Category Archives: General

New book: The Radley Lakes Story

The Radley Lakes Trust is pleased to announce the release of The Radley Lakes Story, a beautifully crafted book that tells the captivating story of Radley Lakes’ remarkable journey from threatened gravel pits to a cherished natural haven. This commemorative publication marks 20 years since the Save Radley Lakes campaign began and showcases the enduring power of community action to protect and enhance our local environment. 

Edited by Joyce Huddleston and Roger Thomas, with contributions from leading local naturalists, historians and environmentalists, the book combines expert knowledge with over 250 stunning illustrations. It provides readers with an insight into the area’s geology, history and wildlife, and the community’s enduring commitment to its preservation.  More details

Front cover of 'The Radley Lakes Story', published in March 2025

The book costs £16.99 and is available to buy:

Proceeds will go directly to the Radley Lakes Trust to safeguard the future of Radley Lakes and its surrounding ecosystem. 

The book includes material from the Radley History Club archive. The Club’s archivist, Richard Dudding, was one of the contributors to the book while the Club’s chairman, Joyce Huddleston, led the editing team.

‘From the Lodge to Lodge Hill’: a guided walk through the grounds of Radley College

The story of the Radley College estate is told in a new guided walk devised by Clare Sargent, the Radley College Archivist. QR codes on posts at key places along the route take you to online information about particular points on the route. The walk goes from the Lodge (on Kennington Road) to Lodge Hill following the public footpath through the College grounds.

Here’s a link to a fascinating presentation hosted on Microsoft Sway of the material available via the QR codes. The presentation contains some wonderful archive photos and drawings with explanatory text and links to further information.

Screenshot of part of the entry point to the presentation on Microsoft Sway of 'From the Lodge to Lodge Hill - following the public footpath through Radl;ey College'

Uncover Oxfordshire’s past with Heritage Search

‘Heritage Search’ is a new digital resource from Oxfordshire County Council to help people discover more about the history and heritage of Oxfordshire. While OCC and the Oxfordshire History Centre did previously have a search tool, Heritage Search is newly developed, with much more data as well as making it far easier to discover information and search across its various archives.

Heritage Search is free to use and contains a comprehensive catalogue of historical resources, including a wide range of archive documents, books, photographs, maps and much more, relating to the history of Oxfordshire – from ancient artefacts to modern-day landmarks.

One exciting feature is the Heritage Search mapping platform. Here you can overlay historical and modern maps, as well as plotting archaeological finds and images in the appropriate location. Help guide

To find out more and to start using Heritage Search go to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/heritagesearch