OxTrail farewell sees surprise twist on ancient tradition

Councillors, Oxford's sheriff, and freemen swapped cattle for decorated oxen to conduct a one-off event that echoed the ancient Port Meadow cattle round-up.

Westgate shoppers on September 7 and 8 saw cattle swapped for 31 oxen sculptures which have been on display across the country as part of the public art installation, OxTrail.

Ahead of the OxTrail auction on Friday, September 13, all of the giant oxen were gathered at Westgate Shopping Centre by Oxford-based Sobell House Hospice, the organisers and beneficiaries of the event, for a farewell weekend.

OxTrail sculptures at Westgate Shopping Centre during the event's farewell weekend (Image: Sobell House)

Combining this centuries-old practice with OxTrail, representatives from the council in full ceremonial robe teamed up with the team at Sobell House Hospice to surprise shoppers with the special event.

The freemen are Oxford’s most ancient body, pre-dating the University of Oxford, and are recorded as holding Port Meadow in common in the Domesday Book.

The sheriff of Oxford is ‘conservator of Port Meadow and the city fisheries’ and makes annual drives to the meadow.

Traditionally, this was done to round-up any cattle or horses that were being grazed there illegally.

These days, the round-up is purely ceremonial and coincides with the annual TB testing programme.

Councillor James Fry, the sheriff of Oxford, said: "One of the main roles today of the sheriff is to be in charge of Port Meadow and the cattle and horses there.

Some of the OxTrail sculptures will be sold on September 13 (Image: Sobell House)

"Interestingly it doesn’t have any Oxen. OxTrail is an incredibly innovative idea and Sobell House has done a great job and I just cannot believe people were able to paint all of these.

"They are works of art and I hope people come to bid on them in the auction on Friday. These are things that should be treasured for the future. They can now be part of our history just like the round-up."

The giant oxen will be paraded through the streets of Oxford on Wednesday, September 11, as more than 50 people lead them half a mile from Westgate to Saïd Business School, in preparation for Friday evening’s auction.

As well as buying tickets for the auction in person, people can also bid online ahead of the auction for any of the sculptures which formed the trail alongside more than 100 mini ox herds.

A special, smaller, 'Postb-ox' covered in unique doodles and signatures from some of Oxfordshire’s famous residents and friends will be up for sale too.

It features notes from Dame Judi Dench, Heston Blumenthal, Mel Geidroyc, Peter Gabriel, Radiohead and Prue Leith.