The Plain, Oxford facts for kids
The Plain is a very important road junction in Oxford, England. It is a large roundabout that was built in 1950. You can find it just east of Magdalen Bridge.
Many busy roads meet at The Plain. To the east and southeast are St Clement's, Cowley Road, and Iffley Road. Iffley Road leads to the Liddell Buildings of Christ Church. These buildings are across the Christ Church Meadow.
Magdalen College School is located to the south of The Plain. Also to the south is Cowley Place. This street takes you to St Hilda's College. St Hilda's is the most easterly college of the famous University of Oxford.
The Plain got its name from a church that used to be there. This was St Clement's parish church. It stood on this spot until 1829. The roundabout you see today is built on what used to be the church's graveyard.
Historic Landmarks
South African War Memorial
A special memorial once stood at The Plain. It honored 142 brave men from the First Battalion Oxfordshire Light Infantry. These soldiers sadly died in the Second Boer War (1899-1902). The memorial was placed on the old churchyard site in 1903. It stayed there until 1950. Today, you can find this memorial at Edward Brookes Barracks in Abingdon.
Victoria Fountain
The Plain also features a small, eye-catching building. It faces Magdalen Bridge and is called the Victoria Fountain. This fountain is protected by a roof that rests on stone columns. On top of the sloped, tiled roof, there is a small clock tower.
The Victoria Fountain was a gift to Oxford city. It was given by G. Herbert Morrell. The fountain was designed by E. P. Warren. A very special person, Princess Louise, officially opened it on May 25, 1899. The Victoria Fountain is built where an old toll house used to be.
Making Traffic Safer
The area where the old churchyard was, was bought by the City Council in the 1930s. The goal was to make the area safer for everyone and help traffic move better. There were some delays because of the Second World War. But finally, the roundabout was built in 1950.
In early 2006, The Plain was updated again. These changes aimed to make the junction even safer. They added "pinch points" to separate cars and bikes. This was especially true on the Iffley Road entrance to the roundabout.
More work happened in 2007. This was mostly about resurfacing the roads. But they also moved some of the traffic islands around. In 2014, it was announced that £1.3 million would be spent to improve the roundabout. This money was to make it much safer for people riding bikes. This work was finished in 2015.
In 2022, there were more calls to make changes to the junction. This happened after a sad accident involving a cyclist. People want to make sure The Plain is as safe as possible for everyone.
