Dead Man's Walk, Oxford, Historical pathway in central Oxford, England.
Dead Man's Walk is a historic footpath in central Oxford that runs along the southern wall of Merton College, linking the Botanic Garden to the east with Corpus Christi College to the west. The path is shaded by old trees on one side and opens toward the green expanse of Christ Church Meadow on the other.
The path dates to around 1190, when Oxford's Jewish community used it as a funeral procession route from their synagogue to their burial ground nearby. Over the centuries the religious use faded, but the route remained open and kept its name, which still recalls that early purpose.
The path runs along the old city wall of Oxford, and walking it gives a clear sense of how the medieval town was once contained within its boundaries. Today it connects two very different spaces: the ordered quiet of the college gardens and the open green of the meadow beyond.
The path is freely accessible at any time of day and requires no entry fee or permission to walk. It is best approached from the Botanic Garden end or from the lane beside Corpus Christi College, depending on which direction you are coming from.
A plaque near the adjoining field marks the spot where James Sadler made Britain's first hot air balloon flight in 1784. Most people walking the path pass it without realizing they are standing near one of the earliest moments in British aviation.
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