Port Meadow

Walked from Oxford University on a warm summer day and really enjoyed it! Walked down to the berry farms, picked raspberries, and sat for tea at the outdoor café. The food was so fresh and wonderful and you could tell the people who worked there were incredibly passionate about high quality farm to table food. The scone with the clotted cream and jam was amazing.
Port Meadow is beautiful and huge. We walked over 5miles around. It’s amazing to see all of the wildlife (geese, swans, ducks, rabbits, horses, and cows) and be able to walk among them. We even petted the cows and horses. There is a lot of shit on the ground, but it’s so beautiful. There were people boating (you can hire boats by the hour it seems) and people swimming in the river and jumping off some of the bridges.
Really a wonderful place. Only complaint is the lack of rubbish bins and toilets.

I adore this little shop where I always can find distinctive gifts, usuallly for myself, for surprisingly reasonable prices. My giant handcrafted ‘ethno-​chic’ handbag cost me something like £50 here, as did my hand-​dyed summer dressing gown. If you are looking for something unusual and dead cool you are sure to find it here. The rear half of the store is full of sumptuous yarns and funky patterns it’s almost enough to get me to try knitting for the nth time, which is saying quite a bit. If you do knit, you will find this a great resource for supplies and ideas. It’s always a treat, anyway, to browse around.

Our Oxford offices rate the walk from Osney Island to Port Meadow amongst their favourites. After you have gone only a short distance you are removed from the bustle of the city and transported to the peace of the country. Amble along the tow path up to Port Meadow, a piece of common land where members of the public are permitted to graze their animals.

Great large expanse of green just on the edge of central Oxford. Suitable for playing games, kite flying, dog walking, kayaking (when it floods!), ice skating (when it floods and freezes!).
Be prepared to get muddy if you don’t stick to the paths though. Just off the canal path, worth a look in.

A fantastic place to walk, talk and enjoy a romantic afternoon in the sun. You can sunbathe or paddle in the water. Take the dog for a great walk around all the runners and children enjoying themselves. A great atmosphere all round! As a child I would enjoy the boat races (held in the summer), cheering the eccentric’s on in their hilarious boats and playing by the waterside. A great all-​round recommended for every family on a budget as it’s a free day out (how many of those do you find!). If you’ve got the energy afterwards there are local pubs (only 5 mins away) that cater for everyone in the family.

This is surely the best yarn shop in Oxford. Their selection is not huge, compared to dedicated yarn shops, but it certainly makes up for the lack of any other good knitting stores in town. I was extremely pleased to see that they stock Manos (wool and silk blend), Noro, Debbie Bliss, many interesting tweed yarns, which they price according to weight, and various Rowan yarns The yarn is decently priced. During my visit a few days ago, the staff was friendly and very willing to help. Thank you to the previous reviewer who brought this shop to my attention!

I absolutely love Port Meddow. I have a lot of great childhood memories of skating in the winter with my Dad and brothers and also of getting stuck in the mud and soaked in the many and various huge puddles that form when it rains or there is flooding.
Absolutely beautiful place to spend an afternoon

One of the jewels in the crown of Jericho. A staggering expanse of land which enables you to forget the city (without leaving it) and have a bucolic fix. Whether you are watching a gorgeous sunset, communing with cows or flying a kite, you cannot fail to appreciate the natural beauty of this place.

Port Meadow is one of my favourite places in Oxford. You can see the famous dreaming spires of the city and the houses of nearby areas, but it’s completely natural and unspoilt. There are inconspicuous paths for those who don’t want to get their feet muddy and huge areas of grass for those who just don’t care. There are dog-​walkers, joggers, nature enthusiasts and romantic couples, all getting their own enjoyment from the sight of grass, wild flowers, cows and horses. There’s a wildlife sanctuary near the allotments with uncut grass, trees and dears, and the canal to the East and the river to the West, so it’s easily accessed from towpaths. The big thing to watch out for is flooding, as it does serve as a floodplain. The big lake that’s so often there is not a permanent feature! Best enjoyed at sunset for peace and quiet and true natural beauty.