Shotover Country Park - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

The Headington Shark is a terraced house located in Headington, Oxford, that features a sculpture of a large shark on the roof. Officially called Untitled 1986, the shark sculpture is embedded head-first, giving the impression of having fallen out of the sky. The Shark became the most famous resident of Headington when it landed in the roof of 2 New High Street in the early hours of Saturday 9 August 1986.

South Park occupies 50 acres of open space, with magnificent views overlooking Oxford. It is the largest park within Oxford city limits. It is open all day, every day and is 5 minutes walk from Cowley Road in East Oxford. The land was privately owned by the Morrell family of Headington Hill Hall until bought by the Oxford Preservation Trust in 1932 to preserve it as open space.

A beautiful classic seventeenth-century walled garden founded in 1621. Established as the Oxford Physic Garden for growing medicinal plants used to teach medical students, the Garden was the birthplace of botanical sciences at Oxford. Today it contains over 5,000 different plant species on 1.8 ha. It is one of the most diverse yet compact collections of plants in the world and includes representatives from over 90% of the higher plant families.

Iffley Lock was built in 1632. It was one of three to be built in the 17th century – the others are at Sandford, and Swift Ditch. The original lock was built by the Oxford-Burcot Commission in 1631 and the Thames Navigation Commission replaced this in 1793. The lock has a set of rollers to allow punts and rowing boats to be moved between the water levels.

Christ Church meadow is a rare open space at the heart of Oxford, open to the public all year round. Though seemingly tranquil, the meadow is highly variable, with seasonal flooding and a variety of wildlife that comes and goes. During the Civil War it proved invaluable as a defence against the Parliamentarian forces, but visitors are nowadays more likely to encounter a rare English Longhorn cow than a soldier besieging the city. b

The University Church of St. Mary the Virgin is the largest of the city’s parish churches. Surrounded by university buildings, the religious site stands out for its Baroque entrance and spire. Climb the tower for fantastic views of the city center and university buildings, as well as other landmarks. The 13th-century tower is open to the public for a fee and provides good views across the heart of the historic university city, especially Radcliffe Square, the Radcliffe Camera, Brasenose College,