Otmoor

Otmoor or Ot Moor is an area of wetland and wet grassland in Oxfordshire, England, located halfway between Oxford and Bicester. It is about 60 metres (200 ft) above sea level, and has an area of nearly 400 hectares (990 acres).

It is encircled by the "Seven Towns" of Otmoor: Beckley, Noke, Oddington, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Fencott, Murcott and Horton-cum-Studley.

Part of it is a nature reserve,

.

History

Bisected north–south by the

for "Otta's Fen".

Enclosure

Watered by the

Enclosure Act

was passed in 1815, under which the area was extensively drained. This disadvantaged the local farmers and led to civil disturbances known as the Otmoor Riots of 1829–30.

Military range

In 1920 the

Motorway to nature reserve

The semi-wetland landscape provided habitat for many rare species of birds and butterflies. These were threatened in 1980 by a government proposal for the route of the M40 motorway to cross Otmoor. Opposition to the motorway was led by Friends of the Earth and included the "Alice's Meadow" campaign.^[4] The government eventually adopted an alternative route.

Since 1997 a large part of Otmoor has been made an

, with large areas of land being returned to marshland. Immediately east of the RSPB reserve is Otmoor SSSI.

51°49′19″N 1°10′47″W / 51.82194°N 1.17972°W / 51.82194; -1.17972

References

Further reading

• Brown, A. V. (1957). "The Last Phase of the Enclosure of Otmoor" (PDF).
  Oxoniensia. XXXII. Oxford Architectural and Historical Society
  : 34–52.
• Emery, Frank (1974).
  ISBN 0-340-04301-6
  .

External links

• 'Starlings on Otmoor' video