The Plain is an important junction, now a

roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...

constructed in 1950, just east of

Magdalen Bridge Magdalen Bridge spans the divided stream of the River Cherwell just to the east of the City of Oxford, England, and next to Magdalen College, whence it gets its name and pronunciation. It connects the High Street to the west with The Plain, no ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. To the east and southeast are St Clement's,

Cowley Road __NOTOC__ Cowley Road is an arterial road in the city of Oxford, England, running southeast from near the city centre at The Plain near Magdalen Bridge, through the inner city area of East Oxford, and to the industrial suburb of Cowley. The ...

and

Iffley Road Iffley Road is a major arterial road in Oxford, England. It leads from the Plain, near Magdalen Bridge, southeast towards the village of Iffley. While it becomes Henley Avenue at Iffley Turn, and then Rose Hill, the whole stretch from the ri ...

which leads to the Liddell Buildings of Christ Church on the other side of the Christ Church Meadow. Magdalen College School is to the south. Cowley Place, also to the south, leads to St Hilda's College, the most easterly college of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. The Plain received its name after the parish church of St Clement's which stood here until 1829. The roundabout is the site of the former churchyard.

South African War Memorial

A war memorial dedicated to the 142 men of the First Battalion Oxfordshire Light Infantry who died in the Second Boer War (1899-1902) stood on the site of the former churchyard from 1903 to 1950. The memorial is currently at Edward Brookes Barracks in Abingdon.

Victoria Fountain

The Plain includes a small but prominent building facing Magdalen Bridge, Victoria Fountain'', protected by a roof on stone columns On top of the sloping tiled roof is a small clock tower. The fountain was a gift to the city by G. Herbert Morrell, designed by E. P. Warren and officially opened on 25 May 1899 by Princess Louise. The Victoria Fountain is built on the site of a former toll house.

Traffic problems

The former churchyard was bought by the City Council in the 1930s in order to improve public safety and traffic flow. Following delays caused by the Second World War, a roundabout was finally created in 1950. Early in 2006 the Plain was further redeveloped to make the junction safer. The 2006 work introduced pinch points between the motor and cycle traffic, especially on the Iffley Road entry to the roundabout. The 2007 redevelopment work (finished in late September) was mostly resurfacing, but there was some movement of the traffic islands. In 2014, it was announced that £1.3m of funding would improve the roundabout and increase the safety for cyclists, with the work completed in 2015. There were further calls to make changes to the junction in 2022 following the death of a cyclist.

References

1828 establishments in England Roundabouts in England Road junctions in England Parks and open spaces in Oxford Transport in Oxford {{Oxfordshire-geo-stub

South African War Memorial

Victoria Fountain

Traffic problems

See also

References