The Ruin

When in Oxford, pick a day with nothing planned, a day that’s overcast, but not raining. The moodier the sky, the better. Walk North through the city and meander through Jericho, over the canal and train tracks, out into the other world that is Port Meadow. Make your way down the path, past the cows and horses and the flooded meadow, over the Isis River, and beyond the boatyard. Walk for an hour two by the riverside, over the paths and through the mud, past the lane that curves towards the charming town of Binsey, and the enchanted little winding way that leads to the Perch pub, with its willows and fairy lights. Enjoy the muted silence of the heavy atmosphere, or the distant sound of walkers or rowers. Come upon the ruin of Godstow Nunnery near dusk, and linger there in the old walls, exploring the room of the ceilingless chapel, or the underside of the ancient bridge. Reconstruct it in your mind by the remnants of doorways and windows. Sit beneath the ivy as the light fades and the ruin is rendered a shadow on the darkening plain.