The Oxford Botanic gardens are beautifully planted by plant classification, making it both educational and enjoyable to walk around this venerable institution.
Originally called the Oxford Physic Garden, the land was leased by Henry Danvers, Earl of Danby from Magdallen college in 1621. This reflectied a growing awareness of plants as well as their medicinal properties.
One of its most famous contributions to British urban scenery, was in 1666, with the development of a hybrid seedling which became the ancestor to the London Plane tree.
copyright Mike Erskine RAGWORT
One of its most infamous contributions to the British landscape was the accidental release of the Ragwort, a tall yellow plant which can be found just about everywhere (see picture above).
Botany wasn’t an area of expertise amongst Oxford academics in the early seventeenth century, so the first appointed keeper was the landlord of the Greyhound Inn in Oxford High Street - Jacob Brobart.
Appointed in 1642, he was born at Brunswick, in Germany, and before taking up profession of landlord had been a soldier. It turned out he was also an outstanding botanist.
By 1658 he had produced a catalogue of 2,000 plants in the garden, increasing to 3,000, ten years later. There are now over 8,000 plants catalogued at the Botanic Gardens.
This wonderful stone entrance to the Oxford Botanic Gardens was erected 1632, created by Nicholas Stone. On the other side, can be found a likeness to Charles I, who’s spent a lot of time in Oxford during the English Civil war. Magdalen college tower can be seen behind the gate.
Up to 1290 this plot was a Jewish burial ground, this ended, when Edward I purged all Jews from England - this was to avoid paying all his outstanding debts owed to Jewish money lenders.
Ironically, Jews were encouraged to re-settle in England by Oliver Cromwell during the seventeenth century - a period not normally associated with religious tolerance!
The irony is because the gateway to the Oxford Botanic Gardens (see picture), was dedicated to Cromwells rival to power Charles I.
It was completed in 1632, and is a masterpiece by Nicholas Stone, stonemason to Inigo Jones.