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Dawn Chorus: Rent a house with a shark in the roof, red squirrels run riot in Yorkshire and superstitious planning enforcement

James Fisher James Fisher

Plus, top properties from the magazine and the daily quiz.

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‘In this case it is not in dispute that the shark is not in harmony with its surroundings, but then it is not intended to be in harmony with them,’ wrote planning inspector Peter MacDonald in 1992. ‘The council is understandably concerned about precedent here. The first concern is simple: proliferation with sharks (and heaven knows what else) crashing through roofs all over the city. This fear is exaggerated. In the five years since the shark was erected, no other examples have occurred … any system of control must make some small place for the dynamic, the unexpected, the downright quirky.’

The property in Headington. Four bedrooms, four bathrooms, £4,000 a month. Students welcome to apply. No pets (apart from the shark). Credit: OpenRent

And so the Headington Shark, a symbol of protest against nuclear weapons and war, was allowed to remain wedged into the roof of an unassuming semi-detached house on the outskirts of Oxford. Originally commissioned by Bill Heine in 1986, the shark is now a heritage site, and the property is now available to rent through OpenRent for £4,000 a month.

As well as a giant shark embedded in the roof, the property features four bedrooms and four bathrooms over its two floors. It’s delightfully well appointed, and I am a big fan of the large brick fireplace and the garden room (as well as the garden itself). Consider what £4,000 a month gets you in London, it’s almost a no-brainer.

Quiz of the day

1) Which river runs through Cardiff?

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2) What is a negatively charged electrode called?

3) Which film starring Marilyn Monroe was left unfinished when she died in 1962?

4) Where in the human body would you find the talus bone?

5) In which city is the International Court of Justice?

A surprise splash of red in the Dales

The red squirrel, adopting a superhero pose. Credit: Getty

A colony of red squirrels has been discovered on a tree plantation in North Yorkshire, much to the delight of the owners. Four squirrels were captured on thermal cameras by Julie Bailey of the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) and, upon further inspection, an entire colony was found. The sitka spruce plantation will now be managed with the protection of the red squirrels as a priority.

The only native squirrel in the UK, red squirrels have been pushed to the verge of extinction by their american cousins the grey squirrel. It’s believed that only 160,000 reds remain — a favourite species of the King — and extensive work has been done to protect and grow the remaining population. However, they are mostly found in Scotland, North Wales and Northern Ireland. 

The discovery has led to the foundation of a new volunteer group named the Yorkshire Dales Red Squirrel Alliance. Funded by the Forestry Commission, locals are being encouraged to join to help protect the squirrels and manage tree health. 

‘Our native red squirrels are an important part of our natural heritage and the discovery of a new population in North Yorkshire is a positive step in our shared aim to protect, identify and strengthen populations across England,’ said Rebecca Isted, Forestry Commission squirrel policy adviser. ‘Red squirrels are endangered and we estimate there are fewer than 40,000 left in England.’

Top property for your perusal

The latest issue of the magazine is out now, bursting with lots of pretty houses. In case you missed last week’s pretty houses, we’ve rounded up five our favourites here.

Not allowed to skip No. 13

See if you can keep up with this one. Local authorities in Lincolnshire have banned the banning of using the number 13 on new housing projects. Yes, it seems that superstition still reigns supreme, with developers admitting it was still ‘common practice’ to avoid using the number.

Credit: Getty

I’ve written about superstition before. I grew up in an apartment building that did (technically) have a 13th floor, but in the lift the buttons went from 12 to 14. A report published last year suggested that houses with the number 13 were less valuable to the tune of £36,000 on average. We’re all grown ups. We don’t believe in magic. Yet we do believe that 13 will have negative effects on our lives. What a world we live in.

The news comes on the back of the publishing of a Street Naming and Numbering Policy published by South Holland District Council, East Lindsey District Council and Boston Borough Council. South Holland confirmed to the BBC that there were ‘no circumstances when builders will be allowed to avoid using number 13’.

‘It is quite uncommon for a local authority to come out and be categoric in that way,’ said Mark Foster of developers Lindum Homes. ‘Most local authorities are the opposite to that.’

That’s all for today, we’ll be back tomorrow

Quiz answers

1) River Taff

2) Cathode

3) Something’s Got to Give

4) Ankle

5) The Hague