Howbery Hikers - A review of the walks so far (2008 to 2025)

 

Prompted by memories of walks past when we visited Silchester the other day, T has looked back at the Google Earth plots of all the walks that Howbery Hikers have done since 09 May 2008 up until 10 July 2025.

Oxfordshire Way

The first long distance walk we did was the Oxfordshire Way (Bourton-on-the-Water to Henley-on-Thames) to confuse matters we did the last leg from Watlington to Henley first which turned out to be the longest section at 11.9 miles. We managed the 75 miles in total in 8 walks from 9 May 2008 to 28 November 2008, 9.4 miles per walk.

Ridgeway

Our second long walk was the Ridgeway (West Kennet to Wallingford) and we started backwards from Goring to Aldworth on 30 January 2009 for the first leg due to the weather. We reoriented ourselves and set off from West Kennet on 13 March 2009. We finished with a walk from Goring to Wallingford on 7 December 2009. This was 75 miles in total, completed in 7 walks, 10.7 miles per walk.

Shakespeare Way

Emboldened by our success in previous years we decided to do the Shakespeare Way from Stratford-upon-Avon to the Globe Theatre in London. Here again we started out of order at Woodstock on 5 February 2010 and in several stages went through to Watlington before taking the train to Stratford on 7 May 2010 and filling in the Stratford to Woodstock sections. We completed the walk by arriving at the Globe Theatre on 18 March 2011. We extended the walk to the Thames barrier on 8 April 2011. In total, Stratford-upon-Avon to the Thames barrier was 150.3 miles, completed in 16 walks, 9.4 miles per walk.

Roman Way

We had a desire to get back to the Oxfordshire countryside. P discovered a walking route called the Roman Way from the site of a Roman fort at Chesterton near Bicester to Cirencester and then to the site of the Roman town near Silchester and then back to Bicester. A big triangle. In actual fact we missed out a couple of small sections. We started at Stonesfield on 13 May 2011 missing the stretch from Chesterton to Stonesfield because we had walked that section in the other direction as part of the Oxfordshire Way. We also skipped Ampney St Peter to Cirencester because it was raining / late/ tiredness and we also avoided the flooded path near Dorchester-on-Thames on 4 May 2012. Overall we managed 159.5 miles in 15 walks and arrived into Bicester on 29 June 2012, 10.6 miles per walk. (Officially the walk is 174 miles).

Seven Shires Way

The Roman Way was originally researched by Elaine Steane and published by Reardon Publishing in 2010 as “The Roman Way”. An earlier work by the same author and walker was “The Seven Shires Way” also published by Reardon in 2002. This posed a challenge that we couldn’t resist, a 234 miles walk around the county boundary of Oxfordshire starting from Moreton-in-Marsh and going clockwise. We set off on 3 August 2012 and eventually returned to Moreton on 7 August 2015, three years later after 26 walks and clocking up 236.6 miles (9.1 miles per walk). We soon realised that using buses to get to and from the start and finish of each walk was to become increasingly difficult as bus services were being cut back and that many routes tend not to cross county boundaries. Also there aren’t many towns and villages on the boundary and opportunities to find refreshments were limited. We managed to follow the route in order until the winter of 2013/2014 and had to defer the sections from Henley-on-Thames to Cholsey until the early summer of 2014 because of floods on the Thames. It took ages but demonstrated the amazing diversity of landscapes from “Ironstone” countryside near Banbury to the beech-wooded Chilterns and the open “Downland” near Wantage and Swindon.

Route 66 

Our walks now get a bit complicated. Before finding and setting off on another long route we thought we would try and fill in some of the gaps on the map so we invented our own walk which roughly followed the route of the then #66 bus from Oxford to Faringdon. Actually we started at Wheatley on 6 March 2015 over Shotover to Oxford and then onto Faringdon finishing there on 22 January 2018, missing a bit near Southmoor. It took that time because we fitted it in with other walks. In all it was 25.4 miles and we managed it in 4 stages (6.3 miles per walk). Pleasant views and easy to do in the winter months.

Cross-Cotswold Way

We had always fancied doing the Cotswold Way but P suggested following this route from Banbury to Bath as it appeared to be easier to access from our respective home bases. Our colleague A joined our group from Cirencester onwards. We did 85.1 miles of this route, missing North Cerney to Cirencester (winter: lack of light) and Sibford Gower to Chastleton because we had done that section during the Seven Shires Way. We arrived in Bath on 15 December 2017 after 12 walks (7.1 miles per walk). Great fish and chip dinner to celebrate the end of the walk.

