South Park is a

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

Headington Hill Headington Hill is a hill in the east of Oxford, England, in the suburb of Headington. The Headington Road goes up the hill leading out of the city. There are good views of the spires of Oxford from the hill, especially from the top of South Park ...

in east

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 ...

. It is the largest park within Oxford city limits. A good view of the city centre with its historic spires and towers of

Oxford University 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 ...

can be obtained at the park's highest point, a favourite location for photographers.

Location

The park is located alongside Headington Road. St Clement's links the park with central Oxford. A 19th-century bridge links the park with

Headington Hill Park Headington Hill Park is a park on Headington Hill in the east of Oxford, England. The park is part of the grounds of Headington Hill Hall, previously owned by the Morrell family, bought by Oxford City Council, and leased to Oxford Brookes Uni ...

. On the southern boundary is the gently curving Morrell Avenue, named after a local brewery family. At the top end of the park is the

Oxford Artisan Distillery The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD, previously known as The Spirit of TOAD) is the first ever legal distillery in Oxford, England. It is the first certified organic "grain-to-glass" distillery in the United Kingdom, covering all parts of the ...

, established in 2017 within the former Cheney Farm buildings.

History

The land was privately owned by the

Morrell Morrell is a surname, and may refer to: * Andy Morrell (born 1974), English footballer * Arthur Fleming Morrell (1788-1880), English naval captain and explorer * Arthur R.H. Morrell (1878–1968), a Deputy Master of Trinity House * Benjamin Morr ...

family of

Headington Hill Hall Headington Hill Hall stands on Headington Hill in the east of Oxford, England. It was built in 1824 for the Morrell family, who remained in residence for 114 years. It became the home to Pergamon Press and to media tycoon Robert Maxwell. It cur ...

until bought by the

Oxford Preservation Trust The Oxford Preservation Trust was founded in 1927 to preserve the city of Oxford, England. The Trust seeks to enhance Oxford by encouraging thoughtful development and new design, while protecting historic buildings and green open spaces. The T ...

in 1932 to preserve it as open space. In 1951 the Trust gave the land to the city of Oxford. A carved stone by the sculptor

Eric Gill Arthur Eric Rowton Gill, (22 February 1882 – 17 November 1940) was an English sculptor, letter cutter, typeface designer, and printmaker. Although the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' describes Gill as ″the greatest artist-cra ...

is located at the foot of the Park and records the Trust's gift thus:

Events

Annual fireworks display at South Park, Oxford

Many events are held in the park including the annual parade of the Lord Mayor and the annual fund-raising

fireworks display Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices in ...

of the Oxford branch of

Round Table The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that e ...

. On 7 July 2001, the rock band

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

performed a concert to more 40,000 people, with supporting performances by

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...

Humphrey Lyttelton Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton (23 May 1921 – 25 April 2008), also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster from the Lyttelton family. Having taught himself the trumpet at school, Lyttelton became a professional ...

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fron ...

, Rock of Travolta and Hestor Thrale. According to journalist

Alex Ross Nelson Alexander Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book writer and artist known primarily for his painted interiors, covers, and design work. He first became known with the 1994 miniseries ''Marvels'', on which he collaborated wi ...

, the show may have been the largest public gathering in Oxford history. Foodies Festivals organizes events at South Park, including

master class A master class is a Class (education), class given to students of a particular Academic discipline, discipline by an expert of that discipline—usually music, but also science, painting, drama, games, or on any other occasion where skills are b ...

es from chefs such as Levi Roots and

Ed Baines Edward "Ed" Baines is an English chef best known for being a judge on ''Britain's Best Dish'' and for being an alternate chef on ''Sunday Feast'' with Paul Merrett. He trained in The River Café in London and his flagship restaurant is Randal ...

Spanish anti-fascist memorial

Just outside South Park is the

Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial The Oxford Spanish Civil War memorial is a monument in Oxford dedicated to the 31 known local residents who fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) against Nationalist forces. Erected and unveiled in 2017, the memorial is located close to ...

which is dedicated to local residents who travelled to Spain to join the

International Brigades The International Brigades ( es, Brigadas Internacionales) were military units set up by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The organization existed f ...

to fight against fascist forces backed by Hitler and Mussolini during the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. The memorial is located where Headington Road meets Morrell Avenue. Oxford Spanish War Memorial front

During the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, 29 British people with connections to Oxfordshire joined the

, with a further 2 who joined

POUM The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification ( es, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista, POUM; ca, Partit Obrer d'Unificació Marxista) was a Spanish communist party formed during the Second Spanish Republic, Second Republic and mainly active a ...

. Most of the volunteers were communist activists, and many had links to Britain's Jewish communities. Oxford was a hub for anti-fascist activism, homes within the county housed hundreds of Basque refugee children and various physical fights between anti-fascist activists and the Oxford University Fascist Association. The memorial was the focus of minor controversy when all plans to have an anti-fascist memorial in the city centre were rejected by

Oxford City Council Oxford City Council is the lower-tier local government authority for the city of Oxford in England, providing such services as leisure centres and parking. Social Services, Education and Highways services (amongst others) are provided by Oxfo ...

, until the current site was agreed upon.

References

External links