There is an old proverb in England: "Walking through the city of Oxford is like walking into history."

There is a painting at the beginning of the book "The Story of Oxford" that has always haunted me. In my mind, the impression is deep~

Port Meadow (Port Meadow) painted by J.A. Shuffrey (1859-1939) shows Lower Wolvercote ) and St Peter's Church. Potter's Pasture has been public land in Oxford since Saxon times and has not been cultivated for more than a thousand years.

On the next page there is an aerial photograph provided by the Cambridge University Aerial Photography Committee~

At Port Meadow, traces of Bronze Age burials are found. Appears as a circle in the grass. Linear features may be Iron Age farms and borders.

A meadow (Meadow), dating back to the Saxon, Bronze and Iron Ages in Britain, has an ancient and mysterious feel.

Wikipedia introduces that the prehistory of Britain is roughly divided into:

8000 BC, the beginning of the Mesolithic period;

2500 BC, the Neolithic period The period began;

In 1600 BC, the Bronze Age began;

In 900 BC, the Celts migrated here;

In 400 BC, the Iron Age Early days.

Anglo-Saxon England refers to a period of English history from the end of Roman rule in Britain and the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century to the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The book also provides this map~

The numbers above show: 2 is Porter Ranch, 10 is Wolfcote, on the Thames River.

The River Thames is a river in southern England with a total length of 346 kilometers. It originates from the Cotswold Hills in southwest England. Its source is exactly It is: 5 kilometers southwest of Cirencester, at an altitude of 108.5 meters, there is a monument as evidence. It flows through major cities such as Oxford, Reading, Windsor, and London, and finally empties into the North Sea. It is the second largest river in the UK and is known as the "Mother River" of the UK. Britain's long history, splendid culture and world's leading economic status are all closely related to the Thames River.

Former British MP John Burns famously said in 1929: "The St. Louis River is water, the Mississippi River is mud, and the Thames River is flowing history."

From From the map, Porter Ranch seems to be not far from home, northwest of Oxford City. Opening Google Maps again, there are no direct buses. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk west from home. For a painting (Chaufrey's "Potter Ranch"), a place name Wolvercote and a piece of history, I want to appreciate the flowing history - the Thames River, and want to explore the ancient field - Potter Ranch, with a sense of curiosity and curiosity Out of curiosity, I went there on foot to get some fresh air.

The weather has been cooler recently, with the daily maximum temperature of about 16-17°C. It is not as hot as the previous weeks. I sketched a hiking route map, and after breakfast last Thursday, I went out and headed west. Cross a few streets and turn onto the A4144 heading north. Although the city of Oxford is partially unblocked due to the COVID-19 epidemic at this time, Oxford people are still in self-isolation and do not go out when they have nothing to do, and they are quite self-disciplined. There was almost no one on the streets, a few cars occasionally drove by on the highway, and the buses passing by were almost empty. There is a church (Catholic Church) on the right side of the road, which is one of the road signs on this trip~

This is the Catholic Church of Saints Gregory and Augustine.

I took a few photos from different angles, continued walking north along the road, then turned left onto First Turn and walked west~

Arriving at St Peter's Wolvercote Church )~

It still looks like it was painted by Chauvery, and it has existed for thousands of years~

Opposite the church is a small school (Wolvercote Primary School). Because the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK has been lifted in stages since June, although schools have been opened, there don’t seem to be many children coming to school. Some parents (parents) send their children to the school gate without going in, and they look around or wait outside the school. I found that there were not many children entering the school, so I didn’t want them to go in~

Cross the path next to the church~

When I came to the Wolvercote Green road, opposite was the Xiao The ranch (Port Meadow) painted by Chauvery. During this trip, I want to find the painting of Chauvery and take photos to compare the changes between the past and the present. Enter through this door~

I searched everywhere in the pasture and compared it with the painting from various angles. The house is new and the style has not changed, but I can’t see St. Peter’s Church~

Perhaps the big tree blocked the view, or perhaps the many newly built houses in front of the church blocked the view. In short, the church can no longer be seen from the pasture. That picture no longer exists. It is a pity. ah! Fortunately, the original "sheep intestine trails" are still maintained in the pasture, and no "modern" development has been carried out~

There is a bar The Plough on the corner~

plough translated It means "plow". This is a local pub with a traditional English country style and a Green King logo. It is closed during the epidemic, but the outdoor part of the bar can be opened in a few weeks when the epidemic stabilizes~

There is a passage next to the bar, and I saw a few locals walking in from here~

This is only part of the ranch. Not far away when you walk in is the Oxford Canal~

This bridge spans the canal and is called "Ball's Bridge". The sign next to the bridge draws the Oxford Canal Heritage Trail route map. ~

While I was busy taking photos from various angles, I didn’t expect this dog to act like crazy and rush up to me with its front legs raised and pounce on me for a hug~

