Cornell University Library

No. 31, Banbury Road, North Oxford, seen from east. Built in 1866, architect: William Wilkinson Named 'The Firs', this building is illustrated in Mr. Wilkinson's book "English Country Houses" (Plates XIII and XIV). Decades later (before 1953, exact date unknown), The Firs was aquired by St. Anne's Society (formerly Society of Oxford Home-Students) in order to extend accommodation capabilities of Springfield St. Mary which was originally established by Anglican nuns at No. 33 Banbury Road (partially visible on the right, also imaged here and here in this album). After receiving college status in 1952, and stimulated by generous fundings from Wolfson and Rayne Foundations, St. Anne's developed ambitious plans for new accommodation buildings, a total of 6 blocks of which only 2 were finally realized. No. 31 Banbury Road had to make way for the second one, Rayne Building and was demolished in 1966. Sources: - T. Hinchcliffe: North Oxford (Yale Univ. Press) - Internet Archive (archive.org) for "English Country Houses" - Historic England Archive, Red Box Collection, Photographs by Peter Spencer Spokes - History of the Nettleship Library (VI): A String of Pearls, found at St. Anne's College's web site.

Hey, just want to know which part of england this picture is?

North Lodge of the University Parks, North Oxford, viewed from south. Built in 1862 by H. Wilkinson Moore. Grade II listed. Located at the northern gate of University Parks, where Banbury Road, Norham Gardens and Parks Road meet. This would have been a nice starting point for a walkabout to most of the North Oxford buildings shown in the collection of A. D. White Architectural Photographs. To the right, it's just a few steps to Wycliffe Hall at No. 54 Banbury Road, formerly named Laleham, photographed in this album from the west and southeast. Further northwards on Banbury Road, William Wilkinson built No. 60, "Shrublands", now part of Kellogg College. Even further to the right is Norham Gardens, with large residential villas, many of them later converted for accommodation or for institutional use, including No. 3 Norham Gardens shown in this album. Straight across the street were No. 31 Banbury Road, "The Firs" and the impressive "Springfield" villa at No. 33, both of them cornerstones of the site of St. Anne's College, today you find two mid-century student residences there instead. Nearby Bevington Road would pass you to some beautiful villas on Woodstock Road, but unfortunately, neither Nos. 113 and 115 nor the Italianate Walton Manor House at No. 141 survived the redevelopment era of the 1960s. Turn to the left from here and follow University Walk in south direction towards Keble College. On this section of Parks Road, there was a line of impressive Victorian houses at that time, including Nos. 17-18 (South & North Elms), now displaced by the brutalistic Holder building. But Nos. 12-13 (South & North Grove) and 14-15 (East View) still provide a glimpse of that era. Sources: - T. Hinchcliffe: North Oxford (Yale Univ. Press) - A. Spokes Symmonds: The Changing Faces of North Oxford, Books I & II View the other photographs of Victorian Architecture of North Oxford in this album.

No. 33 Banbury Road, seen from east. Built in 1865-67, architect: Charles Edward Bruton. Named "Springfield". (At that time the address was 16 St Giles’s Road). The house was first leased by the Revd J. V. Durell for his widowed mother and his unmarried siblings. Members of the Durell family lived there until 1924. In 1928 Springfield was leased by nuns of the Anglican Community of St. Mary's who established a hostel there for students of the Society of Oxford Home-Students (after 1942 St. Anne's Society). Later, accommodation space was further extended by aquiring adjacent Nos. 31 (The Firs, also imaged here in this album) and 35 (todays Eleanor Plumer House). Together with other villas on Bevington Road, the three linked houses of Springfield St. Mary contributed to the development of what later became the site of St. Anne's College. After St. Anne's received full College status in 1959, they developed ambitious plans to meet accomodation requirements due to increasing student numbers. No. 33 Banbury Road was the first which had to make way for a modern, four storey student residence, Wolfson Building, and was demolished in 1963. Besides the Gardener who is proudly presenting his lawn roller here, another member of the household staff, probably the Butler or Footman can be seen in this photograph watching the scenery from the dining room window (1st floor right). Sources: - T. Hinchcliffe: North Oxford (Yale Univ. Press) - St. Sepulchres Cemetery web site, Oxford (The following material found at St. Anne's web site): - The Ship 2020-2021 - Amy Langer (ed.): St. Anne's College Alumnae Personal Histories - Dr. David Smith: St. Anne's College 1952-2012 - Bevington Road: A History