ATTEMPTS to catch illegal cattle and horses being grazed on Oxford’s Port Meadow was only partially successful yesterday after a number of the beasts escaped the historic annual round-up.

The ancient custom usually sees animals driven off the meadow and into a pound.

As only Freemen of Oxford are allowed to graze livestock on the meadow free, the traditional ceremony aims to track down animals that should not be there.

Jericho councillor Colin Cook said: “We didn’t manage to round up all of the beasts, a few got away but it’s not the first time that’s happened and it won’t be the last.”

Blackbird Leys councillor and current Sheriff of Oxford Rae Humberstone led fellow councillors in a count of the cattle and horses being kept on the meadow.

Mr Cook said: “How much I enjoy it depends on the weather. This year as I rolled out of bed at 5.45am I was happy to see the forecast was good. It was lovely weather, an excellent day for it.

“The Sheriff enjoyed himself and we had a very fine breakfast at The Plough pub afterwards.”

The adjoining Wolvercote Common is used by the commoners of the village for grazing their animals, while neighbouring Port Meadow is for exclusive use by the Freemen of Oxford, an ancient right.

The date of the round-up is kept secret, so that owners without grazing rights cannot remove their animals at the last minute and escape a fine.

 

 

 

 

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