Oxford Preservation Trust

As we prepare for the Christmas break, we reflect on another busy year at Oxford Preservation Trust. 🎄A year where over 30,000 people were able to choose from over 100 special venues to visit for free over the Oxford Open Doors weekend. 🎄A year where we once again recognised the contribution that outstanding conservation and new design makes to Oxford’s character, streets, green spaces and communities, awarding 6 incredible projects an OPT Award and 16 a certificate. 🎄A year where we, with the help of our team of dedicated volunteers continued to care for our 1,000 acres of green space and encourage everyone who lives, works and visits Oxford to enjoy it. 🎄Another year of interesting talks, inspiring walks, fascinating tours and exciting events for our 2,000 members. 🎄Another year where we’ve done our very best to look after Oxford’s unique heritage and helped to build a positive future for this special city. ⭐️Thank you to everyone who helps us – our members, our volunteers, our trustees. 💚Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2025.

In November the OPT Team enjoyed an inspiring day in Bath, exploring its remarkable architectural and cultural heritage. We started at the newly restored Beckford’s Tower with Alex Sherman FRSA and the team from Bath Preservation Trust. This iconic Grade I listed landmark has undergone a transformative restoration, conserving its historic fabric while reimagining its future. The project integrates sustainable energy solutions and presents a more inclusive and complex narrative, including William Beckford’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade. Our visit continued at the Holburne Museum, where the Eric Parry Architects extension impressed us with its thoughtful approach to integrating contemporary design into a historic setting. We wrapped up the day with Robert Campbell, Head of Culture and Heritage for Bath & North East Somerset Council, discussing the ambitious plans for a new Fashion Museum Bath. This transformative project will celebrate Bath’s historic association with fashion at the same time as demonstrating an impressive reuse of the Grade II listed former Post Office. A huge thank you to everyone who shared their insights and expertise with us throughout the day! #UrbanPlanning #Architecture #Heritage Hannah Brockwell Laura Warden Charlie Jacobs Anna Eavis Anna Clark Louise Lockyer

🌿 We’re thrilled to share that earlier today, our Green Spaces Officer Hannah Brockwell was interviewed by That's TV Oxfordshire about our Wolvercote Lakes pond project. Hannah explained the importance of our dedicated OPT volunteers and the funding support from Grundon Waste Management via Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment that made this project possible. 📺 Tune in to That’s TV (Freeview channel 7) at 17:30 or 18:30 this evening to learn more about the difference this initiative is making in our local community. And to read more about the project go to our website: https://lnkd.in/gkaTCAQB

It was fantastic to welcome some of our corporate members including Edgars to our latest members' event at The Key Learning Centre, where architect Ptolemy Dean shared insights from his new book Streetscapes: Navigating Historic Towns. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this inspiring evening – it’s always wonderful to bring our members together to celebrate and learn from our shared history.

Last week, Oxford Preservation Trust members enjoyed a fascinating talk in the historic Painted Room, hidden on Oxford's busy Cornmarket Street. Dr. Janet Dickinson and Dr. Lynn Robson brought their expertise in early modern history and literature to an engaging discussion on Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, exploring the intersection of history and fiction. The duo examined how Mantel reimagines Thomas Cromwell, transforming him from a shadowy historical figure into a vivid and dynamic character. Set in the atmospheric Painted Room— a venue rich in Tudor history—the talk reminded us of the power of historical fiction to bring the past to life while challenging us to consider how narratives are constructed. Oxford Preservation Trust holds monthly tours in the Painted Room, learn more about this hidden gem here: https://lnkd.in/eNzJUTYt

On Tuesday, members of the OPT Team visited Bourne Green, an innovative social housing project in Hook Norton. A once neglected plot of land has been transformed into an attractive and sustainable development for the 21st century, blending new design with the village’s traditional character. Led by the Hook Norton Community Land Trust (HNCLT) in partnership with Charlie Luxton Design, Greencore Homes,Low Carbon Homes, SNRG and Cherwell District Council, the scheme includes eight affordable rental homes and four market-rate properties. Built to Passivhaus-equivalent standards, the homes feature sustainability measures including a smart electricity microgrid, renewable energy systems, and better-than-carbon-zero construction. Extensive consultation with local residents ensured that shared amenities, such as a co-working hub, community garden and even an electric car rental scheme, were incorporated into the design. The result is a sustainable and attractive housing solution that meets local needs while setting a benchmark for future projects. Thank you to Charlie Luxton for showing us around this forward-thinking development. Anna Eavis Laura Warden Charlie Jacobs Louise Lockyer

Join us for a special lecture by Ptolemy Dean OBE on Streetscapes: Historic Routes through English Towns. Ptolemy Dean is an architect specialising in conservation work to historic buildings and is the current Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey and Foundation Architect at Christ Church, Oxford. Go to our website to book your spot: https://lnkd.in/ew_xs_tW

