Seacourt Nature Park.

The footpath can flood somewhat during the rainy seasons

Oh dear, oh dear. What can I say about Seacourt Nature park? I doubt that Oxford’s poets would go there for inspiration. Even Oxford city council, which owns/manages the park, forgets to mention the site in its own list of green areas on its webpage, ‘Countryside and Nature reserves’.The northern boundary of the park runs along a short section of the Botley Road. Visitors can enter the park from this boundary.The western boundary of the park is Hinksey Stream. On the other (western) side of the stream is the Minns Business park. The access road to the Minns estate stretches all the way along the western part of the Nature park - and when I visited yet another office block was in the process of being built along this access road.The park’s eastern boundary is formed by the Wicks/Tool Station, and Aldi, superstores.The consequence of all of these commercial developments is that visitors entering the park from the northern entrance will feel it is like walking though a canyon with steep cliffs (of buildings) on both sides.Having Hinksey Stream as a border should be an attractive feature of the park. However, it has a cement waterway pouring rainwater off local roads into the stream.Ignoring the canyon of commercial buildings and the cement drainage channel, perhaps the ugliest and most frightful part of this very reserved Nature reserve is the colossal electricity pylon, which sits in the southern part of the park.There is an enormous electricity pylon on the northern side of the Botley Road opposite the park’s northern entrance. Its high voltage cables sweep over the park before reaching the gigantic pylon inside the southern part of the park. The pylons hover over the top of the park like a wiry canopy.The next electricity pylon is a short distance outside the park. It is followed by a string of others which can be seen heading towards Hinksey, Blackbird Leys and Horspath. These huge pylons had to be put somewhere. It seems as if Seacourt Nature park drew the short straw.Whenever I go to a nature reserve/park or green area, the first question I always ask myself is, “Why is this place green?” (Variations on this theme include, ‘Why is this place still green?’; ‘Why haven’t they (always a nameless they) built on it?”It’s rare that the answer is ‘because local people admire it and are willing to fight for it’. Which is not to imply that there aren’t plenty of such committed groups in the city.In the case of Seacourt, the answer seems clear. Nobody would want to build anything directly underneath these high voltage cables. No-one would want to work or even shop in such a building.Seacourt Nature reserve is basically L shaped. It acts as a green screen camouflaging the Wickes and Aldi superstores. It provides a ribbon of greenery in a canyon of buildings.In conclusion, it seems as if what Seacourt deserves is commizeration.But, all is far from being lost.A couple of decades ago, the entire green spaces between the A34 and the London-Oxford-north railway lines were virtually out of bounds because they were being used as pastureland by one or more farmers (although some may have been growing crops). The area was fenced off because it was still being farmed.I don’t know what happened but the consequence of whatever did happen is that this entire series of meadows was opened up providing easy access to both North, Hinksey, South Hinksey and the south of Oxford.There are now green spaces running all the way from West Way/Botley road to Kendall Copse West/East just off the Old Abingdon Road. It is possible to walk or cycle across most (but not the entirety) of these green spaces. This is a colossal boost in accessibility and environmental protection.In conclusion, there isn’t much to praise about Seacourt Nature park’s intrinsic value. But, as an entrance to this huge green expanse on the western side of Oxford, it is invaluable.