Cotswold Way

Well as we are in Bath why not try to do the famous Cotswold Way back to Chipping Camden. We started on 9 April 2018 and reached Painswick (north of Stroud) on 11 November 2019. We have yet to complete this tougher walk – (one day). So far we have managed 8 walks and 54.6 miles (6.8 miles/ walk), for most of them we used trains to Bath, Yate and Stroud and then local buses or taxis. Further north access may prove more difficult. As I said “0ne day”.

Oxford Green Beltway

To walk near to our respective homes we also started the Oxford Green Beltway which as it says is a walk around Oxford starting at the Thornhill Park & Ride to the east of the city and moving in a clockwise direction. We set off on 14 January 2019 and got to Elsfield and then a walk into Marston on 26 October 2020. We have yet do the final section Elsfield to Thornhill P&R but so far the 8 walks have covered 54.6 miles (6.8 miles per walk).

Training walks

There were many times when it wasn’t possible to do one of the longer walks due to illness, work commitments, weather etc. so we undertook a range of shorter walks in our “Middle England” area. We term these “training walks” – training our bodies for more strenuous longer walks? The first one was a circular walk around Wytham Woods to the west of Oxford (8.9 miles) on 25 June 2010 but we didn’t really start to do them until 2015. There are too many to describe in detail but here is a summary.

2015 Four walks totalling 22.4 miles. 2016 Eleven walks totalling 65.5 miles. 2017 Five walks totalling 30.1 miles. 2018 Five walks totalling 28.8 miles. 2019 Three walks totalling 14.3 miles. 2021 Three walks totalling 18.3 miles. 2022 Three walks totalling 12.5 miles. 2023 Four walks totalling 18.4 miles. 2024 One walk of 3.9miles. 2025 Two walks of 10.8 miles (so far). This yields 234.6 miles.

Summary of 2008 to 2025 (so far)

So far Howbery Hikers have managed 1142.7 miles (1828km).

Ramblings about our rambles

Time to catch up 

It was in early 2023 that your reporter (T) reviewed the previous year’s “Middle England” rambles and since than we have been rather quiet. P and T did four short walks in 2023 (which are briefly reported on below) but our good friend P died in August 2024 which meant that the only walk we did that year was to celebrate and share our memories of him.

We met up at the Miller of Mansfield (SU5990 8078) in Goring-on-Thames on 28 October 2024 for a pub lunch and gentle walk to Pangbourne station through the Goring Gap a distance of 3.9 miles (6.3km) on a cool cloudy day. We have agreed that we will try and meet up for a walk every 3 to 4 months and recognising the fact that many of us are now living away from the Oxfordshire “Middle England” nexus of our previous walks we agreed to try walks in other parts of the country, depending upon ease of access, business and family commitments. 

By the way our use of the phrase “Middle England” was purely geographical, i.e. that we were walking areas in the middle of England. Internet searching seems to bring up sites offering alpaca walks!

 

Walks in 2023 

As said above, T and P did four short walks in 2023. On 23 March 2023 they did a circular walk from the Sonning Common base to Rotherfield Greys stopping for a drink in The Malsters Arms (SU7261 8237). The main memory of this 4.9 mile (7.9km) walk was that it was wet, very muddy and we had our packed lunch in the bus shelter opposite the pub. Give the pub its due they provided covers (like plastic bags) for muddy boots though it does make one feel like a complete “plonker” having a drink with a plastic bags on your feet!

The next walk on 31 May was a big contrast. It was sunny and hot on the circular walk from the start of the Ridgeway near Streatley (SU5673 8125) via St Mary’s church in Aldworth (SU5540 7938) to see the “Aldworth Giants” (grave tombs in the church of the De La Beche family which are meant to be life size. If so, then these chaps were all about 7 foot (2.13m) tall! After that a welcome drink or two at the famous Bell Inn in Aldworth (SU5558 7965) which is a firm favourite of ours and has been visited many times before. The round trip was 5.42 miles (8.7km) but T felt he had walked much further as he had had walked from Goring Station which added at least another 2.5 miles to his total!

