Boars Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boars Hill is located in the civil parish of Sunningwell, south of Oxford, in the English county of Oxfordshire (formerly Berkshire).

There is a good view of the city of Oxford from the hill and it provided the inspiration and setting for two of Matthew Arnold's most well-known poems, The Scholar Gipsy (1853) and Thyrsis (1867).

The archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans lived on Boars Hill from 1894 until his death in 1941. His house, 'Youlbury', has since been demolished. He had Jarn Mound built (by hand), surrounded by a wild garden, to maintain a view of Oxford, despite modern development. The mound is unfortunately now surrounded by houses and the view is obscured by conifer trees. Evans left part of his estate to the Boy Scouts and Youlbury Camp is still available for their use.

[edit] Quotation

"ADVICE FROM A FOURTH-YEAR MAN: … Keep clear of Boar's Hill"

— Evelyn Waugh (1903–1966), Brideshead Revisited

ADVICE FROM AN AN ACTUAL OXFORDSHIRE MAN - you'd do well to be in Boars Hill

[edit] References

• Overlooking Oxford — Boars Hill