Jack Straw's Lane
Encyclopedia
Jack Straw's Lane is a residential road in Oxford
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...

.
It runs between the north end of Pullens Lane
Pullens Lane
Pullens Lane is in Headington, east Oxford, England. It is located at the top of Headington Hill, leading north off Headington Road to Jack Straw's Lane and Harberton Mead. The cul-de-sac Pullens Field leads off west from Pullens Lane.- Buildings :...

 on Headington Hill
Headington Hill
Headington Hill is a hill in the east of Oxford, England, in the suburb of Headington. The Headington Road road goes up the hill leading out of the city...

 and Marston Road
Marston Road
Marston Road is a road in the east of Oxford, England. It links the junction of St Clements and the foot of Headington Hill to the south with the suburb of New Marston to the north. This is a mini-roundabout connecting with Cherwell Drive and Headley Way at the northern end. To the north is the ...

.

History

The land east of the Marston Road was part of Headington
Headington
Headington is a suburb of Oxford, England. It is at the top of Headington Hill overlooking the city in the Thames Valley below. The life of the large residential area is centred upon London Road, the main road between London and Oxford.-History:...

 until the 20th century and was thus in the parish of St Andrew's Church. Under the Headington Enclosure Award of 1804–5, the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...

 of Headington acquired a 280 acres (1.1 km²) plot that included the whole of Jack Straw's Lane. Jack Straw's Farmhouse, also known as Jack Straw's Castle, lay to the north of the lane, along with a brickworks
Brickworks
A brickworks also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock often with a quarry for clay on site....

 between the farmhouse and the Marston Road.
Until the 20th century, the lane had no name. It was originally a track at the end of Pullens Lane that led to the farmhouse. The name of the road dates from at least 1932 and the road was official adopted in 1954.

In 1898, Cowley House (now a children's nursery) together with Cowley Cottage were built on the south side of the lane. Subsequently, other large houses were built on the lane, with a rural feel but close to central Oxford.

Name

Jack Straw is traditionally supposed to have been a farmer who lived on Headington Hill. Although many highwaymen were active in this area, no leader was ever found. However, when Jack Straw died, the cellar underneath his farm kitchen contained expensive goods stolen from merchants and travellers.

The name has nothing to do with the New Labour politician and former Justice Secretary Jack Straw
Jack Straw
Jack Straw , British politician.Jack Straw may also refer to:* Jack Straw , English* "Jack Straw" , 1971 song by the Grateful Dead* Jack Straw by W...

.

Milham Ford School

In the 1930s, Milham Ford School
Milham Ford School
Milham Ford School was a girl's secondary school in Oxford, England.The school was established in 1906 close to Magdalen College School in Cowley Place...

 was built on a 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) site between Jack Straw's Lane and Harberton Mead. It opened in 1938, became a girls' grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...

 in 1944, and a girls' comprehensive school
Comprehensive school
A comprehensive school is a state school that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. This is in contrast to the selective school system, where admission is restricted on the basis of a selection criteria. The term is commonly used in relation to the United...

 in 1974. The school was closed in 2003 and was sold. In 2004, the School of Health Care of Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...

started to use the building.

Today

Jack Staw's Lane is a desirable residential area with houses on spacious plots and high prices. The lane is lined with large mature trees. There is an association for residents, dealing with issues of local concern.
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