Our third walk was another hot day, 13 July and involved a circular route of 4.2 miles (6.8km) from the Sonning Common base through the beech woods of Peppard Common and Rotherfield Peppard. Can’t remember much other that we sat on a bench on Rotherfield common for packed lunches and were back at the SC base in time for a much needed cuppa.

Our last walk of 2023 on 23 September was from Goring-on-Thames to Pangbourne making use of the train stations to get to and from the start/finish of this linear walk through the Goring Gap and above the river Thames as it cuts through the chalk hills of the Berkshire Downs and Chilterns. A bit damp and there was a touch of autumn in the air. This was the last Howbery Hikers walk that P did which we recognised 13 months later when, T, A, N, E and D retraced the walk.

 

Howbery Hikers – 2025 

Here we are half way through 2025 and T has finally got his act together to record the next steps that we have taken. Sticking to our agreement to widen our horizons and armed with the excellent publication from Cicerone “Walking in London: Park, Heath and Waterside” T, D and A agreed to meet at Hampton Wick Station (TQ1745 6975) on 10 March and do a circular walk through Bushey Park skirting Hampton Court Palace and then along the Long Water and back to Hampton Wick.

Spring was certainly in the air and while the trees in the deer park had yet to sprout leaves the spring bulbs were out with a great display. We found the café at the Pheasantry (TQ1566 6977) and had a snack lunch to share news of family and friends. Actually despite being a sunny spring day there was quite a chill wind and by the time we arrived back in Hampton Wick we were in need of a sit-down and some refreshment. We found a pub (The Swan) to quench our thirsts before heading back the station.

We returned home via various complicated train routes through south-west London’s suburbs; T and D back to Reading via a long wait at Twickenham and A back home via Twickenham and Clapham Junction. Overall, a very pleasant 4.7 miles (7.6km) on easy paths which made a change from hacking our way through overgrown footpaths and squelching through mud!

Our next walk was planned to be near Reading but accessible by train if possible to accommodate travel from further afield. T suggested a linear walk from Bramley station (SU6552 5944) to Mortimer station (SU 6722 6411) which could take in the site of Silchester (Roman Town “Calleva Atrebatum”. We agreed to meet on Reading Station before taking the half-hourly train to Bramley. Unfortunately N had to withdraw so that just left T, D and A. Due to GWR delays out of Paddington A just missed our planned train so we decided to rejig the walk and start from Mortimer station and head to Silchester and only if we had enough time to head on to Bramley. 

In the ampitheatre

It was very hot and it had just gone midday so the welcome shade afforded by hedgerow trees was put to good use. Amazingly we made good time and got to the site of the Silchester Amphitheatre (SU 6447 6260) in 75mins. A stop for water and cool off in the shade. There were several people around including school-age children and we were asked if we knew anything about the amphitheatre which was surprising as all that we knew was clearly stated on the information boards! Silchester Roman Town is quietly impressive apparently in the middle of nowhere but perhaps benefits from that isolation by not being “developed”. 

 

At Calleva

 

After a short stop we carried on and walked along the top of the walls that used to enclose the whole town. Apart from the walls there is nothing to see as all the excavations over the years have been covered over. The walls are well defined and clear to see even if much of the good building stone has been robbed out over the centuries, the core of flints and sarsen stones is still up 5 m high in places. The area has been excavated over the years by Reading University and often features in the TV programme “Digging for Britain” (BBC). We, (T, N, P and S) were last here in February 2012 as this was the southern-most extent of the “Roman Way” walk.

 

Roman walls

South gate

We took a few pictures near the South Gate (SU6390 6206) but were keen to get out of the sun and heat as soon as possible. The route to Bramley involved a bit too much tarmac walking which was not a pleasant experience during this third heat wave of the year. Luckily there was a bit more shady woodland as we skirted a big electricity sub-station near Bramley. There was quite an area of land to the west of Bramley that had been fenced off. We suspected it was for a large solar farm, being close to the National Grid sub-station was probably an advantage. Further research revealed information on this website https://ensoenergy.co.uk/projects/bramley-solar-farm/. 

We also noted that we were on the route of the Camino Ingles to Santiago! It links Reading Abbey in Berkshire, with the coastal port of Southampton in Hampshire before presumably heading off to northern Spain by ferry. Apparently walking this section qualifies one for Camino certification with the appropriate stamp in the Camino passport.

