeks 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th & 29th May, Christmas art event 26th & 27th November. The pools were unheated, but that didn't put children off. The railway came into Oxford parallel to, and just to the west of, the Abingdon Road, and terminated at a station just south-west of Folly Bridge. The Centre works in partnership with Activate Learning to bring the college to the community. children. The soil is clay, gravel and loam on a subsoil of In 1902 the eastern section of the grounds nearest Abingdon Road (known as Hinksey Step) was handed over to the Corporations Playground Committee (and is still the site of a playground and sports field today). Owing to the insufficiency of the personal I remember Hinksey Pools as four pools, filled up from the lake. to George Owen (fn. Description Driving over from Lancaster, I felt my body becoming young as if entering memories held in my childhood landscape. Image The Oxfordshire History Centre. Hinksey Stream runs past the west of Oxford, a branch of the River Thames. To all those lovely people in our community who have supported our work with personal donations: thank you! Opposite was the wayside chapel of St Nicholas, where alms were collected to pay for the repairs.). parish from south-east to north-west, but there is no The waterwheel also worked the engine which was used to bore out the elm 'mains' pipes which were laid in the principle streets of the city. There were 92 lots, 16 feet wide and 120 to 130 feet deep, most with frontages on to a new street called Norreys Avenue. The line terminated with a station just to the south-west of Folly Bridge. 1888 on a site given by the Earl of Abingdon and Converted from cottages in 1854 and located in the small picturesque village of South Hinksey, it is only a short walk from Oxford over the footbridge at Hinksey Park (7 minutes from the end of Lake Street, off Abingdon Road. South Hinksey. In 1985 Percy bought 310 acres overlooking the Dreaming Spires of Oxford from the Harcourt Estate. The roof-top balcony and caf can be seen in the background. I didnt really have any days when I didnt want to swim. Hengestesige (x cent. The Old Vicarage, 41 Lake Street, New Hinksey, Oxford OX1 4RP . All rights reserved. Lake Street Studios, . The swimming pools had no fence around them, and it was free to swim there. Conditions improved when main drainage was extended to the suburb in 1875, though flooding was still a regular problem, as in other low-lying areas of the city. I was regularly returning to certain favourite spots such as The Thames at Godstow, just down from the Lock and the ruined stone nunnery where Rosamund Clifford, mistress of Henry II, had been educated and had returned by water. Demand for clean water was rising: by 1885 all the houses in the city were connected to the mains and the works were supplying two million gallons of relatively clean water a day. In 1854 the city corporation, finally spurred into action, bought the lake at New Hinksey for use as a reservoir. The lake is deep and holds, roach, tench and rudd amongst other species. I dreamt my legs didnt work, I couldnt stand, I had no strength in my legs and it was going to be forever. The city has supplied itself and two years later he acquired the manor of Cumnor. At the point where the Abingdon consols with the official trustees. All our manpower, and the hundreds of hours put into to our work sessions is voluntary and unpaid, but materials have to be purchased and we to restock our supplies to maintain this exciting momentum, and sustain repairs and maintenance as more people come to enjoy the Trail. The city corporation waterworks opened at Lake Street in 1856. 41 Lake Street is a grand double fronted detached residence, sitting at the north-western corner of the New Hinksey suburb and at the end of a no through road. The dank brown of trees and earth on dull rocky greys contrasted the iridescence of green moss. In 1868 undergraduates were permitted to live out of college for the first time, and many home-owners supplemented their income by letting out rooms to students: within two years there were 400 licensed lodging-houses in Oxford. We gratefully acknowledge the support of TOE, the Trust for Oxfordshires Environment, who have made a generous grant to make this possible. This Oxfordshire location article is a stub. There are certain beliefs I carry that helped. She and her husband had a release of this and other In 1875 some of the affected families in New Hinksey were said to be 'in a wretched condition, being confined to their upper rooms, with no firing, very little clothing and many with scarcely any food to eat. Image Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre, ref: HT132. To the north of the interchange between the A34 and the A423. followed the descent of the manor, (fn. I wrote comments about the water; temperature, flow colour, transparency. The early history of SOUTH HINKSEY is identical with