Nature Reserves

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Cutteslowe Park, OxfordWebsiteStreet MapGoogle MapPhotos

Cutteslowe Park
Managed by:Oxford City Council
OS grid reference:SP 512 102
Nearest postcode:OX2 7SY
Usual work:Scrub clearance

This Wildlife Area in north Oxford is a good place for butterflies and birdlife even though it is just north of the Oxford ring road. Community teams have planted 900 young trees (oak, ash, rowan, holly, etc) in one corner of the area, and when established this will become one of Forest-of-Oxford's 'necklace' of woodlands all around Oxford's ring road.

Flora and Fauna

There is a variety of trees at the site including established horse chestnut and white willow trees, and more recent planting of ash, walnut, oak, rowan and holly trees. There are a variety of wild flora in the wildlife areas of the site incuding wild iris, which provide good habitat for a variety of invertebrates suh as butterflies and crickets. The pond is also a good habitat for a variety of ducks.

History

Cuttleslowe Park is the northern part of the larger 42 hectacre park of Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park. The Cutteslowe area was acquired by the Oxford council in stages, starting in1935 by the purcase of farmland belonging to the old Cutteslowe Manor farm, whose house still stands at the parks centre. Further land was acquired in 1937. The Sunnymead area of the park was previously a Council tip and wasteland. During the Second World War large areas of the park were dug up to produce vegetables for the local community. Disused allotments have since been added to the South of the Cutteslowe area of the park. Volunteers from the community have planted native trees to this site, in addition to there being areas of scrub and grassland. This area is now managed to provide a semi-natural wildlife area and community woodland.

Directions

There are two carparks at this site, with postcodes OX2 8NP to the North at Harbord Roadand OX2 7XD to the South, just off the A40 ringroad in the East direction, just before the footbridge crosses the A40. The site is also easily accessible by numerous busses from Oxford.