Burnt Mill meadow, Old Marston
(part of Burnt Mill Meadow and Almonds Farm fields Local Wildlife Site)
For photos of Burnt Mill meadow, click here
Photos by Liz Cooke including flooding in November/December 2020
(part of Burnt Mill Meadow and Almonds Farm fields Local Wildlife Site)
For photos of Burnt Mill meadow, click here
Photos by Liz Cooke including flooding in November/December 2020
Thomas Langdon's 1605 maps of Old Marston Meadows
with Judy's notes on their history (see info pane beside Alan Jones's sketch map - 2nd image) are available here
Planning application 20/03034/FUL Hill View Farm, Oxford Local Plan Site SP25 Judy's submitted objections
Judy's SECOND submission of objections re 20/03034/FUL 26 March 2021
Planning application 21/01217/FUL Land to West of Mill Lane, Marston, Oxford Local Plan Site SP26
Judy's submission of objections, 11 June 2021
Marston residents protest against those two developments: Oxford Mail, 5 July 2022
Mick Haines, former City Councillor for Marston, and the Rev. Skye Denno,
Vicar of St Nicholas Church, Old Marston, gave their support to the protest
See Almonds Farm Fields page
with Judy's notes on their history (see info pane beside Alan Jones's sketch map - 2nd image) are available here
Planning application 20/03034/FUL Hill View Farm, Oxford Local Plan Site SP25 Judy's submitted objections
Judy's SECOND submission of objections re 20/03034/FUL 26 March 2021
Planning application 21/01217/FUL Land to West of Mill Lane, Marston, Oxford Local Plan Site SP26
Judy's submission of objections, 11 June 2021
Marston residents protest against those two developments: Oxford Mail, 5 July 2022
Mick Haines, former City Councillor for Marston, and the Rev. Skye Denno,
Vicar of St Nicholas Church, Old Marston, gave their support to the protest
See Almonds Farm Fields page
8 January 2024 - Judy tweeted: Out checking extent of flooding in important Cherwell meadows near Old Marston, Oxford. Highest I have ever seen, footpath impassable, garden of Victoria Arms pub (ancient 'Marston Ferry' across river) gives good view from first terrace of river over the 'lake' where river is. Judy's photos above
Burnt Mill Meadow, Old Marston, 12 March 2023 - photo by Judy Webb
12 March 2023 - Oxford Conservation Volunteers at work on Almonds Farm Bank and in Burnt Mill Meadow
Judy Webb tweeted: 'Floodplain of the Cherwell at Oxford in Old Marston doing its thing in Burnt Mill Meadow today. Oxford Conservation Volunteers could not get to the willow planned for coppicing today, but thanks so much to them for trimming back willows to the fence line and scything and raking the wet bank [Almonds Farm bank] where rare Flat Sedge, Marsh Valerian and Marsh Arrowgrass grow. All now short, mimicking the aftermath grazing which no longer operates in this farmland Local Wildlife Site. A rich area also with otter, water vole, harvest mouse,grass snake, frog and probably a great number of invertebrates' Judy's photos are here
Judy Webb tweeted: 'Floodplain of the Cherwell at Oxford in Old Marston doing its thing in Burnt Mill Meadow today. Oxford Conservation Volunteers could not get to the willow planned for coppicing today, but thanks so much to them for trimming back willows to the fence line and scything and raking the wet bank [Almonds Farm bank] where rare Flat Sedge, Marsh Valerian and Marsh Arrowgrass grow. All now short, mimicking the aftermath grazing which no longer operates in this farmland Local Wildlife Site. A rich area also with otter, water vole, harvest mouse,grass snake, frog and probably a great number of invertebrates' Judy's photos are here
Above: Oxford Conservation Volunteers and others at work in Burnt Mill Meadow
Photo by Freshwater Habitats Trust, 2 October 2022
Photo by Freshwater Habitats Trust, 2 October 2022
2 October 2022: Using some of a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Freshwater Habitats Trust
funded a visit from Oxford Conservation Volunteers for scything and raking on Almonds Farm bank, and the Burnt Mill Meadow area near the greater water parsnip. For tweets/photos by the FHT and Judy Webb, click here (details in information/caption panel)
funded a visit from Oxford Conservation Volunteers for scything and raking on Almonds Farm bank, and the Burnt Mill Meadow area near the greater water parsnip. For tweets/photos by the FHT and Judy Webb, click here (details in information/caption panel)
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26 June 2022 Tweeted by Judy Webb: 'Priority sp. Tubular Water-dropwort Oenanthe fistulosa now flowering in an Oxford hay floodplain meadow LWS. Very wet community: Comm. spike rush, Marsh bedstraw, Amphib. bistort, Creeping bent, Water Mint, Marsh Foxtail. Huge carbon store in peaty soil. Valuable site, but not plant biodiverse'.
Judy's photos (above) can be seen full size here
Judy's photos (above) can be seen full size here
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30 January 2022 - Tweet by Judy Webb Springs and seepages are ancient features that can have special species. Brilliant sun today for a great crew of volunteers scything and raking the vegetation of this calcaneous spring to benefit rare wetland plants in Oxford. (Grazing had lapsed a while ago.) Multiple vole nests and neat harvest mouse nest found! Judy's photos are here |
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28 November 2021
While more scything and raking was being done on Almond's Farm wet bank, Oxford Conservation Volunteers (with hard hats) were working further along in Burnt Mill Meadow, pollarding a small copse of willows. Photos taken on both sites that day are available here. All were taken by Judy Webb, except the first one, showing her holding a rake, which was taken by David Morris. The following is from the Oxford Conservation Volunteers' website: 'The Freshwater Habitats Trust, together with Judy Webb and in collaboration with the current tenant farmer, have drawn up a management plan for the Meadow. Today we'll be working on one element of that plan to pollard a small copse of willows that stands in the wet channel that runs along the foot of the shallow-banked escarpment. The plan is to tackle these now, before they get out of hand. There will be lots of material to process. It's likely to be wet underfoot, so bring wellingtons! The site is a prime example of a unique habitat contingent upon its peculiar geographic and geological characteristic'. |
Greater water parsnip is thriving here, helped by a lot of work done by Oxford Conservation Volunteers, Rod D'Ayala and Judy Webb.
4 July 2021 Oxford Conservation Volunteers came to scythe and rake the area beside the stream that the farmer is unable to cut using machinery. It is important to keep this area clear to allow light to get to the plants in the stream, notably greater water parsnip, Sium latifoliium, and water violet, Hottonia palustris. Working with OCV were Judy Webb (first photo below) and Rod d'Ayala (last photo). Lots of photos here
Photo of greater water parsnip in Burnt Mill Meadow taken by Liz Cooke on 4 August 2021
Full size version here
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Burnt Mill Meadow and Almonds Farm Fields Local Wildlife Site lies on the cusp of the Cherwell flood plain immediately to the north of the The Victoria Arms pub. The land is owned by Oxford City Council. The Freshwater Habitats Trust, together with Judy Webb and in collaboration with the current tenant farmer, have drawn up a management plan for the site. Oxford Conservation Volunteers were scheduled to do the scything in May 2021 but at that time the site was under water.
Burnt Mill meadow, 25 December 2020 - photo by Liz Cooke
