Background
Iffley fields residents and local stakeholders have been working with Oxford City Council to improve the recreation/play area on Meadow Lane and now want to work with the Nature Effect CIC, to benefit from their experience of co-curated public green spaces, or NaturEscapes, and wild garden design for the benefit of people and the environment. Each NaturEscape project is unique, inviting and inclusive, and is co-created with and reflects the ideas and effort of the community it serves. A project group has been established to take this work forward with working groups, workdays and community events happening over the summer and autumn of 2024.
What is the site like now?
The site is a publicly accessible play area close to SS Mary and John Primary School on Meadow Lane. It is bordered by a Skate Park and playing fields and close to Aston’s Eyot nature reserve. The site currently features a fairly random collection of play equipment installed and managed by Oxford City Council, some trees and undulating grass and earth areas. The border at the back is high panel wooden fencing which is subject to graffiti. A new fence installed by the council has incorporated a small area of trees that increases the woodland space. There is work to be done with dangerous metal fencing that has grown into the trees to the rear of the site on the right near the the Skate Park, in what is an unappealing area.
What will the site be like as a Naturescape?
A lot of work has already been done by local people and the City Council to upgrade the play equipment, improve boundaries and gather views from a wide range of stakeholders about what they want to see in the area.
The area will now be further developed as a NaturEscape, becoming a home for groups that support outdoor play, exploration, and interaction with natural elements such as water, earth and vegetation. New planting and features will be developed to improve the existing garden, bringing biodiversity, colour and social connection. We want to use systemic Routes to Resilience organisational design principles through viewing the nature play garden through the embodied elements: Head (Air), Heart (Fire & Water) and Hands/Body (Earth):
Head (Air) Knowledge, ideas, wisdom: clear information, noticeboards, signage about place and plants, and space for reflection. Planting features for ideas, structure, pollinators.
Heart (Fire & Water) Social and emotional connection: social areas, fire circle, communal seating areas, pond or other water feature. Planting for the senses, emotions, healing and relaxation.
Hands/Body (Earth) Health and resources: shelter building, sandpit, composting, foraging. Planting for food and nourishment
Flow between all elements Pathways, connecting the zones and creating discovery journeys through the space with planting for colour, joy, playfulness, wellbeing and engagement.
Community Engagement
The same principles will be reflected in the way the community works together to design, create and use the space:
Head: learning together and sharing skills, for instance about species living in the garden and medicinal herbs.
Heart: social occasions and cultivating relationship, including fire circles, singing and festivals.
Hands: Stewardship, working parties to take care of the site, feasts.
You can view our design concept video here.
Iffley Fields Design Plans
