Why has the Headington Shark become so popular in Oxford?

‘Untitled 1986’, more commonly known as ‘The Headington Shark’, is a fibreglass sculpture that first appeared in the 1980s.

Designed by John Buckley, the shark is a metaphor for helplessness and desperation amongst nuclear threat, having been inspired by the moment when the house owner, Bill Heine, heard American warplanes flying over Oxford on their way to bomb Libya. 

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Built without planning permission in the early hours of the morning, Oxford City Council sought to have the sculpture removed on the grounds of public safety.

However, when engineers inspected the shark’s installation, they found roof girders specially put in place, and assured it not to be a threat. 

Not backing down, the council tried to have the shark moved to an alternative location, such as a local swimming pool, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, but were once more unsuccessful following strong opposition from Mr Heine.

In 1992, following a six year legal battle, Tony Baldry from the Department of the Environment ruled that the shark was officially allowed to stay. 

Magnus Hanson-Heine, Bill’s son, bought the property before his father died in 2019, with hopes of stopping it from being repossessed by the bank and being given to owners who did not appreciate the art’s unique meaning. 

Mr Hanson-Heine now rents Shark House out as an AirBnB, and it has since proved popular with those looking for a place to stay in the area, rated four stars on TripAdvisor for its charm, cosiness and location.

Locals also seem to have enjoyed the 25ft sculpture, describing it as “charming”, “quirky”, and something that will “make you smile”. 

In March 2022, the council which first tried to get rid of the shark labelled it a heritage site due to its “special contribution” to the local community, much to the dismay of Mr Hanson-Heine.

Protecting the sculpture in this way, he argued, “would make the Shark into something it was never intended to be.”  

Its presence on the heritage list has since encouraged more tourism onto the small residential street, with many quickly running out of their cars to snap photos.

The experience of seeing the Shark has been described by tourists as “a question of having your phone or camera at the ready. A quick stop, shoot and off,” rather than a striking political statement on nuclear war.