MY PIECE OF ENGLAND

Magdalen, who is here

The dear
There is no specific mention in College archives of the origin of the Magdalen herd. Magdalen's E.P. Shirley in his definitive account of English Deer Parks in 1867 found that whilst the hardy dark animals had long been in Britain, the more delicate yellow-red - hence 'fallow' - deer with which they interbred had been native to Greece and Italy, and introduced to England by Saxon times

It seems that by a philosophical convolution of deer being herbivores, our magnificent animals were officially reclassified as vegetables! Though with awful loss of dignity, the herd was thus safeguarded under College control.

The swan
The area where New Building stands and where the Grove had been planted, was formerly thirteen gardens, orchards, and fish ponds. Macray records for 1491: 'for the keeping of two swans, of which one belonged to the President, 10d'; these were for his table of course. The last entry for keeping swans is in 1617, though a gift of two black swans for ornamental purposes was accepted in 1904.









Oxford - Headington 5 am, (source: BBC Oxford)