Me Mengbuding was so frightened that he yelled, took a few steps back and instinctively raised his leg to make a "kicking" motion. The dog was also frightened by me and looked at me with cute eyes. I couldn't bear to actually kick it. It blurted out to the old lady: "Sorry, I'm scared of dog." The old lady stood aside with a gentle smile and said easily: "Don't scared!" After a few seconds of confrontation, the dog returned to the old lady. Mrs. I clearly saw the rope tied up, but why did I let it run around? I was a little angry. The dog’s muddy paw prints were clearly printed on the beautiful woolen sweater and trousers. The dog didn’t know how to maintain “social distance” "I need to wash these clothes thoroughly when I get home!" It doesn't have a virus, does it? My face might not look good when I was thinking wildly, but the old lady's always gentle and friendly look made me feel like I was overreacting. It wasn't until the old lady walked away slowly with her dog that I returned to normal and continued exploring along the canal trail. After walking for a while, I saw that the old lady had returned to the pasture on the other side of the canal, and she kept looking towards me. When we faced each other across the canal, she waved to me goodbye.

If you think of a sentence, traveling is going from a place you are familiar with to a place that is familiar to others. We explore a strange land with curiosity, and all this is just someone else's daily walk.

She may also be curious about me. She may want to know: Who am I? Where does it come from? How did you get here? What are you doing here? Maybe she wants to communicate with me through a dog? Maybe she never thought that there would be people who are "afraid of dogs" in this world? I can’t help but sigh: The farthest distance in the world is that we are facing each other but speaking words that neither of us understands. The deepest barrier is language! Language barriers hinder emotional communication and interaction between people!

This is a boat docked by the canal ~

Walk along the canal for a while, go up to the bridge from a small step on the side, and see a parallel railway on the side of the canal ~

A few years after the construction of the Oxford Canal, the railway came out, causing the canal to be "idle" (the Oxford Canal also has a long history, and I will introduce it in a separate article later).

Turn to Godstow Rd. Godstow means "God's place". It is located at the commanding heights of Porter Ranch. From here, you can have an unobstructed view of the pasture, where the "wind-blown grass and cows and sheep can be seen" "Scenery~

There are also several people walking, running, walking dogs and riding bikes on the road~

Standing on the bridge of Gosto Road, you can see the walking man in the vast pasture. Mr. Dog, it’s a pity that the pixels of my mobile phone are not good, so I can’t take pictures of the beautiful scenery~

I walked along Gosto Road for a while, and there was a white house (landmark building) on ??the roadside~

This is "Branch Surgery Kendall Crescent Health Center". There is a sign on the corner in front of the building showing the "Footpath" to the Wolfcott Park area. I walked in from here and walked into the pasture~

This is Port Meadow amp; Wolvercote Common. More than a thousand years ago, It had begun to be used for grazing, and to this day there are far more horses and cattle on the meadow than there are people. Wandering on the grass, I saw two or three people walking, walking their dogs, running, and cycling. British people are very keen on exercising and sunbathing. Today is a cloudy day. The sun occasionally shows its face and the breeze blows. It is suitable Outdoor sports. If it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic, this grassy area would probably be filled with people sunbathing.

According to the "English Land Chronicles" of 1086, it mentioned that the citizens of Oxford had to pay "6 shillings and 8 pence" to the king for the large public land outside the city wall in the northwest suburbs of Oxford every year. For thousands of years, Potter's Pasture has never been built or plowed. It is one of the few pastures in Britain that has been used for grazing livestock for more than a thousand years. Even when tourists ask about Oxford's oldest places of interest, Oxfordians point to not the church nor the college, but the vast Potter's Pasture.

As a public land, it is not only a place for grazing, but also a place for Oxford people to go for walks, morning jogs, dog walks, and bird watching. This grassland has never used chemical raw materials and it is a piece of land with the best ecological environment in the UK. As a site dedicated to scientific research, it enjoys the special status of a nature reserve.

Walking into this vast green pasture at this moment, my heart can be described as "lofty". The sky is high and blue, and the pasture stretches as far as the eye can see. Cows and horses graze and drink water leisurely. Citizens exercise and enjoy themselves here. They even saw a woman walking barefoot on the grass with her shoes on. There were also several families who drove over and had a picnic on the grass. The joy and happiness could be felt across the Thames River.

Oxford people like to go out for a walk. In nature, under the blue sky and white clouds, the vast green grassland is like a thick carpet. When dogs run happily, their soles are often stained with bird droppings and mud. , even the air is filled with the smell of bird droppings and cow dung. Although this is the smell of nature, mixed with the fragrance of flowers and herbs, I am still not used to this.

There is a boundary marker in the middle of the pasture~

It shows: Wolfcott Park Land and Parish Boundaries, 1899. ——D. Collett, President of the Parish Council.

The location of the boundary monument seems to be a dry creek, and there is an ancient stone bridge~

On the Thames River, there are a group of wild ducks and white swans playing in the water. The Thames River is Beautiful and quiet~

I walked towards the parking lot and saw a large circle of empty space. I unexpectedly discovered that it used to be an airport: Port Meadow Aerodrome. )～

Introduced on the brand - do you know? Port Meadow's ties to aviation date back almost to the earliest days of powered flight in this country?

