From: 162 Autumn 2025
Author: Peter Smith
The meadow in September was looking wonderful despite the dry summer. The prolonged dry weather has meant that grass has not grown as much as normal, and that more people have been enjoying Oxford’s oldest monument!
Our Chair periodically seeks an update from ODS, the City Council’s (OCC) works provider. The highlights as of 2nd September are:
Livestock. There are c35-40 horses on the meadow all year round. There are 200 cattle on site, owned by two graziers. Cattle are on the meadow typically from April to October. TB testing was undertaken during the first week of September, but with no result yet.
Park Ranger post. No progress unfortunately. It’s coming up to a year since Julian Cooper left. There is a discussion between ODS and OCC around client-side knowledge keeping, and the contracting/supervision role for this post.
Grazing versus mowing. OCC consider it is an ODS role to seek to increase grazing if needed, and if practically possible. If a grazier withdrew, rhetorically, might OCC consider its own herd? It’s important to maintain a balance of grazing, to avoid over grazing particularly over winter, and ensuring weeds like thistles and ragwort are kept controlled and that rare plants like the Creeping Marshwort can thrive.
Issues. There have been nine incidents of illegal bottle digging this year, 6 in the past 2 months. Police are involved, with two individuals cautioned. It is understood OCC are pursuing an identified person for recent paragliding incidents over the meadow, one of which resulted in the death of a foal.
Public use. There now seems to a trend for more group gatherings by young persons than previously. BBQs and rubbish remain daily issues, particularly during the summer. More litter bins on the meadow might need considering, but are costly to empty and it’s a sensitive site. New signage is being considered for when new byelaw changes are approved soon.
Activities. Over the winter period, there will be flood and livestock monitoring and Willow pollarding.
Round Up. This is expected to be the traditional walk up the meadow in late October, tied to cattle being removed for the winter. Details to be confirmed by ODS imminently, so please watch the website and our Facebook page over the next few weeks. We’ll need as many Freemen as we can to help with this interesting event!
An update on the long awaited interpretation boards for both ends of the meadow, was sought from OCC but not received by the time we went to print. We know there is a new funding gap, understood to be around £4,000, that needs bridging before they can proceed. The Freemen’s committee has already pledged £2,400 to help meet a previous gap, along with several Ward councillors pledging sums from their Ward budgets. The City are currently understood to be considering other funding sources.
There is a wider issue around signage to the entrances to the meadow. It is felt that it needs consolidating, and it’s messaging re-considered as it seems clear visitors are not taking heed, and leaving rubbish, lighting BBQs etc. New signage will need to await some changes in Byelaws being sought by OCC, e.g. around drone and other flying.
Progress on the Port Meadow and Wolvercote Common Management Plan remains frustratingly slow. The previous draft from 2018 is being refreshed, but the important operational inputs, governing the day to day management of the meadow, and awaited from OCC/ODS, are proving elusive.
Our Chair attended a site meeting on 9th September involving ODS and the Natural Freshwater Habitat organisation. This was about their landscape recovery project nationally and whether there are any opportunities to improve the meadow and common. Some ideas were mentioned, so we’ll see what they recommend, and importantly, what funding might be accessible to help implement some of those opportunities from 2026.