Houses grew along Marston Road. These houses stretched from St Clement’s toward the village of Marston. This is New Marston. Today, we will uncover the layers of history of this Oxford suburb.
New Marston’s story starts on land. This land was once part of the manor of Headington. It remained rural until the 19th century. Housing slowly started appearing.
Look around and try to imagine the late 1800s. William Street, Edgeway Road, and Ferry Road emerged. The 1886-1890 map shows only two buildings on Edgeway Road. By 1899, Ferry Road extended west. William Street and the southern side of Edgeway Road saw growth.
Development slowed from 1900 to the 1920s. The 1921 map shows little change. However, the north side of Edgeway Road was marked as allotments. This land became Hugh Allen Crescent in 1930. Wadham College Cricket Ground was added to the north.
By the late 1870s, New Marston had mains water. Mains drainage arrived by the 1920s. The main development of New Marston occurred in the 20th century. In 1929, 216 acres became part of Oxford City. The County Borough of Oxford built council houses. These homes surrounded Marston Road and went north of Headley Way. By 1938, 138 council houses stood in New Marston. Another 70 were added after 1950.
New Marston had no school early on. Children walked a mile to Old Marston School. There was no church either. Gas was available. Electricity was missing.
The New Marston Church of England School opened later. A small church was built on Ferry Road. Groups formed such as Scouts and Guides.
The Croft Road housing estate appeared on an allotment site. Milham Ford Girls’ School moved to Marston Road. Street parties celebrated King George V’s Silver Jubilee. They also celebrated King George VI’s Coronation.
During the Second World War, children evacuated from London. One school used the church hall on Edgeway Road. Some classes took place in the Scout hall on William Street.
The “black-out” restricted life. Air raid warnings sometimes sounded. Luckily, New Marston avoided bomb attacks. Food was scarce. Dried eggs and spam became common. Identity cards and ration books became necessary.
In 1945, the war ended. Streetlights turned on again. Street parties celebrated victory. Goods remained scarce. Rationing continued into the next decade.
After the war, more homes were built. Marston Road was widened. Two new churches and a school were built. An old people’s home was completed. Pubs and shops opened. By the 1960s, New Marston was no longer a village.
New Marston has a cycle path. It links Ferry Road to South Parks Road and the city centre. The path is scenic. It passes through New Marston Meadows. It crosses the River Cherwell. It follows the edge of University Parks. Wildlife is often seen from the path. Deer, kingfishers, and grey herons are common.
Cowley Road Congregational Church opened a mission hall in New Marston in 1885. This became Marston United Reformed Church in 1939. In 1919, the Church of England opened a mission hall on Ferry Road. This served the growing area of New Marston.
Saint Michael and All Angels parish church was built in 1954-56. It sits on Marston Road. It became a chapel for St Andrew, Headington. T. Lawrence Dale designed it. The style is “vaguely Italian renaissance”. St Michael’s has a slender campanile. It also has a statue of St Michael by Michael Groser. Leon Underwood painted a reredos.
The Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh established a parish in 2006. They acquired the former Church of England mission hall on Ferry Road in 2010. They restored it for church use.
New Marston Church of England School opened in 1928. It became St Michael’s Church of England Aided Primary School in 1955. Infant and junior mixed schools opened in Copse Lane in 1948. These are now New Marston Primary School.
From rural beginnings to a developed suburb, New Marston has transformed. Its streets and buildings hold stories of growth, resilience, and community.