Camino sign post

 

As it worked out it had been a good idea to do the walk this way round because by 15:20 we had found the open Bramley Inn and were able to get in some rehydration before heading back to Reading on the next train from Bramley station. As it was we did the walk of 6.1 miles (9.8km) in three hours including a half hour break at Silchester, not bad in that heat. Where next? Back to London and possibly a circular walk into Epping Forest starting and finishing at Chingford station some time in October.

Walks in 2022

Well January 2023 is nearly over and for those of us in the northern hemisphere there is a noticeable increase in the length of day and thoughts turn again to venturing out for longer walks. These thoughts then morphed into looking at the blog and your author realised that we hadn’t reported anything for 2022. True we didn’t do much and due to other engagements the “we” ended up just being P and T. 2022 wasn’t a very productive year for walking. P & T managed three walks a local circular walk around Sonning Common on 11 April and then two walks along the line of the Oxford canal, north from Tackley station and then south from Tackley on 29 June and 14 July respectively.

Sonning Common to Crowsley Park, circular – 11 April 2022. 

We hadn’t been walking for ages so P (or was it T?) planned a modest afternoon walk from Sonning Common out towards Crowsley Park via Blackmore Lane and Crosscroft Wood (Grid Reference SU7231 8072). There were plenty of wild flowers in the woods, Bluebells, Lesser Celadine, Primrose, Wood Anemone, and possibly Bugle and Speedwell. After passing through the wood we emerged at Kings Farm (SU7297 8084) and followed the lane downhill past a posh country cottage residence and up into Crowsley Park. We last came this way on 5 April 2016 and stopped again at a fallen tree (now much decayed after six years (SU 7326 8030) to admire the view and watch a courier drive his van up King’s lane delivering that days Amazon parcels. We headed up a slight hill and crossed the minor road to Harpsden and walked into the hamlet of Crowsley were some one was attacking their grass with a loud motor mower. We then followed the path west towards the Bird-in-Hand pub (SU7157 7920). T and Cy used to be a customer’s way back in the BC (before children) era. The pub has changed hands and fortunes many times. Crossed over the busy B481 and went through the Millennium Green (SU7144 7928) playing fields (developed no doubt as the village contribution to the Millennium celebrations. Then skirting the newish housing developments to the south of Sonning Common, past the Herb Farm and back to P’s base for a welcome cuppa. A pleasant afternoon walk and a time to catch up on family news. A total of 4.20 miles (6.7 km).

Oxford Canal walks 

Looking at the Google earth display of all our walks since 2009 there was a bit of a gap between Banbury and Oxford so we decided to fill some of that in by walking the Oxford canal path. It ended up being P & T again as A was away in France and N was off to pastures (dales) new in Yorkshire. The attraction was the access given by using Tackley and Heyford stations.

Tackley to Heyford, 29 June 2022 

Holihocks in Tackley

This was another afternoon walk as stopping train frequency between Oxford and Banbury wasn’t plentiful. P & T met up on Oxford station and made the short trip up to Tackley (SP4845 2053). A pleasant village, very quiet (it was lunchtime) and the usual village lanes filled with parked cars. We headed north on a farm lane, parallel to the railway and stopped by a convenient farm gate (SP4826 2153) with a view of the railway below and the Cherwell meandering in the gentle valley.

 

After our lunch break we continued over the railway and down into a field of cattle. Experience has been that we keep a weather eye on cattle and stay near the field margin. All was going well until the animals started to move and we realised that there was a chap causing the cows to move towards us. We eventually met and exchanged pleasantries. He wanted to know if he was heading towards the river – he was but not by a direct route. We left him in his quest for the Cherwell among the disturbed cattle and quickly moved on. We came to the canal and river at SP4896 2202 but could see no way down to join the canal so carried onto Northbrook Spinney and joined the canal at Dashwood Lock. It was an easy towpath walk then into Lower Heyford.

Narrowboat garden

Canal side in Heyford

Well the walking was easy but the towpath was over grown in places and it was certainly a warm day. We had about 50 minutes to wait at Heyford Station (SP4829 2469) for the train back to Oxford, Didcot and Reading. P had a rest and T did a quick walk around the village of Lower Heyford.

T found where The Bell Inn was (didn’t go in) and walked round by the church back to the boat yard adjacent to the station. Great, the boat yard shop was open and had ice creams. So one Magnum Classic later back on the train to Oxford and all places south. A lovely walk of 3.36 miles (5.4 km). Starting to get warm but a great way to see the Cherwell valley.

