World Art Utopia

The Headington Shark — John Buckley, Oxford

A giant fibreglass shark plunging head-first into the roof of a brick terraced house in Headington, Oxford
Artwork FileOxford, England

Headington Shark

SeenDec 2024

John Buckley · 2 New High Street, Headington, Oxford, England · 1986

Photo: Balon Greyjoy / Wikimedia Commons (CC0), as published on Street Art Utopia.

A 25-foot fibreglass shark has plunged head-first into the roof of 2 New High Street in Headington since 9 August 1986. Sculptor John Buckley made it for broadcaster Bill Heine, and it is formally titled Untitled 1986. Source Source Source Checked

Seen December 2024: a Geograph photograph dated 30 December 2024 shows the Shark House on New High Street; the shark is also listed on Oxford’s Heritage Asset Register (approved 23 March 2022). Source Reported

More photos

The Headington Shark sticking out of a terraced house roof in 1989, seen down New High Street under a grey sky
1989 Three years after it landed, seen down New High StreetPhoto: Robert Linsdell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

💡 4 things to know

  1. It landed overnight
    The shark was put up in the early hours of Saturday 9 August 1986, without planning permission. Source Source Checked
  2. A protest piece
    The Twentieth Century Society describes it as an anti-nuclear and anti-war protest, unveiled on the 41st anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing. Source Reported
  3. Six years of planning rows
    Councillors refused a retrospective application in 1990; the Secretary of State allowed Heine’s appeal by a letter dated 21 May 1992. Source Source Checked
  4. Now a heritage asset
    Oxford City Council approved the shark for its Heritage Asset Register on 23 March 2022, despite the owner’s objection. Source Source Checked

📍 Where it is

On the roof of the terraced house at 2 New High Street, Headington, Oxford OX3 7AQ. Source Source Checked

Open in Maps

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 198926 Aug

    Photographed from New High Street

  2. 199221 May

    Appeal allowed; the shark stays

  3. 202118 Apr

    Photographed on the roof

  4. 202223 Mar

    Added to Oxford’s heritage register

  5. 202430 Dec

    Shark House photographed

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Artist
John Buckley, for Bill Heine Source Source Checked
Title
Untitled 1986 (known as the Headington Shark); the 1990 planning application called it Untitled 1985 Source Source Conflicting
Installed
9 August 1986 Source Source Checked
Material
Fibreglass (the owners’ site says fibreglass and steel) Source Source Checked
Length
25 feet (7.6 m) Source Source Checked
Location
2 New High Street, Headington, Oxford OX3 7AQ Source Checked

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 9 November 2026. How we verify art