A “MAGICAL” tradition was revived once again yesterday morning as Sheriff of Oxford Susan Brown joined volunteers, council staff and the Freemen of the City of Oxford for the annual cattle drive on Port Meadow.

About 30 people tramped across the green at the crack of dawn to herd scores of grazing cows into their pen.

The Freemen have a right stretching back centuries to graze their animals on the meadow and once a year they are rounded up to check for Bovine TB as well as any cattle being grazed illegally.

Ms Brown said: “It was a great success; the cattle performed very well.

“In previous years they have been not quite so well-behaved and there have on occasion been stampedes, so we are very grateful.”

Local people, Freemen, members of the Wolvercote Commoners group and the parks team from Oxford City Council all pitched in to help after meeting at 6.30am shortly before sunrise.

Ms Brown, who represents the Churchill ward on Oxford City Council, said: “It was quite magical actually.

“It’s a beautiful meadow, with about 4,000 years of history since that big of land was first ploughed. It’s a unique habitat in the UK.

“Walking over it as the sun rose, you could see the dreaming spires through the trees and it was just lovely.”

The adjoining Wolvercote Common is used by non-Freemen for grazing their animals.

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