Radley College is an independent full boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18, set in the countryside between Oxford and Abingdon.

It occupies the historic Radley Hall estate, with grounds partly landscaped by Capability Brown in the eighteenth century, and has grown to more than 850 acres in the 2020s.

The private school has now come under fire after locals spotted sprinklers being used on the grounds last week despite a hosepipe ban.

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The sprinklers at Radley College during the hosepipe ban. (Image: Public submission)

Thames Water announced at the end of last month that a temporary ban would start at 12.01am on Thursday, July 23.

This was due to an exceptionally dry spring, three official heatwaves, record‑breaking temperatures and prolonged high demand.

Sprinklers have been in operation at the Oxfordshire site in recent days, but the school has defended this, citing the water use as fulfilling health and safety needs.

A Radley College spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of everyone using our facilities remains our priority.

“During periods of dry weather, pitches can become extremely hard, increasing the risk of injury to players.

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Radley College Chapel and Mansion. (Image: Edmund Blok / Radley College)

“To minimise this risk, some of our pitches are watered for health and safety reasons using water from our on-site borehole.”

Pupils partake in a variety of sports throughout the year including rugby union, hockey, rowing, football, cricket, lawn tennis and athletics.

A statement from Thames Water backs up the school’s use of water to maintain the pitches.

The water company said: “Whilst elements of the ban do restrict some business water use, schools and sporting fields / playing surfaces are still permitted to irrigate with mains water.

“This is due to health and safety requirements.”

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The hosepipe ban remains in place currently across Oxfordshire with no end date yet set despite some rainfall last week and more expected in the coming days.

A spokesperson for Thames Water recently said: “We’ll continue to monitor water levels and conditions across the region.

“We’ll lift the hosepipe ban as soon as conditions allow.

“Thank you to everyone who has already reduced their water use- your support is helping protect water supplies for communities and the environment.”

Formerly known as St Peter’s College, Radley, the school was founded in 1847 by Anglican clergymen William Sewell and Robert Corbet Singleton.

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It was inspired by the Oxford Movement to create a Christian, collegiate-style school with an emphasis on beauty and privacy.

As of the 2026/27 academic year, Radley charges £21,216 per term for boarders, inclusive of VAT, meaning annual fees in excess of £63,000.

Notable former pupils include Oxford-born reality TV star and entrepreneur Jamie Laing, best known for Made in Chelsea and his confectionery brand Candy Kittens.

Former England cricket captains Andrew Strauss and Ted Dexter, as well as comedian Peter Cook, all attended Radley College as well.

A series of modernisations and refurbishments at the popular sports hub, based off Hithercroft Road in Wallingford, has culminated in the refurbishment of its clubhouse.

Earlier in the year, the sports park’s main toilets were modernised, the AstroTurf pitches resurfaced, and funding secured to redo the clubhouse bar and main hall.

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The ‘vibrant’ new space was inaugurated on Saturday, August 1, with an open event encouraging people to try out the new facilities and see what the sports park has on offer.

Manager Matthew Bowden-Ford said: “We’ve got a nice fresh look for our main bar area and main hall, as we just needed to modernise.

“The space was in need of a bit of a redesign and funding became available from the local council to make it happen.

“With a busy space like this, we’ll always have other hopes and dreams with a refresh of the facilities, so this won’t be the last work we’re doing.

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“But we want to get across that the clubhouse is here for anyone to come and socialise and enjoy, you don’t have to be a member of a club, a sports team or the sports park, and we’re open to all.

“We’re very much a community hub and we’re here for everyone to enjoy.”

Wallingford Sports Park is run by the Wallingford Sports Charitable Trust and hosts eight sports club and many community activities and events throughout the year.

SGN has completed the works and left the site ahead of its anticipated finish date of Saturday, August 8.

This means Botley Road should be on schedule to reopen to traffic on Sunday, September 20.

Engineers found three minor leaks in the ageing metal gas main during drainage excavations in July, forcing another delay to the long‑running road closure.

Botley Road has been shut to motor traffic since April 2023 to allow an overhaul of Oxford station, including new platforms and better walking and cycling links.

Roadworks in Botley Road (Image: Frank Dumbleton)

Works were initially expected to last for 12 months, but once completed will have taken more than three-and-a-half years.

The leaks added up to six weeks to the newly advertised August 31 reopening while SGN replaced a section of pipe beneath the road.

The works, which were initially supposed to finish in October 2024, were hit with setbacks throughout, including the discovery of a Victorian arc and a grenade from the Second World War.

Businesses and residents alike endured 1,260 days of disruption since its closure, including 24-hour working, but also being cut off from central and east Oxford.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP, Layla Moran, previously wrote to the Transport Secretary demanding answers and requesting an urgent meeting. 

She described the delays as “calamitous and catastrophic” for local residents and businesses.

But, SGN said the work was vital to prevent future disruptive repairs and to keep gas supplies safe and reliable.

The new Botley Road walkway (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Now the main has been upgraded, Network Rail is responsible for finishing work under the bridge and around the station.

The cost of repair work has risen from £161m to £237m, and it is understood that the western entrance project has not yet been fully costed.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty about when the Oxford traffic filter scheme will start, and the congestion charge will end.

The traffic filters, originally approved in 2022 but held up by the initial closure, were set to replace the congestion charge on September 14, but have been postponed again by the repeated delays.

Oxfordshire County Council transport boss previously told the Oxford Mail it will consider its traffic filter trial and announce the start date at the “earliest opportunity” once it has “absolute certainty” of its opening.