that of North 12), At the Dissolution South Hinksey came to the Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) mentions Hinksey in his poems Thyrsis and The Scholar Gipsy. This drawing covers part of the Thames Valley in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire History Centre, ref: OXFO 352.6. (fn. In 1877 Charlotte Faulkener, by her will proved at The pools became a very popular recreational facility for local people and for those from further afield, who would come for the whole day to swim and to picnic in the park. Thomas Fawkner's charity, I swam amongst water lilies glimpsing light through their roots and water surface canopies. A new pumping station (now the South Oxford Community Centre) was built at the western end of the road leading to the lake - Lake Street - and it opened in 1856. The parish of South Hinksey covers 765 acres in as New Hinksey, which sprang up in the 19th century between the Thames and the Hinksey Stream. Therefore a modest level of building activity continued in the 1850s and 1860s, and by 1871 New Hinksey contained 159 houses and a population of 722. At the south end of it That river forms its eastern boundary, and a branch of it, known as Hinksey Stream, leaves the main stream at North Hinksey, Old Vicarage, Solth Hinksey, flows through this parish, and joins the river again some distance to the south-east of the village. I have kept a dream diary for years. It looks out across the popular Hinksey Park. Moreover, Oxford's firemen were regularly obliged to clean out blocked valves on their steam fire engines and one crew had recently removed two bushels of mussels. Diseases. blocks and keystones, all of the 18th century. The place-name is of Old English origin. In March 1887 (by which time there were 73 houses on Marlborough Road) the horse-tram service was extended from Carfax along St Aldates and the Abingdon Road as far as the end of Lake Street in New Hinksey, making the area much more accessible. That day I sat by the lake as if dreaming, insects hovering around me. Feel what you feel, I heard myself say. As of summer 2020, there is a volunteer-led effort at the nature trail to repair parts of the boardwalk which have become damaged due to age and heavy usage. but only the nave has been completed. [10], Laurence Binyon (18691943) wrote a poem entitled Ferry Hinksey.[11]. What had been the cooling pond became a boating lake. Here, Hinksey Park itself is an 11-acre park, including an open-air swimming pool, off Abingdon Road. A stroll along the nature trail offers stunning views down onto the city of Oxford and winds through woodland, reedland and fen. hollow-chamfered orders with square responds having Hinksey Hill Farm lies on Hinksey Hill, close to South Hinksey. Hinksey is a place name associated with Oxford and Oxfordshire. of 2s. rent of 22s. A quiet, beautiful lake, near the city centre by the railway line, yet clean, full of fish, wildlife and water lilies and surrounded by trees. head and two quatrefoil drains. We are grateful to Oxfordshire County Council and local councillor Judy Roberts for their support in enabling us to buy specialist barrows which will enable us to move large amounts of material as we rebuild the path. whole tongue of land between the Hinksey is called a chapelry of Cumnor, and the chargeable upon lands allotted to the earl. Where gravel was dug to build the new railway embankment at New Hinksey, a crater formed which was gradually filled by natural springs to become Hinksey Lake. For the first time in 16 years, Oxford Scuba Diving Club was forced to cancel its New Year's Day dip at Hinksey Lake. The Corporation bought the lake in 1854 for use as a reservoir in association with its new Lake Street waterworks. The Centre has a number of rooms for hire, all reasonably priced for small or larger family occasions, group meetings, exercise and recreational classes, training and seminars. Website design by JSummerton. Instead they decided to hold their own inquiry which was, ironically, delayed by another outbreak of cholera in 1849. [3], Hinxey Hall was located in Oxford during the 14th to 16th centuries. (fn. Note the presence of East Wick Farm, the Berkshire House and the New Hinksey Inn, the city waterworks, and the original chapel-school (marked 'St John's Church') and vicarage. Outdoor Swimming Society 2023 Terms & Conditions Shop Terms & Conditions Delivery & Returns. 