Cherwell valley view

 

Tackley to Thrupp, 14 July 2022

This time we took the same timed train out to Tackley from Oxford but headed south. We joined the line of the Oxfordshire Way. Goodness, we last passed through here on 25 July 2008 which was another hot day on our way from Charlbury to Kirtlington, we did some long walks in those days. We joined the towpath of the Oxford canal at Flights Mill / Pigeon Lock (SP4868 1940.) and headed towards the general direction of Oxford.

Oxford canal

 

Found a grassy bank and some welcome shade by the canal side at SP4839 1916 and had our packed lunches.

 

 

Enslow canal side

It was getting quite warm so we were grateful for the tree lined canal path as it went under the railway line at Enslow and under the A4095. The canal cuts the meander of the river here at Bunkers Hill.

Bakers Lock

 

Just beyond Bakers Lock the Cherwell River and canal combine for about one kilometre past the disused cement works. At Shiptonweir Lock the canal heads west towards Shipton-on-Cherwell (which is more on the canal than on the Cherwell).

Disused Woodstock Line

 

 

A short distance further on we went under the railway line again and the disused abutments of the old railway line from Kidlington to Woodstock which branched off the main line at Shipton in years gone by. We were now reaching one of those walking nexus points. We went past the footbridge over the canal that we had used on 21 September 2020 when all four of us were walking the Oxford Green Belt Way from Wolvercote to Kidlington and we were on the opposite bank to Shipton Church that we had passed by on 18 December 2015 when we were tracing the course of the Kidlington to Woodstock line.

 

Shipton Church

 It was hot and we were in need of refreshments so we stopped at Annie’s Tea Room (SP4831 1595) and had a refreshing brew sitting outside next to the canal turning pool at Thrupp. It was fairly busy even for a mid-week afternoon. All we now had to do was, after using the facilities, to walk down the lane to the main A4260 and wait in the sun at SP4788 1561 for the S4 bus into Oxford (bus from Banbury). It arrived just about on time and we got back into Oxford for a walk back to the station and our respective trains home. Slightly longer this time at 4.98 miles (8km) not bad for an afternoon ramble. It was getting hot and the shade when available was welcome.

This was our last walk of 2022. The summer continued to get warmer and really wasn’t conducive for walking. Both P & T had other commitments, A was still away and N was only making the occasional visit to the Oxford area. Here is hoping that we can complete that last bit from Heyford to Ayno sometime in 2023 and perhaps find some other walks to fill in the gaps on the map.

The Roman Way - Part III

Third side: Silchester to Bicester (Alchester)

11.    Padworth Common to Bradfield – 23 March 2012, 9.17 miles (14.8km)

 

Another month had passed before we set off on stage 11. Bus from Reading and a walk of nearly 2km back to where we had left off in February. We carried on through the forested area which by now was showing signs of spring with primroses and deciduous trees coming into leaf. We eventually came to Ufton Court (SU6259 6674) an Elizabethan house. This is now an educational charity. T’s daughter went there on a residential school trip when they were “doing the Tudors” at primary school. We continued west to Old farm and were within 500m of the route we had followed on stage 10 on our way to Silchester. 

 

Oak tree, Ufton Green

The path then headed towards Ufton Green slowly descending towards the Kennet valley again. We crossed the river and then the K&A canal and walked over the Ufton Nervet level crossing, SU6167 6880. A major train crash happened here on 6 November 2004. Seven people were killed including the suicide victim who had parked his car on the crossing. Four more fatalities were to occur at the crossing before an over bridge to replace the level crossing was completed in 2016. We walked up to the busy A4 and heeding the advice in the book crossed the road carefully. This place also has a tragic story being where the murder of PC Andrew Harper occurred on 15 August 2019. We stopped in the Winning Hand pub at the road junction SU6137 6900, nothing special and surprisingly empty for a Friday lunchtime. Bit of a road trudge going uphill to Lambden’s farm and then downhill, along Webb’s Lane to cross a small stream that is The Bourne. The path then continued up to Bradfield Southend. The path dodged around rather nice houses (lots of money around here) and headed across fields of horses and small woods towards the valley of the Pang River. The path then took us into Bradfield which is a small village dominated by Bradfield School. There is an impressive sports centre used by Berkshire county-level sports of various persuasions and a Greek theatre! We were in good time so rested on a grass slope (SU6054 7263) in the afternoon sun before catching the bus back into Reading.

