COUNTY council leader Ian Hudspeth kept with tradition by handing over a red rose to the nature trust running Wittenham Clumps beauty spot near Didcot.
The ceremony, staged on Friday at Little Wittenham Nature Reserve, symbolises the agreement between the council and the Earth Trust, to allow free public access to the nature reserve run by the trust.
The ceremony dates back to 1970 and during this year’s ceremony, the Earth Trust, formerly the Northmoor Trust, also launched its 30th anniversary celebrations.
Trust spokesman Jayne Manley said: “We were delighted to welcome our many supporters for this annual event.”
Mr Hudspeth said: “Each year since 1970 the county council has handed over a single rose as peppercorn rent to honour its agreement with the trust, to enable the public to have free access to Little Wittenham Nature Reserve.”
Mr Hudspeth also officially opened a Stairway to Nature in Little Wittenham Woods.
Old wooden steps have been replaced with a set of 140 new ones at a cost of £15,000.
Wittenham Clumps is one Oxfordshire’s most popular beauty spots.
In 2010, the Northmoor Trust struck a £6m deal to almost double the size of Oxfordshire’s most visited open space. The 700-acre Wittenham Clumps and Little Wittenham Wood expanded by 500 acres into neighbouring North Farm.
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