Popular Oxfordshire splash park reopened after shock closure

Cutteslowe Splash Park is a popular spot in the north of Oxford where families can go to cool off, and is especially busy during summer heatwaves.

But last week, the fun was cut short when Oxford City Council, which manages the free facility, announced its abrupt closure.

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The city council announced on Thursday, August 6 that the splash park was closed to all visitors due to a ‘technical issue’.

It announced today, Wednesday, August 12, that Cutteslowe Splash Park ‘is back up and running’ and has reopened to all visitors.

The temporary shut-down echoed problems which plagued the park last summer, when the splash park was closed in June 2025 as sewage spilled from the pipes nearby.

The city council said no children came into contact with the overflow on that occasion, and the children’s water play area was closed as a ‘preventative measure’.

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But grandmother Alison Rudge said she and her grandson were ‘covered’ in sewage after he splashed in a puddle which ‘smelt awful’ just metres away from the splash park.

Oxford City Council has not given details of the ‘technical issue’ which required the facility’s closure this month.

Cutteslowe Splash Park is in Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park off Elsfield Way, and has been a popular attraction with families in the city since it opened in 2017.