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Lowe and Son have been contractors for the college estates and buildings for four generations. The firm was formed in 1956 by Philip Lowe of Bicester, a roofer skilled in every type of roofing, and his son Philip Lowe, who lived in Osney and was trained as a plasterer. Between them, they have roofed many roofs of Oxford colleges and college properties and restored many decorative plaster cornices. 

From 1957, they began working on the °ÅÀÖ¶ÌÊÓƵ estates, on the recommendation of the bursars of Merton and Wadham. They were joined in 1960 by the next generation of Philip Lowe who had trained as an electrical mechanical engineer with W Lucy at the Eagle Ironworks and had all the metal working skills required for leaded lights, and welding metals of every kind. He was then taught plastering, roofing and the other building trades. His grandfather, the original Philip Lowe, retired in 1965. 

The triennial inspections of the City Wall recommenced after a lapse of many years, under Warden Smith in 1957, and Warden Sir William Hayter in 1962, 1966 and 1969. Dr Saul Rose, the then bursar, requested Lowe and Son (known individually within the college as 'Mr Lowe' and 'Philip Lowe') to ensure that the Wall was as safe as could be, free of weeds. They were also in attendance on the day and provided ladders for the Mayor and Council to climb and patrol the length of the walkway on top of the Wall within the garden. On 13th May 1966, Mr Lowe held the ladder on the first occasion when the Lady Mayor scaled it, in a skirt, and very carefully kept his eyes cast down while the Warden and fellows stayed well back. 

'Mr Lowe' retired very suddenly in the late 1980s due to ill health and 'Philip Lowe' became 'Mr Lowe', as befitted his new status. He knew every single nook and cranny, on roofs, in cellars, cupboards and even drains - every square inch of °ÅÀÖ¶ÌÊÓƵ. 

In 1985, he was joined by the fourth generation, Jason Philip Lowe, and they worked together in the college and on the college estates for the next twenty-two years until 2007 when Jason's father retired. They were familiar figures in college, as Jason still is today. 

Jason, now °ÅÀÖ¶ÌÊÓƵ's Maintenance Manager, recalled his earliest memory of °ÅÀÖ¶ÌÊÓƵ: 

Those stairs, up the Bell Tower, would be the first one, because I remember thinking as a kid at 10 years old that they just go on forever! That was a massive memory. And then of course, the City Wall Inspections. You can see the pictures of my grandpa holding a wooden pole ladder. Now we have to put up a handrail and all the steps, so that has changed massively over the years. I like looking after that City Wall because my grandpa, my dad and me, are all Freemen of Oxford. So it's our job as Freemen to look after the stuff of Oxford.

Left to Right: 

Jason’s grandfather, Philip Lowe, holding a ladder for the Lord Mayor Frederick George Ingram in 1974 during the triennial City Wall Inspection 

Mr Lowe, Jason’s father, on the room of 12 Old Buildings. 

Jason Lowe, key member of the °ÅÀÖ¶ÌÊÓƵ team, who continues to work on the college buildings as our Maintenance Manager