13) and was afterwards granted with North Hinksey We were all together for a moment, Miles like a water baby, my mother a seal in a full wet suit at 76, my father near her to help, Jos still presence glowed amongst the trees. Building in Norreys Avenue began immediately but lots in the more distant Sunningwell Road only became attractive as Norreys Avenue filled up, in around 1900. to the base, which is moulded and rests on a square Acland and other reformers pressed for Oxford to adopt the 1848 Health of Towns Act, but whilst the university's commissioners were in favour, most of the city's representatives opposed it, fearing loss of local autonomy. estate, the sum of 90 only was paid in respect of If when I get to the water I dont want to get in I dont have to (this has never happened yet). This was simply a continuation of Marlborough Road, and by 1892 its separate name had been given up. up to about 12 ft deep. The Nature Reserve, covering more than 12 hectares, is home to diverse wildlife, including robins, magpies, cuckoos, green woodpeckers, bullfinches, deer and red kites. Media in category "South Hinksey" The following 68 files are in this category, out of 68 total. New Hinksey, was built in 1870 and rebuilt in 1900, granted them the mill in gratitude. A wild swimmer drowned in Hinksey Lake, a coroner concluded. A quiet, beautiful lake, near the city centre by the railway line, yet clean, full of fish, wildlife and water lilies and surrounded by trees. Here is a remarkable BBC Radio 4 documentary on the natural history of the cuckoo to whet your appetite. and in the manor of Cumnor (fn. There is seating indoors or in the yard. I set off to the river, walking, comforted by the imminence of my every day swim, my home swim. South Oxford Community Centre occupies a large Victorian building in Lake Street, off the Abingdon Road, about one mile from Oxford city centre. The system for pumping water was relatively efficient, but the water was still unfiltered. as Langford Mill, 'near Oxford Bridge,' and was It is first mentioned in the 10th century in the form Hengestesige, and probably means "stallion island". In 1974, many of the places associated with the name were transferred from the county of Berkshire in the county boundary changes. Greenaway's land was bounded to the south-east by Madam's Lane, which went from the Abingdon Road, via a dog-leg, to the pathknown as the Devil's Backbone, which leads to the village of South Hinksey. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) opened its station at the eastern end of the Botley Road in 1851 (where the Sad Business School is now) and a year later the Great Western Railway (GWR) opened its new station immediately adjacent (where the current railway station is). It is best viewed from the footbridge that carries a footpath from the end of Lake Street towards South Hinksey. Soon after, RWM Gibbs, a popular Labour councillor for the South Ward (and later father-in-law of the prominent Oxford politician Olive Gibbs) persuaded the City Council to allow the redundant pumping station to be converted into a centre for recreational activities for local people. in length. Stream. The plan is oriented to the east, with a compass depicted at middle right. Once the former railway line had been removed following the closure of Grandpont Station in 1872 the water company bought seven acres of land immediately north of the pumping station from University College (an area known as the Step Ground) and dug out a cooling pond (now the boating lake). Recommended option. It is in the It was demolished in 1971 and houses on Shirelake Close now stand on the site. granted to the abbey of Abingdon in the beginning Housing development south of New Hinksey In 1891 William Farthing, a London architect and surveyor, laid out a housing estate immediately south of New Hinksey. These he later displayed at the Town Hall under a microscope. families of the labouring class. timber north porch is modern. some distance to the south-east of the village. It is the Weirs Mill. south-west, and is joined by a lane running south from the village. in 1712 as resembling 'military fortifications.' the main lake has many floating cage islands, which are a magnet for the Tench. Around 25 years ago I stumbled across morning pages; writing every morning as a stream of consciousness to rekindle creativity. have elaborate traceried windows. Crown. I slowed down floating on my back. is of two lights under a square head, and below it is There are 4 ways to get from Summertown to South Hinksey by bus, taxi or foot. history is not recorded, and it seems to have fallen Oxford, UK October 2022 Oxford, UK October 2022 RM 2EBR0KM - St Lawrences Church North Hinksey chancel south window. of this parish. Following the complete closure of the Great Western Railway's Grandpont station in 1872 the area between Folly Bridge and the waterworks grounds was cleared and the station buildings and track dismantled and sold off as building materials. gin clear in winter/spring but turns green with algae and solid with weed in summer. How? Description. 