Mesopotamia, Oxford facts for kids
Mesopotamia is a special, narrow strip of land in Oxford, England. It's about 800 yards long and 30 yards wide, and it's part of the beautiful University Parks. This unique area sits right between two different levels of the River Cherwell, which flows into the famous River Thames. The name "Mesopotamia" comes from an old Greek word meaning "between the rivers." You might have heard this name before, as it's also used for a famous historical region in modern-day Iraq, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Contents
What is Mesopotamia?
Mesopotamia is like a long, green island within the city of Oxford. It's a peaceful place where you can enjoy nature and the river. The land was bought by the University of Oxford between 1860 and 1865. This was part of a bigger plan to make the University Parks even larger.
A Walk Through History
A popular walking path called Mesopotamia Walk was created in 1865. This path runs right down the middle of the strip of land, leading all the way to a place called Kings Mill.
Long ago, there was a watermill on this very spot. Records from the Domesday Book show that milling, which is the process of grinding grain, happened here until 1825. One part of the river was actually the mill's water channel, or leat.
In 1914, people tried to bring wild ducks and geese to live in the area. However, this didn't work out very well because there were too many otters, which are animals that hunt fish and other small creatures.
For many years, until 1926, a ferry boat would take people across the river from a point halfway along the Walk. But then, a handy footbridge was built, making it much easier for everyone to cross.
The River Cherwell and Punting
The River Cherwell is a popular spot for punting in Oxford. Punting is like rowing, but you stand up and use a long pole to push off the riverbed. The images at the top of this article show "punt rollers." These are special ramps that allow people to pull their punts out of one section of the river and roll them over to another section, especially around weirs (small dams) or different water levels. It's a fun way to explore the river and see Mesopotamia from the water!
Location Details
You can find Mesopotamia at these coordinates: grid reference SP525069
