Drop-in

Rediscover Slade Camp

Step off the beaten path and join us for a unique adventure at Slade Camp, in the foothills of Shotover Country Park. You'll find yourself in a bygone era, where the remnants of a once-thriving community lie hidden beneath overgrown trees and bushes. It’s a celebration of a resilient community, and proof that when a habitation is handed back to nature it’s not long before it looks like ancient woodland. You might go as far as calling it Oxford’s Angkor Wat!

The story starts with William Morris, Lord Nuffield, who conveyed the land to the Council before the war for a training camp for the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. Immediately after the war, it served as No. 2 Military Disembarkation Camp Unit, for processing Southern Command soldiers. Following decommissioning in 1948, the council started to move “displaced” people into the wooden huts on a temporary basis, where many would stay for years. 

By the time it closed in 1970, hundreds of people had rebuilt their lives there. Their story remained largely secret until this year, when the Shotover Preservation Society convened local historians and former residents to bring the camp back to life. You may have read about it in the Oxford Mail or heard some of the many features on BBC Radio Oxford. The project has reunited former residents, who were children in the camp at the time and many of whom have since lost touch. The stories and photographs have been fascinating and inspiring.

What to expect on the 15th September? Walking tours of the camp with local historians will leave every half hour, showing you what remains of some of the sixty-five houses, the washhouses and the water tower, and sharing stories of houses catching fire and children playing with live ammunition. Around the site you’ll find former residents who can talk about what life was like, and you’ll find boards with photos and recreated street signs.

The walking tours will leave from the Meeting Point in the north of Slade Camp between 12.30 and 3.30pm (What3Words ///rests.drips.scope). To find out how to get there by car, bus or bicycle, please click on this link to the map. The Council is opening a temporary car park next to Slade Camp, a 5-minute walk from the Meeting Point and accessed from the bypass, which is free to use. The nearest bus stop is on Titup Hall Drive, a 20-minute walk.

Uneven ground, and disabled parking must be booked in advance (sps@shotoverpreservation.uk or call Jim Woods on 07932 044 627).