This quadrangle features a lawn of approximately 2500 square metres on which several specimen trees can be found. These include two large Atlantic Blue cedars as well as a Catalpa, which is reputed to be one of the oldest in Oxford. The most recent additions are Cryptomeria japonica ‘Elegans’ and Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’. In front of the chapel is a very fine specimen of Magnolia grandiflora.

The octagonal lawn sits on a plinth of Portland stone. The lawn is cut using a 12” cylinder mower and the gardeners are encouraged to mow in both directions, to give a chessboard-like appearance. The lawn was installed in 1980.

We are extremely fortunate to have 5000 square metres of ornamental lawns on which students and visitors can relax. The lawns are mown at least twice a week during the summer using a 34” Buffalo pedestrian operated cylinder mower. These gardens are permanently on view through the gates on Parks Road, making them famous in their own right; they have appeared in episodes of Inspector Morse and Lewis. Alongside the north lawns is a long herbaceous border which is shortly to undergo restoration.

This area of the garden is many people’s favourite. Informally planted, it boasts a good collection of mature trees. These trees, almost all deciduous, include some of the original trees surviving from an avenue of pleached limes. The wilderness comes into its own after the herbaceous borders die down in autumn; from early January the first of the thousands of perennial plants begin to appear. Aconites, crocuses, fritillaries, narcissus, tulips, and anemones are just some of those that provide colour and interest from January through to late May. Once the bulbs have finished, the trees are in leaf, providing dappled shade from the summer sun.

This garden was designed to soften what is an aesthetically awkward area of the college.  A design for a rose arbour was made up by Charles Atkinson of Iron Awe. It is essentially a series of hoops supported by four legs rising from wooden planters. Originally we planted two climbing roses in each container, but they now contain the pink form of Clematis armandii. We have installed another central stem to give extra support to the structure with a circular bench around the base of it. This small quad is shortly to be relandscaped with a new trellis for climbing plants screening the east wall. 

While the college completes the construction of a significant new building, the Levine Building, we are taking the opportunity to develop several aspects of the gardens. The Library Quad, Rose Arbour Quad and Wilderness will all be replanted. In addition, a handsome glasshouse is planned for the east wall of the college gardens along with cold frames and a new stone-clad tool shed. Together with the restoration of the long herbaceous border running almost the full extent of the north lawn, this represents the most significant redevelopment of the gardens in recent years. It is an exciting project which will span three years.