Dangers in the water

Monument to the drownings of two men at Sandford Lasher. Photograph taken by Henry Taunt in 1875. © Oxfordshire History Centre.

Safe swimming. To view the transcript for this audio, click here.

Some unoffical bathing spots, like Sandford Lasher, became notorious for their danger to swimmers.

The photograph on the right shows a memorial at Sandford Lasher. This was erected to commemorate the deaths of Richard Phillimore and William Gaisford by drowning.

In the audio, Pat Hanks recalls her father's anger at finding out she had been swimming at an unofficial spot by the then new Donnington Bridge.

The Wild Water Code.

In 2019, the Oxford Water Safety Group published the Wild Water Code to promote personal safety while swimming in Oxford's waterways. The poster highlights 'hidden dangers', such as sharp objects on the riverbed, and the dangers associated with 'wild water'.

Polio and the 'pool' at North Hinksey. To view the transcript for this audio, click here.

'Baxter's Bomb'. To view the transcript for this audio, click here.

Listen to the audio to hear Jenny recall swimming during a polio scare and Andrew's story of finding a Second World War bomb under Donnington Bridge.