 

12.    Bradfield to Aston Tirrold – 13 April 2012, 11.5 miles (18.5km)

 

Bluebells, Ashampstead

Change of rendezvous point. This time the four of us met at Pangbourne Station and took a taxi to Bradfield. It was a pleasant spring day and we made good progress across the water meadows of the Pang River to pick up a well waymarked route heading north towards the M4. 

We were slowly climbing up the Berkshire Downs again but this time most of the route was in woodland, a mix of beech woods and conifer plantations quite a contrast to the open down land further west. 

 

We crossed over the M4 on a foot bridge and pushed onto Ashampstead. This appeared to be an attractive village, miles from anywhere. The guide book recommended having a look at St Clement’s church (SU5642 7680) with its wooden bell tower and what are claimed to be some of the most magnificent medieval wall paintings. We continued northwards past pretty cottages in Ashampstead Green and into the woods again.

 

 

St Clement's church, Ashhampstead

We emerged into an attractive dry valley (SU5604 7777) so stopped for a mid-morning snack to enjoy the view and “recharge our batteries”.

 

Beche Park- recharge time

After what seemed a long 2km through Burnett’s Copse and Parsonage Green we arrived in Aldworth and just had to call into the Bell Inn, SU5558 7965. We had been here before and P often takes guests there as a destination for long rambles from home. We sat in the garden and enjoyed good beer and a pleasant location, certainly rates 8-9 out of 10. The afternoon walk over more open country was familiar. On a historical note it is believed that the area north of Starveall (SU5457 8092) towards the Ridgeway was the battleground of Ashdown AD871 when the Saxons led by Ethelred defeated the Danes.

 

Chilterns from the Ridgeway

We crossed over the Ridgeway and passed below Lowbury Hill (more history here in the form of a Romano-British temple near the summit.) This area was familiar to us having been walked over on our Ridgeway Walk and we were to see it again when we did the Seven Shires Way. 

 

We had now reached the crest of the Berkshire Downs and it was a steady descent downhill past fields of pig enclosures above Chalk Hill Bottom to cross the A417 and into Aston Tirrold.

 

 

Chalk Hill Pigs

The route actually passed P’s house so we were welcomed in and had afternoon tea/coffee. This had been a long walk with plenty of contrasts, scenery and climbs. The rest and refreshments were much appreciated. P gave us a lift to Didcot station where N returned to Oxford and T&S returned to Reading.

 

 

 

 

13.    Aston Tirrold to Warborough – 4 May 2012, 9.41 miles (15.1km)

Transport arrangements were to meet up at Cholsey station where P met us and took us back to Aston Tirrold where we could start the walk and perversely walk back to Cholsey. Well we wanted to keep to the route as closely as possible. P knew the way (it was his patch after all). The route followed a good path past Lollingdon Farm. We met a group of ladies out for a walk heading towards the Astons. This was unusual as we don’t very often meet other walkers. Now that we now walk on Mondays we meet even fewer people. The path took us under the main GWR railway and then under the branch line to Wallingford, known locally as “The Bunk”. T’s brother M who was a train driver had been in the HST 125 that had been shunted onto the branch line to stage publicity shots for the HST service.

Agatha Cristie grave, Cholsey

The path goes uphill slightly to St Mary’s church, Cholsey and we detoured into the church yard to see Agatha Christie’s grave (SU5829 8700.) Adjacent to the church yard is Manor Farm with its Great Barn (SU5835 8717) which, according to the Guide book, was built in the 12^th/13^th centuries and was the largest in England. 

Our route then went over Cholsey Hill and down into the soggy area of the Mill Brook. It had been a very wet spring and the footpath towards Mackney was heavy with mud and difficult to follow. Mackney was, by all accounts, where Em & Ken (Emma Thompson and Kenneth Branagh), had their honeymoon. That’s a long time ago now. We were still in P territory so he suggested stopping at the Red Lion in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. We were struck by the friendliness of this “Community” pub, not only could you get a drink but there was a Library, they sold local produce and it was a space for all sorts of local groups to gather and meet. Found our way through the back alleys of Brightwell and onto the course of a Roman Road over the Sinodun Hills to the east of Brightwell Barrow.

