BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a programme exploring a significant period in Oxford’s past, guiding listeners through a controversial era of social change in the city.

For a quarter of a century, the Cutteslowe Walls—standing at more than eight feet in height—divided council tenants from homeowners in the private sector, representing a stark manifestation of wealth disparity within the community.

The series is presented by Polly Weston, whom viewers may know from The Patch, where she gathers tales from various postal districts. The programme is slated to begin the following week to explore this complex historical chapter.

In her column for Radio Times, Anna Jones mentioned that Weston visits a particular blue plaque located in an affluent area of north Oxford, commemorating the demolition of the Cutteslowe Walls in 1959—these brick barriers measured over two metres in height, fitted with rotating spikes along their summits, and were constructed in 1934 to distinguish newly-built private residences from municipal housing.

Through thoughtful discussions with former and present local residents, Weston learns that these divisions persist, though they now stem primarily from financial struggles and political perspectives rather than class distinctions.

The initial episode of the five-part series titled The Shadow of the Cutteslowe Walls will broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Monday, March 30 at 1:45pm, with following installments airing in the same time slot throughout the subsequent week.