Training walks - late Summer 2016

A fine day on the Chiltern scarp

Well the weather has remained fine so with N still away on a Caribbean jaunt (sorry, business trip) we (P & T) continued our circular walks in South Oxfordshire. Here are a couple of walks for the album.

As on previous outings we used the description and route given in Oxfordshire Country Walks – South Chilterns and Thames by Mary Webb, Alan Spicer and Allister Smith for the Stoke Row walk.

 

 

Stoke Row – Friday 23 September 2016

Maharajah's Well

T met P in Sonning Common and headed to Stoke Row and parked in the Village Hall car park opposite the Maharajah’s Well (Grid reference SU6796 8407 ). More details about this OTT well can be found at http://www.stokerow.net/well1b.asp

After having a look at the well and taking pictures we headed away from the village into the beech woods towards Checkendon to join Judges Road in Ipsden Wood. In the Spring this is a great place for bluebells. It was really quite a warm day so the shade of the woods was welcome. Lucky for P it was also dry as he had forgotten his walking boots! His shoes were fairly stout and there were no complaints. About a week earlier there had been quite a cloud-burst and thunder storm and we were to see evidence all day of eroded pathways and gravel fans across the country lanes.

Woodland - near Berins Hill

The path crossed the Stoke Row to Checkendon road towards Scot’s Farm and headed through woods sporting some magnificent tall trees. The path was well marked, someone in the past has carefully waymarked the paths with strategically placed white arrows painted on robust tree trunks. We climbed up to Garson’s Lane, past the farm of the same name.

The woodland path was starting to descend the scarp slope of the Chilterns. The woodland stopped and we were treated to a great view at SU6505 8476 looking westwards towards Ipsden and Hailey (well known for the King William IV pub (known as the King Willy or Billy).

Towards Hailey

We dropped down to Warrens Chase and then headed back up hill by way of an ancient hollow way before turning northwards again to Wellplace Farm. Years ago there used to be a small zoo near here specialising in pheasants.

The track way then headed eastwards to slowly climb back up the Chiltern scarp slope towards Ipsden Heath.

Handsmooth

The view uphill is dominated by the new development at Handsmooth, (SU6569 8557). 

The Mail Online referred to this on 22 February 2016 as (quote) Rowan Atkinson's Oxfordshire mansion is finally taking shape after a decade-long planning row with neighbours. “Mr Bean” star has finally completed his dream home dubbed a 'space age petrol station' due to its unique exterior (unquote).

The views from the spot must be great and one can see why it was chosen. The structure has yet to blend into the Chiltern landscape and as we found on the following walk it is all too easy to see from a distance!

As we emerged onto the minor road in Ipsden Heath there was plenty of evidence in the form of erosion and sediment from the runoff from the recent torrential rain.

Hundridge (Waste) Farm

The path then followed a track past Hundridge Farm, south-east towards Cox’s lane and Stoke Row. The book makes no mention of the mess around Hundridge Farm (SU6687 8548), old skips full of waste that had obviously been there for many years but concentrates upon fairy circles!

This is supposed to be a registered waste transfer site with regular visits from compliance officers from South Oxfordshire. How anyone can justify storing many tens of skips full of old building waste in the countryside, next to a public footpath for many years is beyond us. An environmental disgrace and obviously financial madness.

The countryside finally improved as we neared Stoke Row. Time for some packed lunch and then back to the village and return home via a welcome cup of tea in Sonning Common. A walk of 5.5 miles (just as the book said).

Lovely woods and an unexpected view marred to some extent by a challenging house and the waste land of Hundridge farm.

Above Warrens Chase (SU6505 8476)

South Stoke – Friday 14 October 2016

It was obviously time for another walk in the South Oxfordshire countryside. T had woken early one morning having a nightmare about Logical Frameworks! It was P’s turn to plan, met up at his home and drove to South Stoke, (Grid reference SU5983 8363). We were joined by a guest walker, known by the name of Rascal (R is a small dog belonging to a friend of P’s.) We started late at 11:30 as P had a barbers appointment earlier in the day.

View from Watch Folly

The day started misty but it was dry. Definite feel of autumn in the air and the leaves on the trees were starting to turn colour. We started from the centre of the village (we were last here on the Ridgeway walk #7 in December 2009). Headed east under the railway, over the B4009 (Wallingford to Goring road) and out along the Woodcote Road stepping aside several times for the large tractors and trailers of an agricultural contractor harvesting maize. We then headed NE below White Hill. Rascal was able to come off the lead as we took a straight path towards Watch Folly. T noted that this marked footpath was not on his OS Explorer map 171. (Time to invest in a new map perhaps?) At the top of Watch Folly (SU6205 8457)  there is some shelter so this was an obvious place to stop and have a late lunch break and take in the nearly 360 degree view. We could clearly see Rowan Atkinson’s Handsmooth House (see walk on 23 September 2016).

Can still see Handsmooth

The plan was to continue in roughly the same direction towards Larkstoke and then back via North Stoke. Both of us were feeling weary so we opted to head west towards Little Stoke. As we crossed the B4009 again the contrast from open chalk land with big fields to the smaller hedged fields nearer the river Thames was very marked. The impact of underlying geology can make such a difference to the landscape and man-made scenery of the country. At Little Stoke it was a short step to the Thames (SU6016 8545 ) opposite Cholsey Ferry. We then walked back along the Thames, under the railway bridge and back to South Stoke retracing (in reverse the course of the Ridgeway walk we did in December 2009.) It was then a short drive back to P's house for the traditional cup of tea.

A pleasant, much needed walk even if it wasn't that far - 4.9 miles (but who’s counting). We need to plan the next Cotswold walk.