The Binsey Boat: a Post-Medieval Story of the Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford
The Binsey Boat: a post-medieval story of the Thames at Port Meadow, Oxford By BRIAN DLRIIA\I, REBECCA BRISCO~ and COLIN McKEWA.\i SUMMARY ThiJ report de~cnbe.~ a small scale rescue of part oj a boat .mb}I'Ct to ,nltr erOSIOn, with quite unexpecttd tmplicatlOtlS for three areas of enquiry: lhe evolution of the OXfOl·d Thames from commercial waterlllay to l-twlrl! activitles; the challenge of H!constnulmg a po.mbly unique riller craft from sUUllI lIreas of ;l~ mneT htlll; ami rrf/ecllOn.. on Iht gtomorplwlogy oj ant oj t/" 1110,1 clase'-, siudied flood pllllns in Englami. 71" ,lory Jwrt,d m 2003 when cablmg workJ on tht east bank o[ thl' Thamt,~ at Medley exposed a boat eroding from the bank, flotrjLed to Oxford City Cou11cils archaeologist. The boat WlU oJ clench boll (onslnulion am1 .,./\ expo.sed rt"mam.s presmted a risk to bathers, ,~IOt'k and TWl/igatiou. In the context of Port MeadO'w's protuil'd stallu mul till w/.urtain age of the veSJel It U'(u cifar lIwl any ;,westigatLOn would have to be a carefulf.), dt-Hgned ,\0 as not to compromi.se the tJeSJel or its slIrrolllldmg.\. Wilh Iht aul oj Ihe EnglISh Hmtagt Manlwlt Team mu1 .• IIUUllts of II" OUDCE MSr m Lmui.;rap, Archat'ology COUNt', the boat was invt'Jtigated Irt earlyJwU! 200-1 along with a topographical, geophysual "nd t1wironmmtal illITII!) of lhe .surrounding arta. Tht boat was Itnl(lLit'ely titablishtd as a punt-likL tle.utl, approxl1Iwlely 20,6 m.
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