Before the First World War

In late 1910, the Oxford Freemen granted the London engineer James Betts & Co. Right to fly.

In early 1911 wooden sheds were built and the Imperial Aero Club was established. Unfortunately, during a strong wind in November 1911, these 8 shacks and all the aircraft were destroyed without any flying.

Former employee Frank Goodden purchased the property and built 2 sheds and a bungalow. Then, it was here in 1912 that he designed, built and successfully flew his own monoplane, called the Dragonfly.

In May 1911, a civilian monoplane became the first passenger aircraft. Then, between 1911 and 1914, the Royal Engineers Air Battalion increased its use of the pasture, but from 1912 it was used sporadically. The newly formed Royal Flying Corps (RFC) used the "pasture" as a starting point and traveled to and from other places for military exercises. These visits are well received by residents.

In September 1912, tragedy happened. A visiting RFC monoplane crashed nearby while landing, killing both the pilot and observer on board.

(Above) From top to bottom:

Photo 1, an Antoinette monoplane visiting Porter Ranch in May 1911.

Photo 2, Frank Goodden’s Dragonfly monoplane in front of his shed in 1912.

Photo 3, Gooden’s portrait next to the dragonfly.

World War I (WW1) - What was there

(In the picture above) A. During 1916, a new access road - Airport Road was built (Aerodrome Road). B. A metal-clad rigging shop used to repair damaged aircraft. C. Canvas "Bessono" hangar, which can accommodate up to 6 aircraft. D. Target in Shiplett's ditch and nearby concrete shelter for ground crews. E. Crash landing training circle. F. Powder target for air-to-ground shooting practice. G. Use the butt of a machine gun to aim at an aircraft, which was later converted into a shooting range. H. Executive cabins and shops.

Although the lines of Airport Road can be seen, the concrete "target" hut (D) is the only remaining above-ground ruins.

World War 1 (WW1) Overview

In 1916, a Royal Flying Corps (RFC) airfield was established north of Porter Ranch in front of the site to train new pilots flight. The role of aircraft in warfare has expanded massively.

Between 1916 and 1919, several squadrons were continuously stationed at the airport, flying various types of aircraft, including 11 hangars and more than 800 personnel.

Despite the activities of the RFC, this part of the pasture remains ordinary grazing land and the first order of business every morning is to clear the animals' landing pads so they can start flying! River fog and occasional flooding are other natural hazards of flying.

(Above) From left to right: Photo 1, the powerful Bristol fighter in front of the rigging shop.

Photo 2, "Target" hut - a shelter for ground crews to set up targets.

Photo 3, 35 training squadron personnel (P.k. Ross) in front of the "Bessono" hangar.

Photo 4, 1918, aerial view of Porter Ranch Airport sloping to the north.

Post War

The airport was closed in mid-1919 and was finally closed in December 1919. The remaining hangars and other buildings were auctioned in February 1920.

During the interwar period there were many civilian "joy flights" events, exhibitions, visits and accidents. Today, Potter's Pasture is once again a peaceful place on the banks of the Thames. Small relics remind us of this more invasive aviation past - now the only ones allowed to fly are models.

(Above) His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII, landed at Porter Ranch in July 1933 to open what is now the Nuffield Orthopedic Centre.

Casualties - 1912 Crash

A crash in September 1912 killed two Royal Flying Corps (RFC) pilots, Lieutenant Claude Beddington (Lt. Claude Bettington and 2nd Lt Edward Hotchkiss were killed, shocking Oxford and being widely reported across the country. In June 1913, with funding from public sponsorship, a commemorative plaque near Toll Bridge on Godstow Rd was unveiled in front of a crowd of over 10,000 people.

(Top left of the picture above) Pilot 2nd Lieutenant Edward Hotchkiss.

(Bottom left of the picture above) Observer Lieutenant Claude Beddington.

(Pictured above, right) The crash site in September 1912, north of Toll Bridge.

World War I (WW1)

Flying at that time was dangerous, and crashes were often caused by pilot error, mechanical failure, or structural failure. The parachute didn't come out until 1919.

Between March 1917 and November 1918, 11 aircraft crashed fatally at or near Port Meadow, killing 15 people, and in July 1918, another Two pilots died in a crash near Ascot. Most were located at the airport, two people were visiting at the time, and eight people are now buried in Wolfcott Cemetery. The pilots who died were from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United States.

(Pictured above) are the pilots who died at Porter Ranch Airport in World War I. They were aged between 18 and 28 years old, and all of them were handsome young men.

In the middle of the clearing stands a monument which reads ~

In memory of those who served in the Royal Flying Corps and later the Royal Air Force in 1917 and 1918 Those killed in the aviation accident were either stationed at this location or visiting the flight training range just south of Porter Ranch.

On the back of the monument is a list of those who lost their lives (pictured above).

There is a bridge next to the parking lot, and the sign hanging on the bridge is a bit interesting~