Botley Park is a public park in West Oxford, England. Located off Botley Road, it features a bowls club, tennis courts and a children's playground. The park also provides access to the Tumbling Bay bathing area.
| Botley Park | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Nearest city | Oxford, England |
| OS grid | SP 500 064 |
| Coordinates | 51°45′14″N 1°16′35″W / 51.754°N 1.2764°W |
| Area | c. 4.7 ha |
| Opened | 1922 |
| Owned by | Oxford City Council |
| Website | www |
Overview
edit
The park is located off Botley Road, behind the West Oxford Community Centre.[1] It was established in 1922 by the Oxford City Council to provide a leisure and recreation area for the burgeoning population in the western area of Oxford. It covers c. 4.7 hectares and comprises low-lying land, including playing fields, that is known to flood.[2][3][4]
The north-western side of the park is known as Kingfisher Corner, an area of shrubs and small trees that is used for wildlife spotting.[2] The Tumbling Bay outdoors bathing area, established in 1853 but not in operation since 1990, is a swimming spot fed by the River Thames. Located adjacently to the north-east, the only available access is via Botley Park.[5][6]
Facilities
editThe West Oxford Bowls Club (WOBC), established in 1924, is located in Botley Park. It features six rinks.[7] In 2024, the centenary celebrations of the club were negatively affected due to significant flooding.[3]
The park features public tennis courts. In 2023 the Lawn Tennis Association funded an upgrade to the courts, including resurfacing and a new access arrangement, to increase engagement with the sport.[8]
Located in the park environs is the West Oxford Community Centre, run by local charity the West Oxford Community Association (WOCA), which features a cafe.[9][10][11] Other facilities include a children's playground, table tennis, and a multi sports games area.[9]
Events
editThe park is used as a venue for events. These include hosting the Oxford Thai Festival, held in 2019, Oxford Festival of Nature in 2013, and the annual West Oxford Fun Day.[1][12][13] The park is one of the venues for the annual Oxford Christmas Light Festival.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Ffrench, Andrew (16 July 2024). "Park in west Oxford is venue for annual fun day out". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Botley Park – Oxfordshire Gardens Trust". Oxfordshire Gardens Trust. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ a b Davies, Liam (7 January 2024). "Storm Henk flooding: Oxford Botley Bowls Club devastated". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Your pictures: Oxfordshire flooding". BBC. 23 July 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Fell, Vanessa (August 2021). "Botley_final_25Aug2021_revised-12Sept23.pdf" (PDF). Oxfordshire Gardens Trust. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Rice, Liam (4 November 2021). "Tumbling Bay pool closed by council due to 'health and safety issue'". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "West Oxford Bowls Club - Home". WOBC. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Folker, Robert (10 August 2023). "Oxford tennis courts at Hinksey and Botley Park reopen". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ a b "Botley Park - Parks in Oxford". Oxford City Council. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "About us - West Oxford Community Association". WOCA. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Georgina (9 January 2017). "Couple breathe new life into Tumbling Bay community cafe at West Oxford Community Centre". Oxford Mail. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Jones, Harrison (17 June 2019). "Oxford Thai Festival 2019 - Botley Park event in pictures". Oxford Mail.
- ^ "BBC Radio Oxford - Tim Smith, 13/07/2013". BBC. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "About Oxford's Christmas Light Festival 2024". The Oxford Magazine. 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
External links
edit
Media related to Botley Park, Oxford at Wikimedia Commons
