South Hinksey
Encyclopedia
South Hinksey is a village and civil parish just over 1 miles (1.6 km) south of the centre of Oxford
. The parish includes the residential area of Hinksey Hill
about 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the village.
The parish was part of Berkshire
until the 1974 boundary changes
transferred it to Oxfordshire
.
The Southern By-Pass Road
(part of the A34) passes through the parish.
The only road access to the village is via the bypass. It is on the inside of the ring road and close to the Hinksey Stream
, a branch of the River Thames
at Oxford. Pedestrian and cycle access to the village from Oxford is via the Devil's Backbone, a historic raised pathway across the neighbouring flood plains that features in Matthew Arnold
's poem The Scholar Gipsy
.
to the north-west and South Hinksey. In the 19th century John Ruskin
tried to organize the making of a road between the two villages, as the ground between them was very boggy. Since the 1930's they have been connected by the Southern By-Pass Road.
Until the middle of the 18th century South Hinksey was in the parish of Cumnor
. When it was first created, the parish extended to the River Thames, but in 1889 the new suburb of New Hinksey
, between the Thames and Hinksey Stream, was transferred to the City of Oxford
. However, the ecclesiastical parish continues to include New Hinksey.
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...
. The parish includes the residential area of Hinksey Hill
Hinksey Hill
Hinksey Hill is a hill and residential area south of the centre of Oxford. It is in South Hinksey civil parish, about south of the village. Hinksey Hill was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....
about 0.5 miles (804.7 m) south of the village.
The parish was part of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
until the 1974 boundary changes
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
transferred it to Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
.
The Southern By-Pass Road
Oxford Ring Road
The Oxford ring road is a ring road around the city of Oxford, England. It is a dual carriageway for most of its length apart from a short section to the North between the Woodstock and Banbury Roads....
(part of the A34) passes through the parish.
The only road access to the village is via the bypass. It is on the inside of the ring road and close to the Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream
Hinksey Stream is a branch of the River Thames to the west of the city of Oxford, England. It starts as Seacourt Stream , which leaves the Thames at a bifurcation north of the village of Wytham, and rejoins the river south of the city near Kennington.-Seacourt Stream:From the bifurcation Seacourt...
, a branch of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Oxford. Pedestrian and cycle access to the village from Oxford is via the Devil's Backbone, a historic raised pathway across the neighbouring flood plains that features in Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
's poem The Scholar Gipsy
The Scholar Gipsy
"The Scholar Gipsy" is a poem by Matthew Arnold, based on a 17th century Oxford story found in Joseph Glanvill's The Vanity of Dogmatizing...
.
History
It has always been difficult to get between North HinkseyNorth Hinksey
North Hinksey , is a small civil parish in county Berkshire, 2 miles west of Oxford, and 5 miles north of of Abingdon,situated on the right bank of the Isis...
to the north-west and South Hinksey. In the 19th century John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
tried to organize the making of a road between the two villages, as the ground between them was very boggy. Since the 1930's they have been connected by the Southern By-Pass Road.
Until the middle of the 18th century South Hinksey was in the parish of Cumnor
Cumnor
Cumnor is a village and civil parish west of the centre of Oxford, England. The parish of Cumnor includes Cumnor Hill, , Chawley , the Dean Court area on the edge of Botley and the outlying settlements of Chilswell, Farmoor and Swinford...
. When it was first created, the parish extended to the River Thames, but in 1889 the new suburb of New Hinksey
New Hinksey
New Hinksey is a suburb in the south of the city of Oxford.-Geography:The suburb is west of the Abingdon Road . To the north is Grandpont and to the east, over Donnington Bridge, which crosses the River Thames, is Cowley...
, between the Thames and Hinksey Stream, was transferred to the City of Oxford
Oxford City Council
The Oxford City Council provides local government for the city of Oxford in England.- Overview :Between the 2004 local elections, and 2010 the council was in minority administration, first by councillors from the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats being the official opposition...
. However, the ecclesiastical parish continues to include New Hinksey.