The story of a Jericho poet who died more than 30 years ago has been unearthed as part of a student art project.

Arts student Clare Cochrane started researching Mary Hampden-Jackson after finding a bench dedicated to her at the now boarded up sheltered housing block Grantham House, in Cranham Street.

Thanks to her the bench has been moved to a more prominent location, given a shiny new brass inscription and the poet and school teacher is to be remembered with a reading of her poetry.

Ms Cochrane said: “I became intrigued by Grantham House as I walked through Jericho because it is such a buzzing, thriving community yet at the heart of it there is this large building with steel-covered windows. It was like there was a silent presence with a secret history, closed up, shut away and I wanted to find out more about it.”

In the garden at the rear of the house, Ms Cochrane found a bench with an almost illegible dedication to Ms Hampden-Jackson, who died in 1980 aged 62 and had lived in Grantham House.

After a letter was published in the Oxford Mail, details about the poet began to emerge.

Ms Cochrane said: “It was really hard to find anything out about her, but after the letter was printed two women who had been taught by her got in touch.

“I found out she had published three books and I went to the Bodleian Library to read them.”

Grantham House has not been used as sheltered accommodation since 2009 and it is under offer for redevelopment as private flats.

Ms Cochrane said: “I realised the bench wasn’t going to survive developers taking over because they would have no sentimental attachment to it. I persuaded the council to move the bench to somewhere else in Jericho so it could continue to be a resource for the community.

“We want to bring the bench back into use and revive her memory.”

Ms Hampden-Jackson worked as a teacher at two now closed girls’ schools in Oxford, and wrote poetry about the natural world around her.

She studied at St Hugh’s College, and taught at Beechlawn Tutorial College, now D’Overbroek's College, and at Rothesay House School.

Noreen Hotchkiss, who was taught by Ms Hampden-Jackson at Rothesay House School, said: “She stood out as a 'free spirit' type of person”.

Sally Hood, a pupil at Beechlawn Tutorial College, said: “She was a very nice person, and always kind to me.

“She was very private, and very modest – I think she would have been flattered by this interest in her. “ The bench is now in a central location in Mount Place, also in Jericho, with a new memorial plaque.

On Friday, at 6.30pm, the bench will be rededicated with a reading of some of her poems.

The dedication is part of Ms Cochrane’s final project for her MA in interdisciplinary arts at Oxford Brookes University.