Iffley Road
Encyclopedia
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It leads from The Plain
The Plain, Oxford
The Plain is an important junction, now a roundabout constructed in 1950, just east of Magdalen Bridge in Oxford, England. To the east and southeast are St Clement's, Cowley Road and Iffley Road. Magdalen College School is to the south...
, near Magdalen Bridge, south-east towards the village of Iffley
Iffley
Iffley is a village in Oxfordshire, England, within the boundaries of the city of Oxford, between Cowley and the estates of Rose Hill and Donnington, and in proximity to the River Thames . Its most notable feature is its original and largely unchanged Norman church, St Mary the Virgin, which has a...
. While it becomes Henley Avenue at Iffley Turn, and then Rose Hill
Rose Hill, Oxford
Rose Hill is a city council estate. It is located on the south-eastern outskirts of Oxford, England.According to the 2001 Census, the population of Rose Hill and the adjoining village of Iffley was 4,667....
, many people will refer to the whole stretch from the ring road to The Plain as Iffley Road. This whole route (including all of Iffley Road) is designated the A4158.
The road is famous for the Oxford University athletics venue, the Iffley Road Track, now known as the Roger Bannister running track
Roger Bannister running track
The Roger Bannister running track, also known as the Oxford University track, is a 400-metres athletics running track and stadium in Oxford, England. It was where Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile on 6 May 1954, when it was known as the Iffley Road track...
, where Sir Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
ran a mile in under four minutes
Four-minute mile
In the sport of athletics, the four-minute mile is the act of completing the mile run in less than four minutes. It was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister in 3:59.4. The 'four minute barrier' has since been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all male professional...
for the first time ever on 6 May 1954. A blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
now records the event for passers by on the road. Also in Iffley Road is Greyfriars
Greyfriars, Oxford
Greyfriars, situated on the Iffley Road in East Oxford, was one of the smallest constituent Halls of the University of Oxford in England. Its previous status as a Permanent Private Hall referred to the fact that it was governed by an outside institution , rather than by its fellows as is a...
, a Capucin priory that was formerly a permanent private hall of the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
Iffley Road used to be known as the Henley Road in the 19th century since it leads towards Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
, the historic centre of the sport of rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with its famous Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta
Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...
further down 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,...
. Now only the few hundred metres before Rose Hill carry any mention of Henley, as Henley Avenue.
There are a number of historic public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
s including the Cape of Good Hope at the Plain and 1 Iffley Road, the Cricketers' Arms, and the Fir Tree Tavern.