The Seven Shires Way - Stage 2

Great Rollright to Middle Tysoe Friday 21 September 2012

We (P, N, T with L) all met on the train to Banbury and managed with no problem to catch the 488 bus to Great Rollright, Oxon.

Set off towards Ascott. Not long after leaving the road we were confronted with a field of forage maize that had been planted over the footpath (Grid Ref: SP322324). Should we go round the field margins or press across the field? We choose the latter however this proved difficult as the crop was 2.5 m high in places. We eventually emerged wet, muddy and stung by fairly viscous nettles and thistles. We (probably a combination of P & T) then failed to read the book/ look at the map correctly and had to divert via Gottenbarn (Grid Ref: SP318336) to get to Ascott, Warwickshire. Back on course, over the river Stour at Traitor’s Ford Grid Ref: SP336364. (We were last in the catchment of the River Stour on the early stages of the Shakespeare Way in 2010.)

Panorama from our lunch stop

Our packed lunch was taken actually on the county boundary looking into Warwickshire and took the only two photos.  The book promised views right and left as we ascended Ditchedge Lane (the County Boundary) but the field margins had obviously grown-up since the book was written.

Pressed on to Epwell, Oxfordshire (the lure of a pub). Unfortunately the pub in Epwell, (Chandlers Arms) was closed only opens at weekends and evenings. So a detour through the quiet village of Epwell and pushed onto Middle Tysoe, Warwickshire.

And so to the incident of the “Mad Cow”. The footpath at Grid Ref: SP354407 clearly took us across a field with a solitary cow (definitely female) as we approached she pawed the ground and took a run at us just missing N. N displayed some nifty footwork and was unscathed if a little shaken. A big surprise all round. There was obviously a reason why the cow was in the field by herself. Detoured again and came out on the minor road at Grid Ref: SP349414 and then on the path to Middle Tysoe, over the county boundary again and back into Warwickshire. Note: path from  Grid Ref: SP339425 to the village was ploughed up. 

Cotswold view

It was now 16:00 and the pub (Peacock Inn) in Middle Tysoe didn’t open until 5pm. Never mind there was a lovely tea room next door, so scone, cream, jam and tea (L had coffee) was the order. Fantastic they also sold wine so we polished off a bottle of drinkable Shiraz (it helps the aching muscles) before catching the bus 270 outside back to Banbury and our Cross Country train to Oxford and Reading.

Summary: The unintentional maize maze and mad cow day: Slow to start due to footpaths going missing under crops and poor route finding. Good progress in the middle of the day and despite missing the pub stop and N practicing a Verónica the day was a good one, just over 10 miles. The Tysoe Tea Room was most welcome and recommended. It didn’t rain until we got home.