2 . Version 5.0. The vicarage house of New Hinksey was erected in with water from Hinksey since its water-works first Two of the beds now form the open-air swimming pool. Occasionally I would write reflective passages on my state of mind. 21) and its claims to be considered an independent manor are very doubtful. between his two daughters took place (fn. The South Oxford Community Association also directly runs a number of projects including: Art events, classes and exhibitions organised by a group of local artists known as New Hinksey Arts. Most of the 114 lots were on a new street called Sunningwell Road. Weekly Community Caf each Tuesday and a Thursday drop in with a Stitch and Chat group so members of the community can get together. village of South Hinksey, and New Hinksey residents attended St Laurence's church in South Hinksey by crossing Hinksey Lake and the railway tracks on the path still known as the Devil's Backbone. They splashed and dived, teaching their three young to fish. I have tried to put these into words here. The Part of the plan of the proposed Gala Baths at Hinksey Park, 7 October 1935.Reproduced by kind permission of Oxford City Council, ref: 15516. Hinksey Lake footbridge is located 1.6 miles (2575m) from Oxford Railway Station and 4.5 miles (7,242m) from Radley Railway Station. The main pool would have been 120' (36.5m) long and 42' (12.8m) wide. As we walked, I saw the impact of time, as their bodies struggled to walk down the steep banks alongside the simple dignity and determination with which they found their way. These new waterworks were built just north-west of Folly Bridge in 1825, as Folly Bridge itself was being rebuilt. Two old boys, who were also the lifeguards, used to empty and scrub all around the pools with brooms. Image Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire History Centre, ref: OXFO 352.6 MC3 packet 2, folder 43, 1. The Nature Reserve, covering more than 12 hectares, is home to diverse wildlife, including robins, magpies, cuckoos, green woodpeckers, bullfinches, deer and red kites. When the Community Centre's lower hall was refurbished in 2016 it was named the Brenda Horwood Room. In the flash of an eye, that lasted forever, a large relentless crow landed briefly, hooking a small gosling into its beak, and flew off. (fn. When, however, the partition of the latter's estates In 1934, Hinksey Park was laid out in New Hinksey. Oxford's population rose from 12,000 in 1801 to 24,000 in 1851 and more than doubled again to 49,000 by 1901. The South Oxford Community Centre was added to the Oxford Heritage Asset Register in July 2018. Use our species pages to find the fisheries that suit you. There is also a suburb called New Hinksey to the south of the town centre, which contains the Oxford City Council ward Hinksey Park. The Bishop of Oxford has been patron There is no suggestion These swims were both ordinary and extraordinary. That river forms its eastern Teachers and students from local schools are also welcome to come and use the trail for outdoor education. After several months of hard work and persistence through terrible weather, our intrepid volunteers have completed a major renovation and improvement programme around the fallen tree just below the Upper Lake, informally known as Henrys Constriction. Somewhere the crows own young. The waterworks pumping station, the lake, the cooling pond, the filter beds and the underground water storage tanks can be seen on this plan of the waterworks. Gradually the gaps between the houses filled up and the majority of dwellings in Grandpont were built by the turn of the century; all 260 were completed by 1914. Henry Greenaway's two fields between the Abingdon Road and the railway line were to become the site of New Hinksey. Hinksey Lake. One cold November day, amid global political change, on my way to swim, I felt the plight of homeless people in Oxford city centre in the bitter cold to be particularly upsetting. I spread out my arms and legs, could I fly? 'The old order changeth, yeilding place to the new': dons (old and new) on the High Street, 1882. 2s. The Trail volunteer group have been working hard on numerous projects over the summer months, principally a major task repair and improve the walking surface in a number of spots that tend to become muddy and hazardous in wet and wintry weather. It is sometimes called 'the local list' and gives buildings a degree of extra protection in planning terms should proposals be put forward to radically alter or demolish them. Image from Carole Newbigging, The Changing Faces of South Oxford and South Hinksey, Book 2. These enormous engines were powered by steam, and coal was brought to the works daily by cart. Image from Carole Newbigging, The Changing Faces of South Oxford and South Hinksey, Book 3 (Robert Boyd Publications, 2003). 1907 for the Earl of Abingdon, who is a Roman As I rested there moor hens came out of hiding, I was forgotten me. in the 18th century the chancel was largely reconstructed. Every donation of 50, for example, sponsors one metre of brand new boardwalk. In 1854 the city corporation, finally spurred into action, bought the lake at New Hinksey for use as a reservoir. I couldnt tell what was going on until I approached and saw two extended families of geese. Sun times, moon times, lunar phase, weather. 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