Aristotle Lane
Encyclopedia
Aristotle Lane is a road in north Oxford
, England
.
The lane links North Oxford
, leading from the junction of Kingston Road
and Hayfield Road
(close to the junction with Polstead Road
), with Port Meadow to the west, via bridges over the Oxford Canal
and railway. The other access to the meadow from North Oxford
is via Walton Well Road
to the south.
St Philip & St James Primary School is located in Aristotle Lane, having previously below in Leckford Road
to the south. The Aristotle Lane Allotments are also located here. In addition, there is a recreation ground
.
tracks from the location of Aristotle Lane across Port Meadow to Binsey Ford.
The lane is named after Aristotle's Well in the vicinity, deriving from the name of the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle
.
On 3 June 1644, King Charles I
passed this way with around 5,000 men, strategically withdrawing from Oxford, his temporary capital during the Civil War
, across Port Meadow and the Thames.
T. E. Lawrence
(1888–1935, aka Lawrence of Arabia) used this route from his home as a child in Polstead Road on his way to Port Meadow to dig in the mounds there.
Port Meadow Halt railway station
was located just north of Aristotle Lane on the Varsity Line
. The London and North Western Railway
opened the halt, originally called Summertown
after the north Oxford district, on 20 August 1906. It was renamed to Port Meadow Halt in January 1907. The station temporarily closed during World War I
between 1 January 1917 and 5 May 1919. On 30 October 1926, London, Midland and Scottish Railway
permanently closed the station.
The land south of Aristotle Lane was acquired from Lucy's by Berkeley Homes and developed during 1996–1999 into the Waterside estate.
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The lane links North Oxford
North Oxford
North Oxford is a suburban part of the city of Oxford in England. It was owned for many centuries largely by St John's College, Oxford and many of the area's Victorian houses were initially sold on leasehold by the College....
, leading from the junction of Kingston Road
Kingston Road, Oxford
Kingston Road is a road in Oxford, England. It continues north from Walton Street, at the junction with Walton Well Road to the west and St Bernard's Road to the east, running parallel with and to the west of Woodstock Road. Kingston Road is the main road in Walton Manor. At the northern end, there...
and Hayfield Road
Hayfield Road
Hayfield Road is a residential road that runs north-south in Walton Manor, north Oxford, England.- Location :To the south, the road continues as Kingston Road, although it is block to through traffic. Aristotle Lane leads off to the west over the Oxford Canal towards Port Meadow...
(close to the junction with Polstead Road
Polstead Road
Polstead Road is a residential road that runs between Kingston Road and Hayfield Road to the west and the Woodstock Road to the east, in the suburb of North Oxford, England. Half way along it forms the southern junction of Chalfont Road...
), with Port Meadow to the west, via bridges over the Oxford Canal
Oxford Canal
The Oxford Canal is a narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Rugby. It connects with the River Thames at Oxford, to the Grand Union Canal at the villages of Braunston and Napton-on-the-Hill, and to the Coventry Canal at Hawkesbury Junction in Bedworth just...
and railway. The other access to the meadow from North Oxford
North Oxford
North Oxford is a suburban part of the city of Oxford in England. It was owned for many centuries largely by St John's College, Oxford and many of the area's Victorian houses were initially sold on leasehold by the College....
is via Walton Well Road
Walton Well Road
Walton Well Road is a road in central north Oxford, England. It provides the main link from central Oxford to Port Meadow and beyond.- Location :...
to the south.
St Philip & St James Primary School is located in Aristotle Lane, having previously below in Leckford Road
Leckford Road
Leckford Road is a road in North Oxford, England.It runs between Kingston Road to the west and Woodstock Road to the east. To the north half way along is a junction with Warnborough Road...
to the south. The Aristotle Lane Allotments are also located here. In addition, there is a recreation ground
Recreation Ground
A recreation ground is a type of park.Recreation Ground is the name of the following stadiums in the United Kingdom:*Recreation Ground , the home ground of Aldershot Town F.C., located in Aldershot, England...
.
History
There is evidence of Iron AgeIron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
tracks from the location of Aristotle Lane across Port Meadow to Binsey Ford.
The lane is named after Aristotle's Well in the vicinity, deriving from the name of the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
.
On 3 June 1644, King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
passed this way with around 5,000 men, strategically withdrawing from Oxford, his temporary capital during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, across Port Meadow and the Thames.
T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
(1888–1935, aka Lawrence of Arabia) used this route from his home as a child in Polstead Road on his way to Port Meadow to dig in the mounds there.
Port Meadow Halt railway station
Port Meadow Halt railway station
Port Meadow Halt was a railway station on the Varsity Line, between north Oxford and Port Meadow. The London and North Western Railway opened the halt as Summertown on 20 August 1906 and renamed it Port Meadow Halt in January 1907. It was closed between 1 January 1917 and 5 May 1919, and the...
was located just north of Aristotle Lane on the Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
. The London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
opened the halt, originally called Summertown
Summertown, Oxford
Summertown in North Oxford is a suburb of Oxford, England.Summertown is a residential area, one mile square north of St Giles, the beautiful boulevard leading out of Oxford’s city centre. Summertown is home to exclusive schools and the city’s most expensive houses. On both sides of Banbury Road are...
after the north Oxford district, on 20 August 1906. It was renamed to Port Meadow Halt in January 1907. The station temporarily closed during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
between 1 January 1917 and 5 May 1919. On 30 October 1926, London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
permanently closed the station.
The land south of Aristotle Lane was acquired from Lucy's by Berkeley Homes and developed during 1996–1999 into the Waterside estate.