Sir – As an impartial observer, living in Headington, I have wondered why The Oxford Times has been so preoccupied in the past few weeks with a dispute involving certain factions concerning a place called the Trap Grounds.

Out of curiosity, I decided to explore the site for myself, combining it with a visit to Port Meadow nearby. After a short, pleasant walk along the towpath from Aristotle Lane canal bridge, I easily found the entrance to the Trap Grounds, and I was almost immediately transfixed by the tranquillity and beauty of the reedbed and woodland — such an unexpected range of habitats in such a small area, with the bonus of a boardwalk winding its way along a stream and across a pond leading to a wonderful bird screen, magical.

Contrary to the claims of your correspondent Dr King, there were no restrictions on my entry, and in no way did I feel that I was trespassing in a private nature reserve. On returning home I visited the website of the Friends of the Trap Grounds and was impressed by the number of community events and activities that they have organised: glow-worm and bat expeditions, moth-trapping nights, dawn-chorus birdsong walks, an after-school club, and a children’s art-work project.

The Friends seem to be making a good job of protecting this gem of a wildlife resource, while making public access as easy as possible. The privileged people of North Oxford don’t know when they are lucky: they should all be working together to preserve the Trap Grounds as it is, instead of trying to score points off each other. There are many people in less privileged areas of Oxford city who would truly value having access to such a site.

J. M. Winter, Headington