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The Great Britain Guide

Public art & sculpture · South East England

Headington Shark

In or near Oxford.

Free admission

Headington Shark in England South East, United Kingdom.

The Headington Shark in New High Street - geograph.org.uk - 6124609

Steve Daniels — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station
Oxford · 3.9 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Headington Shark is a public sculpture in England South East, United Kingdom, dating from 1986. Britain's public art ranges from Henry Moore reclining figures and Anthony Gormley installations to the Angel of the North and the surviving statues of empire.

Photo gallery

See it from the streetimagery from 2019

Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0

Official information

The Headington Shark is a unique and quirky landmark located in Headington, Oxford. It features a large fiberglass shark that appears to be crashing through the roof of a house, attracting visitors and photographers alike.

From the Wikipedia article

The Headington Shark (proper name Untitled 1986) is a rooftop sculpture located at 2 New High Street, Headington, Oxford, England, depicting a large shark embedded head-first in the roof of a house. It was protest art, put up without permission, to be symbolic of bombs crashing into buildings.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Description

The shark first appeared on 9 August 1986 on the roof of the house of Bill Heine, an American-born radio presenter. He and sculptor John Buckley came up with the idea while drinking wine on the street, and imagined the shark as a metaphor for falling bombs, specifically from the American warplanes that flew overhead on their way to bomb Libya. The sculpture was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki. and is named Untitled 1986 (written on the gate of the house). It took three months to build. The structure is in deliberate contrast with its otherwise ordinary suburban setting. On 26 August 2016, Heine's son Magnus Hanson-Heine bought the house…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.7589, -1.2133
County
Oxfordshire
District
Oxford
Parish
Oxford, unparished area
Postcode
OX3 7AY
Parliamentary constituency
Oxford East
Phone
+447763693225
Established
1986
Nearest railway station
Oxford3.9 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Headington Shark?
Headington Shark is in Oxfordshire, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode OX3 7AY), in the parish of Oxford, unparished area.
What is Headington Shark?
Headington Shark in England South East, United Kingdom.
How do I get to Headington Shark?
The nearest railway station is Oxford, about 3.9 km away. Drivers can use postcode OX3 7AY.
When was Headington Shark built?
Built or established in 1986.
Is Headington Shark free to visit?
Yes, Headington Shark is free to enter.
How do I get to Headington Shark?
The nearest railway station is Oxford, about 3.9 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode OX3 7AY.