A closer look at the winners of the OPT Awards 2024: Reuben College The University’s historic chemistry labs have been adapted to house Oxford’s newest college. Reuben, established in 2019, is a graduate college occupying four listed buildings in the heart of the University’s science area. The earliest of these buildings is one of the world’s earliest inorganic chemistry labs. The Abbot’s Kitchen was built in 1860 when the University first recognised chemistry as an academic discipline. Its octagonal design, by Benjamin Woodward, is based on the medieval kitchen at Glastonbury Abbey. In 1878 it was extended to the east, with a new large teaching laboratory. In 1901 it was connected to the new Radcliffe Library, designed by TG Jackson to house the University’s growing collection of scientific and medical publications. Another library building, designed by Hubert Worthington, was added in 1933-4. Architects fjcstudio have refurbished these buildings for contemporary use, creating recreational and communal areas and study, seminar and event spaces. The lofty Inorganic Chemistry Lab is now a dining hall and the first floor of the Abbots Kitchen, with its conical roof, a smart function room. Historic features, including the old fume cupboards and Jackson’s striking stairwell, were preserved. The judges were most impressed by the way in which the considerable challenges posed by the presence of hazardous materials were overcome. This is one of the University’s largest decontamination initiatives, involving the meticulous removal of over 800 tons of asbestos-contaminated materials and 4 pints of mercury. The asbestos-contaminated plaster was replaced with a bespoke insulated lime plaster, improving thermal performance. The judges commended Morgan Sindall's apprenticeship program, offering young professionals experience in heritage construction, project management and sustainable building practices. Reuben College sets a new standard for the sustainable transformation of historic buildings. More information about the 2024 OPT Awards, photos from the evening, as well as details of all the winners can be found on our website: https://lnkd.in/dnvFY6qV Reuben College, University of Oxford fjcstudio Purcell CPC Project Services Morgan Sindall Group plc #OPTAwards #OPTAwards2024

A closer look at the winners of the OPT Awards 2024: Lemond & Fignon Bridges Lemond and Fignon bridges, which enable pedestrians and cyclists to travel between East and central Oxford, have been refurbished. The bridges, which cross the River Cherwell near the University Parks, were named after the winner and runner-up of the 1989 Tour de France. Laurence Fignon lost the race to Greg Lemond by 8 seconds, the time it takes to cycle between the bridges. Fignon Footbridge, built in 1949 by Travers Morgan, is Grade II-listed. Designed to provide clearance for punts while offering a minimal incline for pedestrians, its slim, elegant form depends on the pioneering use of two post-tensioned concrete arch beams. Lemond Footbridge, built in 1992, is a timber-clad steel beam bridge. A long-standing design flaw meant that it was prone to bounciness. By 2023 both bridges were in poor condition. The deck of the Fignon Bridge was at risk of collapse and its concrete underside was cracking and flaking. The parapets and decking of the Lemond Bridge were rotten. The County Council engaged Milestone Infrastructure and Greenford Ltd to refurbish the bridges. The Fignon Footbridge deck was replaced with a high-performance glass fibre reinforced polymer, ensuring its long term service while avoided damage to the historically sensitive portal beams. All of the timber elements of Lemond Footbridge were replaced and the parapet upgraded to comply with modern safety standards. The parapet was designed to significantly stiffen the bridge, removing the bounce. The result is functional, low maintenance and visually striking. The judges were impressed by the thoughtful and resourceful approach to both refurbishments. They were pleased to learn that apprentices formed part of the design and construction teams. They were also pleased to learn that apprentices formed part of he design and construction teams. They also noted the successful collaboration between the County and City councils, the University, contractors and local stakeholders, providing a volunteer marshalled diversion route through University Parks for school children affected by the temporary closure of the cycle path. The bridges are part of a critically important public route through Oxford. It’s wonderful to know that they will serve us for years to come. More information about the 2024 OPT Awards, photos from the evening, as well as details of all the winners can be found on our website: https://lnkd.in/dnvFY6qV Oxfordshire County Council Greenford Ltd Milestone Infrastructure #OPTAwards #OPTAwards2024

A closer look at the winners of the OPT Awards 2024: Holywell Cemetery Volunteers have ensured that this leafy place remains a haven of tranquility for everyone. Behind a gate (which is never locked), among the trees, are the graves of more than a thousand people. Along with academics, writers, archaeologists and scientists, the names of Oxford’s shopkeepers and tradespeople abound. Here are Boffin the baker, Salter the boatbuilder, Badcock the draper, Gillman the bootmaker, Mallam the auctioneer, Blackwell the bookseller and many more. When it opened in 1847, Holywell Cemetery was managed by five parish churches. A keeper tended the graves, creating a ‘beautiful array of tombstones, sculptures, flowers and shrubs – probably the most tasteful in England’. The retirement of the last keeper in 1931 and dwindling funds saw this garden become a wilderness. Despite bursts of volunteer activity over the years, many of the monuments were – by 2021 – completely overgrown. Volunteers have come to the rescue, clearing debris and ivy, pruning trees and recovering monuments from decades of neglect. Their work balances historical preservation with biodiversity. As a green space with substantial ground cover and thick tree canopy, this is a refuge for birds, mammals and insects. In the last Church of England ‘Count on Nature’ survey, nearly 100 species of flora, fauna and insects were found here. Only the main pathways and historically significant memorials have been cleared, leaving groundcover for insects and small mammals. After 75 years of church oversight, Oxford City Council is now responsible for the maintenance of the cemetery. The Friends of Holywell Cemetery coordinate gardening, historical preservation and nature conservation work by volunteers, including local residents and parishioners from the University Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Church of St Michael at the Northgate. For more information https://lnkd.in/ef8FhPC7 To learn more about the 2024 OPT Awards, view photos from the evening, as well as details of all the winners, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/dnvFY6qV Oxford City Council #HolywellCemetery #FriendsofHolywellCemetery #OPTAwards #OPTAwards2024