The Plain is an important junction, now a roundabout

Roundabout

A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...

 constructed in 1950, just east of Magdalen Bridge in Oxford

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...

. To the east and southeast are St Clement's

St Clement's, Oxford

St Clement's is a district in Oxford, England, on the east bank of the River Cherwell. Its main road, St Clement's Street , links The Plain near Magdalen Bridge with London Place at the foot of Headington Hill at the junction with Marston Road to the north...

, Cowley Road

Cowley Road, Oxford

Cowley Road is an arterial road in the city of Oxford, England, following a southeasterly route from the city centre at The Plain roundabout near Magdalen Bridge, through the inner city area of East Oxford, and into the industrial suburb of Cowley...

 and Iffley Road

Iffley Road

Iffley Road is a major arterial road in Oxford, England. It leads from The Plain, near Magdalen Bridge, south-east towards the village of Iffley. While it becomes Henley Avenue at Iffley Turn, and then Rose Hill, many people will refer to the whole stretch from the ring road to The Plain as Iffley...

. Magdalen College School

Magdalen College School, Oxford

Magdalen College School is an independent school for boys aged 7 to 18 and girls in the sixth form, located on The Plain in Oxford, England. It was founded as part of Magdalen College, Oxford by William Waynflete in 1480....

 is to the south. Cowley Place, also to the south, leads to St Hilda's College

St Hilda's College, Oxford

St Hilda's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England.The college was founded in 1893 as a hall for women, and remained an all-women's college until 2006....

, the most easterly college 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...

.

The Plain received its name after the parish church

Church of England parish church

A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...

 of St Clement's

St Clement's Church, Oxford

St Clement's Church is an evangelical Church of England parish church east of central Oxford, England.-History:The parish of St Clement's was outside the city of Oxford until 1835, sited where the roads into Oxford from the east meet to cross Magdalen Bridge into the centre of Oxford. In 1004 AD,...

 was demolished here in 1829 after a new church was built near the other end of St Clement's in 1827–28, at the southern end of Marston Road

Marston Road

Marston Road is a road in the east of Oxford, England. It links the junction of St Clements and the foot of Headington Hill to the south with the suburb of New Marston to the north. This is a mini-roundabout connecting with Cherwell Drive and Headley Way at the northern end. To the north is the ...

. This left an open space where the roundabout now is.

Victoria Fountain

The Plain includes a small but prominent building facing Magdalen Bridge, Victoria Fountain, protected by a roof on stone columns. On top of the sloping tiled roof is a small clock tower. The fountain was designed by E. P. Warren and built in 1899.

Traffic problems

Early in 2006 the Plain was redeveloped to make the junction safer.} The 2006 work introduced pinch points between the motor and cycle traffic, especially on the Iffley Road entry to the roundabout. The 2007 redevelopment work (finished in late September) was mostly resurfacing, but there was some movement of the traffic islands.