Just North of Brightwell

Further west are the landmark hills of Wittenham Clumps through that strictly refers to the trees on the top. Another name (according to the guide book is “Mother Dunch’s Buttocks”. We found a sheltered spot that was relatively dry and had our respective lunches but we can’t remember if it was with a view back the way we had come or over the River Thames to the north.

Shillingford Bridge

We dropped down towards the river and walked to Shillingford Bridge and crossed over the bridge to walk through Shillingford village (hamlet) and up to the A4074 in Warborough. We decided that as the Thames was out of bank it wouldn’t be possible to carry onto Dorchester-on-Thames. So we called it a day. N took the Thames Travel to Oxford and P, S and T caught the X39 bus from the other side of the road to Wallingford and Reading. 

 

 

 

 

14.    Dorchester to Oxford (Thornhill) – 1 June 2012, 11.6 miles (18.6km)

 

Met up at the bus stop on the Dorchester By-pass (A4074). Headed north through Berinsfield past Little Baldon (site of a fatal air crash of a RAF Handley Page Hastings on 6 July 1965 - all 41 people aboard, including six crew, perished in the crash, making it the third worst air crash in the United Kingdom at the time).

 

Crossed over the Shakespeare Way in the Baldons, last saw that in March 2010. T took a wrong turn so we ended up seeing the delightful church at Toot Baldon again. Planned to have a pub stop in Garsington but could not find the one and only pub that is now open the others have been closed. To avoid further fruitless detours we decided to press onto Horsepath across a field of fodder beans and under the dismantled railway line that used to connect Oxford to Thame.

 

The Chequers-Taste of India was open. Nothing special but it did have London Pride on tap. After a refreshing drink we climbed up Shotover easily and had a late packed lunch on the top of Shotover Hill (SP5638 0619) with a view of the BMW-Mini factory. Descended via "Narnia" (past C S Lewis’s house) skirted Risinghurst estate and walked to the Park & Ride at Thornhill for a bus ride into Oxford. Stopped off at White Horse in Broad Street (HQ) for a final pint before dispersing home. Forgot the camera sorry - no pictures.

 

15.    Oxford (Thornhill Park & Ride) to Alchester (Wendlebury Stables, near Bicester) – 29 June 2012, 11.5 miles, (15.5km)

 

The day started with drizzle but soon improved to a lovely sunny day with a good breeze, great for walking. Set off from Thornhill at 10:15 and went through the various Barton housing estates. N explained that trainers hanging from overhead wires indicated that drugs were available (is that true?)

 

Looking back towards Shotover

Path then headed north up a gentle slope towards Beckley. We stopped off at the Abingdon Arms in Beckley, last visited it in October 2008 while on the Oxfordshire Way. We rated it as 6/10. Interesting contrast from the outskirts of Barton and its post-war prefabs (now much altered) to Beckley that looks nearly Cotswold like. Great views from Beckley north and south (that’s why the TV transmitter is there). Managed to cross Otmoor following the Roman Road for much of the way. There was no firing on the range – well there were no red flags flying.

Otmoor - starting to get boggy

 

Boggy in places and T forgot to read about the advice in the book which said to divert around a particularly boggy stretch. At one point we were up to our knees in water. Fencott had the look of a Fenland village. Both the villages of Fencott and Merton were rather dismal and appeared to have no soul with no pubs or shops. Just commuter villages for Oxford and the M40 corridor. After crossing the noisy M40 came to a field of extremely inquisitive bullocks. Combined with T getting the wrong compass bearing we ended up spending too much time with our inquisitive bovine friends.

 

Some of the herd were emboldened to have a go at charging us which required quite a bit of shouting to move them to a distance we felt happy about. 

Friendly cattle?

 

Eventually found the footbridge over the River Ray and tracked through a field of forage beans to Merton. Past Wendlebury Stables and its fields of horses decked out in fly hoods.

 

Carried on across the Oxford to Bicester railway (at that stage still to be improved to take trains from Oxford to Marylebone) to our destination the site of the Roman Fort at Alchester (SP5724 2043).

River Ray near Merton

 

A note scrawled in the book claims that we finished at 16:30. Not a great ending if truth be told. It was quite warm and we were tired so we headed for the bus stop on the A41 and a Stagecoach S5 bus back to Oxford.