Park Town, Oxford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Park Town |
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 The main crescent of Park Town |
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 Park Town
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| OS grid reference | SP512078 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Oxford |
| Postcode district | OX2 |
| Dialling code | 01865 |
| Police | Thames Valley |
| Fire | Oxfordshire |
| Ambulance | South Central |
| EU Parliament | South East England |
| UK Parliament |
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| Website | Oxford City Council |
Park Town is a special neighborhood in North Oxford, a part of Oxford, England. It was one of the very first planned communities built outside the city center. Many of its houses are considered important and are protected as 'Grade II listed' buildings.
Contents
History of Park Town
Park Town was built a long time ago, between 1853 and 1855. A person named Samuel Lipscomb Seckham planned and built many of the houses. He used special 'Bath stone' for the fronts of the homes. He also helped start the Park Town Estate Company in 1857 to manage the area.
Many houses and gardens in Park Town used to have fancy iron fences. Some of these fences were taken away during World War II to help with the war effort. However, some have been put back. A group called the Friends of Park Town helped fix the fences and lights around the main garden. They even won an award for their work in 1977.
Exploring Park Town
Park Town has two curved streets, called crescents, which are lined with town houses. These crescents surround shared gardens where people can relax. There are also some bigger houses, called villas, in the area.
To the west of Park Town is Banbury Road. On the opposite side of Banbury Road is Canterbury Road. To the east, you'll find the Dragon School. Students from St Anne's College also live in some of the homes here.
Special Houses in Park Town
Some houses in Park Town have interesting stories:
- Miss Sarah Angelina Acland (1849–1930) lived and passed away at her home in Park Town. She was a pioneer in color photography. A special blue plaque was placed on her house in 2016 to remember her. Many of her early color photos were taken right here in Park Town. You can see her photos at the History of Science Museum in Oxford.
- Number 5 Park Town was once the second home of the Central Labour College. This college was there from 1910 to 1911 before it moved to London.
Famous People Who Lived Here
Many interesting and important people have lived in Park Town:
- Sarah Angelina Acland (1849–1930): A pioneer in early color photography.
- Edmund Bowen FRS (1898–1980): A well-known chemist and a Fellow at University College.
- Godfrey Rolles Driver CBE, FBA (1892–1975): An expert in ancient languages and a Fellow at Magdalen College.
- Professor Sir Michael Dummett (1925–2011): A famous philosopher and a strong supporter of anti-racism. He was a professor at All Souls College and New College.
- Charles Sutherland Elton FRS (1900–1991): A zoologist and ecologist who studied animals and their environments. He was a Fellow at Corpus Christi College.
- John Flemming (1941–2003): An economist and the head of Wadham College.
- James Clerk Maxwell Garnett CBE (1880–1958): An education expert and Secretary of the League of Nations.
- Aung San Suu Kyi (born 1945): A very important political leader from Myanmar.
- Ian McEwan (born 1948): A famous novelist who won the Booker Prize.
- William Richard Morfill (1834–1909): The first professor of Russian and Slavonic Languages at Oxford University. He lived at number 42, and a blue plaque marks his home.
- Leonid Pasternak (1862–1945): A Russian painter who spent his last years living with his daughter, Lydia Pasternak Slater (1902–1989), at number 20. Lydia was a chemist and a poet. Leonid was the father of Boris Pasternak, who wrote the famous novel Doctor Zhivago.
- Rupert Spira (born 1960): A spiritual teacher and philosopher.
