Port Meadow, Oxford

Coordinates: 51°46′12″N 1°17′02″W / 51.770°N 1.284°W / 51.770; -1.284

Port Meadow is a large meadow of open common land beside the River Thames to the north and west of Oxford, England.

Overview

The meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle, and has never been ploughed - at least for around 4,000 years. In return for helping to defend the kingdom against the marauding Danes, the Freemen of Oxford were given the 300 acres (120 ha) of pasture next to the River Thames by Alfred the Great who, legend has it, founded the city in the 10th century. The Freemen's collective right to graze their animals free of charge is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 and has been exercised ever since.

The meadow runs from Jericho to Wolvercote (where it becomes Wolvercote Common) along the east (left) bank of the River Thames, with the Cotswold Line railway, Oxford Canal and the suburb of North Oxford further to the east, and the village of Binsey to the west. Access to Port Meadow is via Walton Well Road or Aristotle Lane in the south (or from the south via Roger Dudman Way or the Thames Path) or from Wolvercote via Wolvercote Common in the north. It is a typical English flood-meadow and is a favourite area for walking, with easy access from the city of Oxford. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. At the southern end of the meadow is Fiddler's Island in the River Thames. In the winter the meadow sometimes floods; if frozen it forms a huge and relatively safe area for skating. In late spring vast areas are carpeted with buttercups. Horses, cattle and geese graze the meadow and many birds can often be seen. At the eastern edge of Port Meadow, just north of the entrance from Aristotle Lane, is Burgess Field, a reclaimed landfill site and home to a nature reserve. It covers an area of about 85 acres (35 hectares) and a circular path around the edge of the reserve takes you through some small copses.