Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Since the Iron Age, site, putting it on par with the Taj Mahal, the (circa 800 BC) livestock have Grand Canyon and the Great Barrier Reef. So been grazing on Port Meadow, why not take a walk through time along this an area of 440 acres that lies in impressive coast, and discover some north Oxford. The land has never been prehistoric treasures of your own. ploughed and so contains well-preserved archaeological remains including several Bronze the English Civil War. The river Thames, here called the Isis, also runs through its eastern section. Legend has it that Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell told the story that became Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland while rowing here.
The red squirrel is native to Britain, but with an estimated population of just 150,000, you would be lucky to spot one. This beautiful creature’s dramatic downfall began after the introduction of the eastern grey squirrel from North America in 1876. The grey squirrel carries the virus known as “squirrel pox,” which is harmless to the grey but deadly to red squirrels. Formby Pinewoods, on the north west coast is one of 12 squirrel refugees in Britain. Here the National Trust work tirelessly to ensure this indigenous species does not become completely extinct.
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Back in the sixties, Professor Cyril Darlington at the University of Oxford wanted to demonstrate the genetic process involved in evolution—so he cultivated the University Parks genetic garden. Now incorporated into the Parks, this experimental plot lies directly to the north of the science area. Here breeding systems, chromosome number changes and hybrids such as graft-chimaeras (a plant made from mingling tissues from two genetically explored .
The Magdalen College Deer Park, also called The Grove, lies in the college grounds north of the bridge entrance. The deer are a recent introduction (around 300 years ago) to this beautiful meadow, which previously consisted of a mixture of gardens, orchards and bowling greens. During the civil war the area even saw action housing a regiment of soldiers.
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Words by Sofia Hauck and Ciara Dangerfield. Art by Anna Pouncey and Samuel Pilgrim.
Take a walk on Britain’s wild side
It’s Only Natural
The Jurassic Coast is a spectacular 95 mile stretch of coastline from East Devon to Dorset, popular with fossil hunters. The rocks record 185 million years of the
At 2,292 km2, The Lake District is England’s largest national park. Its famous lakes and hills (referred to as fells) are popular with walking enthusiasts and artists alike. The largest lake is Windermere, which was formed 13,000 years ago and spans nearly 15 km2. If you’re planning to hike in the rocky terrain, be sure to take a copy of Wainwright’s Pictorial Guide to the Lakes, it meticulously details the fells with beautiful hand-drawn sketches that took the Blackburn council worker Wainwright 13 years to complete.