The joy of a city garden:

I’ll be honest, buying the house that’s now Observatory Retreat, was never our plan.  We were moving to Oxford for me to start studies connected with a career change.  It was early-mid 2001, and although we had two young children, we intended to buy a flat, thinking it would be much less hassle to rent out once we moved on to live in a house that would come with my future job.

It’s funny how things work out: the day we were supposed to buy the flat, the seller pulled out and we were left temporarily homeless (that’s another story!)  In the stressful weeks that followed, we finally ended up buying what was then a rather rundown property in up-and-coming Jericho, a home and location we would come to love.

We arrived in July, and immediately, the joy of having this outdoor space stood out.  Of course the children loved it, but it was like having an extra room or two - a wonderful social space.  It was crazy to think we had this 100ft south-facing space so close to the city centre.

Fast forward to Covid, and the value of having spaces like this has only became more apparent, making flats less fashionable as places to stay.

Now, one of my favourite things to do is to sit in this private, outdoor city-haven, enjoying the greenery and planting, with sounds of Oxford, like the chiming of the OUP clock, humming softly in the background.

What’s more, I enjoy it all as a gift.  We can claim no credit for this.  It wasn’t our plan, yet providence led us to this place and what a joy it has become!  Pausing in a peaceful place and being thankful is a good thing and it is good for us.

Maybe you have your own outdoor joys: that evening G&T, or the feeling of sunlight on the skin.

In the unplanned and unexpected blessing that is our city garden, there’s space here to make your own memories, and we very much hope that you do.