Broad Walk

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{{for|the path in Kensington Gardens|Kensington Gardens}}

File:Christ Church meadow - geograph.org.uk - 556443.jpg]]

File:Christ Church, war memorial garden 01.JPG near St Aldate's at the western end]]

Broad Walk is a wide walkway running east–west on the north side of Christ Church Meadow and south of Merton Field in central Oxford, England.{{cite web | title=Broad Walk – Merton Field | url=http://www.panoramicearth.com/1382/Oxford/Broad_Walk_-_Merton_Field | work=Panoramic Earth | accessdate=27 May 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716184652/http://panoramicearth.com/1382/Oxford/Broad_Walk_-_Merton_Field | archive-date=16 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}{{cite book | title=Oxford | first=Jan | last=Morris | authorlink=Jan Morris | pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordmorr00morr/page/75 75, 131, 137] | edition=3rd | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=Oxford | isbn=0-19-282065-6 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordmorr00morr/page/75 }}

The walkway runs between St Aldate's though the Christ Church War Memorial Garden at the western end and

the River Cherwell to the east at the southern end of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden. To the north, at the western end is Christ Church, one of the Oxford colleges. The tower of Merton College Chapel dominates the view north from Broad Walk across Merton Field, beyond Dead Man's Walk and the old city wall which runs parallel to Broad Walk, connected via Merton Walk.

Broad Walk used to be lined with large elm trees, but has been denuded due to Dutch elm disease.{{cite book| title=The Colleges of Oxford | chapter=Christ Church | page=59 | first=Miles | last=Jebb | series=A Constable guide | publisher=Constable |location=London | year=1992 | isbn=0 09 469180 0 }}

The Meadow Building of Christ Church, in an imposing stone-faced Venetian Gothic style, is immediately to the north of Broad Walk. Opposite to the south, the tree-lined Poplar Walk, laid out in 1872 by Henry Liddell, Dean of Christ Church, leads down to the River Thames.

Views of some of the spires and towers of Oxford include (west to east) Tom Tower, the spire of Christ Church Cathedral,{{cite book| first=James Stevens | last=Curl | title=The Erosion of Oxford | isbn=0 902280 40 6 | year=1977 | publisher=Oxford Illustrated Press | chapter=Christ Church Cathedral, from the Meadows | page=53 }} Merton College Chapel Tower, and Magdalen Tower.

The first hot air balloon ascent in Britain was made by James Sadler (1753–1828) from Merton Field on 4 October 1783, to the north of Broad Walk.{{cite web| url=http://www.oxfordhistory.org.uk/streets/inscriptions/central/sadler.html | title=Inscriptions: James Sadler’s balloon flight | work=Oxford History | location=UK | accessdate=27 May 2014 }}

Postwar development planned for central Oxford included a relief road passing through the Christ Church Meadow along the route of Broad Walk and joining the district of St Ebbe's.{{cite news| url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10758096.Fifty_years_later_and_Christ_Church_Meadow_relief_road_is_unthinkable/ | title=Fifty years later and Christ Church Meadow relief road is unthinkable | first=Damian | last=Fantato | newspaper=Oxford Mail | date=24 October 2013 | accessdate=3 June 2014 }}{{cite news| url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10758096.Fifty_years_later_and_Christ_Church_Meadow_relief_road_is_unthinkable/ | title=The road that never was

| first=Damian | last=Fantato | newspaper=The Oxford Times | date=25 October 2013 | accessdate=3 June 2014 }} The proposal was defeated after strong opposition.

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