University Parks

Coordinates: 51°45′43″N 1°15′11″W / 51.762°N 1.253°W / 51.762; -1.253
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

University Parks
The University Parks, to the north-east of Oxford city centre
TypePublic park
LocationOxford, England
Area74 acres (30 ha)
Owned byUniversity of Oxford

The Oxford University Parks, commonly referred to locally as the University Parks, or just The Parks, is a large parkland area slightly northeast of the city centre in Oxford, England. The park is bounded to the east by the River Cherwell, though a small plot of land called Mesopotamia sits between the upper and lower levels of the river. To the north of the parks is Norham Gardens and Lady Margaret Hall, to the west the Parks Road, and the Science Area on South Parks Road to the south. The park is open to the public during the day, and has gardens, large sports fields, and exotic plants. It includes a cricket ground used by Oxford University Cricket Club.

History

North Lodge, at the entrance to the Parks where Norham Gardens meets Parks Road.

Part of the land on which the Parks is located had been used for recreation for a long time, and it formed part of the University Walks said to have been used by

Merton College, and in 1853/1854, the University of Oxford purchased 20 acres (8.1 ha) from Merton College to build the parks.[2] Over an eleven-year period a total of 91 acres (37 ha) of land was eventually acquired.[3] A portion of this land (4 acres) was set aside for the University Museum which was built between 1855 and 1860.[1] Between 1912 and early 1950s, a further portion was used to build the Science Area
, so the current site measures around 74 acres (30 ha).

The Parks was laid out in 1864, and the work supervised by William Baxter who was later appointed the first superintendent of the parks in 1866.[4] Parts of the Parks were designated to be used for sports and recreational purposes. 25 acres of the land had been set aside as the University Cricket Grounds, and the cricket pavilion was built in 1881. The Parks is also used for other sports such as rugby football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis and croquet. The rest of The Parks was designed as an arboretum, and the first trees were planted in 1865.[2] A number of other features have been added over the years.

Dan Winter has been superintendent of the Parks since 2017, replacing Walter Sawyer.[5]

Since August 2020, Michelle Cooper has taken over as acting superintendent.[6]

A 5 km parkrun event launched on 5 February 2022 in University Parks.[7] University Parks parkrun takes place at 9am every Saturday morning, starting at the Tentorium in the centre of the Parks.[8]

Cricket ground

The Parks
Oxford University
End names
Pavilion End
Norham Gardens End
Team information
Oxford University Cricket Club (1881 – present)
As of 1 May 2016
Source: CricketArchive

The Parks has been the home ground of

weather-vane.[9] The pavilion contains a Long Room.[10]

Before moving to The Parks, the University Cricket Club played on the Magdalen Ground and Bullingdon Green.[12][13] The Magdalen Ground was used from the University Cricket Club's first match in 1829 to 1880[14] while Bullingdon Green was used for two matches in 1843.[15]

A cricket game at The Parks

The cricket ground was the only

South Africans respectively.[17] One match in 1912 against the South Africans was played at the Magdalen Ground.[14] The club has also played certain minor matches at the Merton College Ground, the St Edward's School Ground and the St Catherine's College Ground.[18]
[19] [20]

The Parks was the venue for Durham's inaugural first class match when they played Oxford University there in April 1992.

The Parks has been, since 2000, home to the ECB Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence, a partnership between the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and the England and Wales Cricket Board. Prior to the 2010 season the UCCE was rebranded as Oxford Marylebone Cricket Club University (MCCU). The University Match against Cambridge is the only one in which a true Oxford University Cricket Club team takes part: i.e., composed entirely of current Oxford students.

From 2002 to 2018, The Parks hosted the first-class

Combined Universities in the Benson & Hedges Cup between 1973 and 1998.[23]

Points of interest

The duck pond in the Parks.

The following features of the Parks are of special interest:

  • Sir Thomas Jackson. The cricket ground and pavilion are used by the Oxford University Cricket Club. The two ends of the pitch are the Pavilion End and the Norham Gardens End.[24]
  • Seven large giant sequoias planted in about 1888.
  • A duck pond with water lilies and a small island, constructed in 1925.
  • High Bridge, built in 1923–24 as a relief project for the unemployed. It is usually called Rainbow Bridge, because of its shape.
  • Genetic Garden — an experimental garden established by Professor Cyril Darlington to demonstrate evolutionary processes.
  • Styphnolobium japonicum, known as the Japanese Pagoda Tree. Planted in 1888.
  • Coronation Clump, a clump of trees planted to commemorate the
    Queen Elizabeth II
    in 1953.
  • Parson's Pleasure, once used as a secluded nude bathing area, but now closed and forms part of the park.

Gallery

  • Gravel paths in the Parks
    Gravel paths in the Parks
  • Rainbow Bridge
    Rainbow Bridge
  • Sequoia trees
    Sequoia trees
  • Japanese Pagoda Tree
    Japanese Pagoda Tree

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9780857730251
    .
  2. ^ a b "A Historical Guide". University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Introduction to The University Parks". University of Oxford.
  4. ^ "Pavilion". Oxford University.
  5. ^ "Superintendents, 1866 - Present Day". The University Parks, Oxford. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Contact us".
  7. ^ "University Parks parkrun #1 – The Inaugural! – 05/02/22". Parkrun. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  8. ^ "University Parks parkrun". parkrun.org.uk. Parkrun. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  9. ^
    ISBN 0-356-15671-0
    .
  10. ^
    ISBN 0-09-173830-X
    .
  11. ^ a b "The Parks". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  12. ^ Davies, Mark (5 August 2010). "An early history of cricket in Oxford". BBC. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  13. ^ Ranjitsinhji, K.S. (1897). "Removal of the Club from the Magdalen Ground to the University Parks, and University Matches from 1881 to 1896". Jubilee Book of Cricket (second ed.). p. 350.
  14. ^ a b "First-Class Matches Played on Magdalen Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  15. ^ "First-Class Matches Played on Bullingdon Green, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  16. ^ "First-Class Matches Played on Christ Church Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  17. ^ "First-Class Matches Played on New College Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Other matches played on Merton College Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Other matches played on St Edward's School Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  20. ^ "First-Class Matches Played on St Catherine's College Ground, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  21. ^ Derek Pringle (December 2021). "The end of first-class university cricket". Wisden. ESPN. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  22. ^ "First-Class Matches Played on The University Parks, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  23. ^ "List A Matches Played on The University Parks, Oxford". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  24. ^ "The University Parks, Oxford". Cricket Archive.

External links

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51°45′43″N 1°15′11″W / 51.762°N 1.253°W / 51.762; -1.253

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