The first time I tried to reach the lost Medieval village of Little Oxendon it was via Market Harborough golf course. But I was a young teenager and got told off.
I finally made it on Saturday, thanks largely to the website of Natural England and its page about the open access area which includes the site of this deserted Medieval village.
Even so, I had trouble finding the right spot. In part this was due to an uncharacteristic lack of confidence in my map reading, but mostly it was down to the cows.
They were everywhere.
I was forced into a faintly unsavoury study of the genitals of any nearby beasts to make sure there was not a bull in the field with me. Even though that came out negative on the testicle front, it was still unnerving to turn round and find yourself being followed by a long line of bullocks, calves and their mothers.
When an electric fence entered the equation too I turned back. But then I found a fenced off, and thus cow free, path that led to the correct field.
When I got into it, there turned out not to be a lot to see beyond humps and hollows in a green field. But over the hedge I saw the greens, dinky little flags and ulcer-like bunkers of the golf course, so I was on the right lines all those years ago.
On the way back I met a man doing some late blackberrying with his young daughter. He said that the farmer could give people a guided walk and explain where everything had been in the village.
He might be able to keep the cows at bay too.
If you are interested on deserted Medieval villages, read more at Abandoned Communities or Lost Villages.
But the cattle are Simmentals!
ReplyDeleteDaft as brushes! Thoroughly amiable.