Grandpont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grandpont |
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 Grandpont
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| OS grid reference | SP510053 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode district | OX1 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Oxford City Council |
Grandpont is a mostly residential area in the southern part of Oxford, England. It's known for its narrow streets filled with late-Victorian and Edwardian houses. These homes were built between the late 1800s and early 1900s.
A special part of Grandpont is the Grandpont Nature Park. This park is right by the River Thames and is looked after by Oxford City Council. It covers about 7.4 acres (3 hectares). The park was created in 1985 on the site of an old gas works. This gas works was taken down in 1960. You can still see the old railway bridge here. It used to carry coal across the river. Now, it's a cool footbridge for people to walk on. There's also a newer bridge, Grandpont Bridge, which is great for walking and cycling across the river to another area called St Ebbes.
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History of Grandpont
The name Grandpont comes from a very old stone causeway. A causeway is like a raised road built over wet or marshy ground. This ancient causeway is now hidden inside the modern Abingdon Road. It stretches for at least 700 meters south of Oxford's city centre.
Building the Old Causeway
This causeway might have been built a very long time ago, during the Anglo-Saxon era. It was probably rebuilt in the late 1000s by Robert D'Oyly I. He was the first Norman lord of Oxford. The causeway helped people cross the low-lying land south of the city. This area often flooded in winter from the nearby River Thames.
Grandpont's Growth Over Time
In 1279, there were 62 houses in Grandpont. The area grew slowly for many centuries. A lot of new buildings did not appear until the 1800s. In 1844, the Great Western Railway opened Oxford's first railway station. This station was in what is now Western Road. Its opening helped Grandpont grow and develop.
One of the houses built there is Grandpont House. It was named after the neighbourhood. Sir William Elias Taunton, who was the Town Clerk of Oxford, built it in 1785. His family owned the house until 1847. Then, Brasenose College bought it. The college kept the house until 1959. After that, the Netherhall Educational Association bought it.
Changes to Grandpont's Borders
Until 1889, Grandpont was part of Berkshire. However, it was also a small part of the parish of St Aldate's, Oxford. In 1889, Grandpont became part of the city of Oxford. It also joined Oxfordshire county at that time.
The Church of England parish church of Saint Matthew, Grandpont, was built in 1890. It was likely built as a chapel of ease. This means it was a smaller church for people who lived far from the main parish church. Bishop William Stubbs officially opened the church on October 29, 1891. In 1913, it became its own separate parish.
