EVERYTHING was rosy at the Earth Trust at the weekend.

The traditional ceremony, which allows free public access to the Little Wittenham Nature Reserve was held on Saturday.

Following an agreement reached in 1970, Oxfordshire County Council hands over a rose once a year as a symbolic peppercorn rent to allow people to enjoy the reserve and Wittenham Clumps.

The rose was presented by county council chairman Anne Purse to Robin Buxton, the chairman of the Earth Trust.

Ms Purse said: “Public access to the countryside is an important issue for both the county council and the Earth Trust, so the rose ceremony is a very important mid-summer event in our calendars.”

The Earth Trust has been managing the reserve and receiving the flower annually since 1982.