Sheriff’s Drive 2018

It has been a tradition for each Sheriff to conduct a drive of Port Meadow, driving the cattle grazing on the Meadow into the pound at the northern end. They are kept there until the owner comes to collect them, and if he or she is unable to establish the right to graze, then a fine is imposed before the cow is released. Long ago, when I was first admitted to the Freedom, cattle were driven along the road to the Godstow Nunnery site, where a temporary pound was constructed from fencing panels. The visibility of this temporary fencing destroyed any secrecy surrounding the event, so any unauthorised grazier could remove cattle before the day. Furthermore, the drive is followed by breakfast, which in those days was held at the village hall: another indication to the local residents that an ‘unannounced’ drive was about to take place.

But in the early 1980s a pound was erected beside the Wolvercote car park, so there was no need for any temporary structure at Godstow, and breakfast was moved to the Plough, so only the staff there were forewarned. Nevertheless the occasion is more ceremonial than a money-raising exercise, although it is nonetheless welcome for that.

This year’s drive was on Monday 10th September, starting at the southern end of the Meadow, beside the Walton Well Road car park. I was among the 18 people gathered there, awaiting the arrival of Craig Simmons, this year’s Sheriff. At 6:45 he arrived in the Lord Mayor’s car, and the drive could commence. It was suggested that it would have been better to start in darkness (by now the sun was showing signs of appearing), so the cattle would have been drowsy. But in the event I doubted whether that would have made any difference.

Julian and Gary from the Council guided us through the drive, and off we went, with two of the rangers’ trucks setting off to start the process of guiding the cattle towards the pound. At that time the cattle were in the north east (Wolvercote Common) corner, but as we drew a little nearer, we saw they had responded to those trucks by moving towards the bathing place in the north west corner. Never mind, we thought, we would have the same distance to drive them.

But the cattle had other thoughts. As we approached, they swept off back towards Wolvercote Common and then south towards the end of the Meadow from which we had just come. Off went the trucks with a posse of Council staff, to try and encourage them back. There was some sign that they were having success, but movement of the cattle was very slow. Time was passing, so our Editor Geoff Gibbs and I decided to head back to Walton Well Road, as he should be heading for work, and I could retrieve my car and head to the Plough for breakfast. As we trekked southwards, we suddenly became aware that cows were following us. Having decided they were not going to do as bidden, they were coming in our direction, and although we were able to encourage a few to stop and reflect on where they were heading, the majority carried on. By the time we were approaching the car park, many cattle had gathered at that end of the Meadow; there was no chance of any being corralled in the pound.

That morning the drive was not a success, though sometimes the pound has been filled without difficulty. Sometimes, as this year and last, it remains empty. Is there a solution? Over breakfast, Colin Burrows, son of our late Chairman Bill Burrows, told us of how his father hunted out the leader of his herd and offered her a bucket of feed. This encouraged her to follow him, and where she went the rest of the herd would go. The same tactic has, I was told, been used in the past for the Sheriff’s drive. It would surely be worth trying it again.

Nevertheless, the breakfast was a nice social occasion, when in the unavoidable absence of our Chairman Howard Crapper I spoke a few words of thanks on behalf of the Freemen, to which the Sheriff responded. If any reader of The Oxford Freeman would like to attend next year, please let our Editor know, and he or she can be contacted when the time comes; more helpers would certainly have been welcome.