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From: 152 Autumn 2020
Author: Chris Butterfield
Traditionally at this time of year The Oxford Freeman has carried a report on the annual Sheriff’s inspection of Port Meadow and the following Aunt Sally match at the Plough in Wolvercote. Thanks to the world-wide pandemic the inspection could not take place, but as I try to attend each year I thought it right to visit the Meadow as near to Midsummer Day as possible. Living about 30 miles away I do have to make a special trip, so my wife and I set off on a Saturday morning in July.
It was surprising to find the car park so full shortly after 9am. A few families had come for a late picnic breakfast. Many had come to enjoy canoeing. I of course had come to see what shape the Meadow was in. So first I inspected the World War One memorial, erected in May 2018 and reported in the next issue of The Oxford Freeman. It looked as good as when it was erected, and the nearby information board showed no more than a little discolouration from water ingress.
So far, so good. We moved south, and at first I could see no cattle grazing. However, after a short time I saw a cluster not too far away, and later another group nearer to the Walton Road Well end. I was particularly concerned to see whether there was evidence of them crossing from the Meadow side of the river to the Binsey side. That has caused enormous difficulties to Charlie Gee, who farms at Binsey and has often found Meadow graziers’ cattle mixed up with his own. The wooden paling fencing erected to stop such incursions was still in place, and there were also some hefty tree trunks that I did not recall from last year’s inspection, seemingly put in place for the same purpose. But a little downstream were a number of places where it seemed the western bank of the river had crumbled as cattle scrambled up out of the water.
A clutch of cattle from the Binsey side had come to the water to drink, attracting the attention of one from the Meadow. He entered the water as if to cross. Was I to witness one of those incursions? After a number of steps, however, he changed his mind and went back to join the others on the Meadow. So I asked Alison Cobb, a committee member who lives in Binsey, whether she knew of any cattle trespass this year. She reports that Charlie Gee tells her that if he does not put cattle out to graze on his side of the river, then none venture from the Meadow, but when he does put his own beasts out, those from the Meadow come to investigate – just as I had seen for myself. The fencing seems to help, but has not been a total cure.
Alison could also report on how the Meadow has fared since lock down was eased so as to allow people to venture further. Being an open space it has been a great attraction, as indeed has been Binsey, which has been overwhelmed by visitors. Parking in Binsey Lane has made access for emergency vehicles impossible, and even when visitors have gone, there is the problem of the litter, broken glass and worse that they leave behind.
This has caused a lot of work for Julian Cooper, who acts on behalf of the Council in caring for Port Meadow and the Binsey side. He and his team have been working together with the police and council officers, supported by Councillor Linda Smith, who holds the parks portfolio. On occasions Julian and his helpers have been out on the Meadow at 6 in the morning to clear rubbish, also sending a team across to Binsey twice a week. He reports that with substantial media coverage the rubbish is much diminished from two tons each day which was the amount first collected. Moreover, he has recruited well over 200 nearby residents to join the Wolvercote and Walton Well Wombles, providing invaluable assistance with the litter clearance. We owe a lot to those who are maintaining Port Meadow in the condition in which I found it.
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