Christ Church Meadow

Why go

The meadow lets you see Oxford's college buildings in their river landscape rather than from a busy street. Follow the paths towards the boat houses, look back at Christ Church, and watch for Longhorn cattle in the floodplain fields. It works well after seeing the college exterior on St Aldate's, even if you are not visiting its interiors.

What to look for

• Riverside paths run beside the Thames and Cherwell at the meadow's edges.
• Christ Church rises above the open fields, with Oxford's skyline beyond.
• Longhorn cattle graze in the floodplain fields.

The full story

Christ Church Meadow is a floodplain framed by the Thames, the Cherwell and the college. Its open ground has long linked university life with the rivers: paths lead towards the boat houses, and rowing events take place on the Thames beside it. The fields nearest the river remain grazing land, which explains why this central Oxford walk feels different from a college garden. Broad Walk forms the northern edge. In 1784, James Sadler launched a balloon from the meadow in what is recorded as the first ascent by an Englishman; a plaque recalls the event. The meadow also survived a postwar proposal for a relief road through it. Those layers are easy to miss when simply crossing the grass, but they explain why the present paths preserve an unusually open meeting of city, college and river.

Useful to know

• Use the Broad Walk entrance from St Aldate's, or approach via Rose Lane for a riverside circuit.
• The gates are controlled by daylight; check the college's meadow page before a late visit.
• Allow a separate walk here if your Christ Church visit focuses on the ticketed buildings.

Your next visit

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