Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, receives planning consent

Wycliffe Hall Oxford Entrance CGI
Wycliffe Hall Oxford Entrance CGI

Oxford City Council has given planning consent for the redevelopment and refurbishment of the listed Wycliffe Hall, college and grounds in the North Oxford Victorian Suburban Conservation Area. Nicholas Pearson Associates provided full landscape design services and visualisations to illustrate the revival vision.

As part of the Wycliffe Hall New Renaissance Project, the approved proposals include internal and external upgrades and extensions for the main hall building to transform its energy performance, sustainability and accessibility as well as to extend the ground floor.

Working in collaboration with Nick Cox Architects, we provided the landscape design and visualisations for an accessible front entrance and replacement of the dining hall with a new and bright function room.

1876 surveyed Town Plan Oxfordshire County Council
1876 surveyed Town Plan showing ‘Laleham’ and ‘Holyrood’ (Oxfordshire County Council -Oxford History Centre)
Extracted from – Heritage Impact Assessment (Donald Insall Associates)

The landscape design was prepared to complement the Grade II Listed college and grounds and to be in keeping with the North Oxford Victorian Suburban Conservation Area. This was achieved through design proposals that reinstate the front entrance gardens, planting and boundary treatments to replicate elements of the original Victorian design, drawn from historic maps and photographs.

West front of Chapel extension, 1903 Henry Taunt
West front of Wycliffe Hall, facing Banbury Road, 1903 (Henry Taunt,
Oxfordshire County Council – Oxfordshire History Centre, POX0150622)
Extracted from – Heritage Impact Assessment (Donald Insall Associates)
West front of Wycliffe Hall, 1903 Henry Taunt
West front of chapel extension by George Wallace, 1903 (Henry Taunt,
Oxfordshire County Council – Oxfordshire History Centre, POX0110414)
Extracted from – Heritage Impact Assessment (Donald Insall Associates)

One of Wycliffe Halls’ key objectives was to create an inviting landscape space for all to enjoy and move freely around. To address accessibility issues, the design ensures a coherent pedestrian circulation, that achieves step free routes through the grounds.  The landscape design enhances the relationship between the garden and dining hall, with a south-facing terrace for dining, a roof terrace and garden space for relaxation, events and activities.

Landscape proposals were crafted to retain all the best of the existing high number of trees and to provide a variety of Biodiversity Gain requirements through proposed new shrub beds and hedge planting.  Proposals also include new SuDS planters and resolve various cycle and car parking needs. We also provided support for the proposed Tree Management Plan.

Design team collaboration also involved Tree Frontiers, SFK Consulting, Ridgeway Ecology, Glanville Group, and Savills.

Planning consent was granted in December 2024.

Claire Studley completed the BSc Geography with Applied GIS degree at The University of Exeter and the Landscape Architecture Conversion Year at The University of Gloucestershire. She is working towards becoming a Chartered Landscape Architect.

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