Route 66 – Southmoor to Faringdon

 Monday 22 January 2018

Perhaps we should start and wish ourselves and our readers a Happy New Year. Our intention has always been to continue walking / rambling through the winter months so as to keep in shape for the longer walks planned for summer days! Our first walk of the year was to continue and finish off our route from Wheatley to Faringdon. We have called this Route 66 in recognition that the bus from Oxford to Faringdon and on to Swindon is the number “66”.

We (A, P, N & T) assembled at Oxford Station at around 10am and caught the said No 66 out to Southmoor (just past Kingston Bagpuize where T & A had left off last year, January 2017).

Cognell's Oaks

The Lady Vanishes (leaving just her tracks)

We decided to skip the mile or so through the villages of Kingston Bagpuize and Southmoor and started from Spring Hill, Southmoor (Grid ref: SU3905 9787). The weather wasn’t too bad; cold, breezy but dry. There had been a fair drop of rain in the proceeding 48 hours so we were equipped for mud. We crossed over the busy A420 and headed towards Hinton Waldrist. The fields were surprisingly mud free.

The soil on the gentle ridge that we were to follow is fairly sandy and free draining so the anticipated clag (slang for mud) didn’t really stick to our boots.

Not much was going on in Hinton Waldrist, a group of builders chatting around a pick-up truck watching a couple of their colleagues working, but not much else. Our route then turned westwards and we headed along a grassy track to find a vehicle parked up by some large bales and old farm machinery, SU3709 9829. The driver got out and asked for our help. She was stuck and couldn’t get the vehicle out of the soft earth. All hands to the back of the car and we managed to get her going. “Keep on the grass – it’s firmer” was our shouted caution. Oh dear too late. She then drove into the field where it was nice and soft again! OK we managed to get her going after a few minutes. “Don’t stop. Just keep going” was our advice and she drove off back to the road without any more fuss.

We pondered. What would she have done if we hadn’t turned up? As it was it took all four of us. What is the chance of four walkers just happening along in the middle of a Monday morning? In the process of pondering, we then tried to recall that the car was possibly dark blue but as for its make, model, registration number or a description of the driver we couldn’t agree. Just makes you realise how unreliable “eye witnesses” can be. Well the fallibility of witnesses kept us in discussion for the next mile or so.

Trees in Buckland Park

Entrance to Buckland House

The path headed through woods and then out onto the A420 again for a 100m. The path then headed towards Buckland passing behind “Snow White’s Cottage”. It’s nothing of the sort really. It is just that T’s family have always referred to this isolated cottage in the woods by this name for the past 60 years!

Yet more trees in Buckland Park

We approached Buckland with the hope that the pub would be open, after all it was lunchtime and we needed to celebrate N’s birthday. It wasn’t. If we had checked their website we would have found that The Lamb Inn isn’t open on Mondays. So we carried on through Buckland and found a sunny spot by a low wall to have our packed lunches, SU3361 9800. P being the organised chap that he is produced a small “birthday cake” and candle for N. The candle proved difficult to keep alight. Nevertheless we sang “Happy Birthday” to celebrate N’s significant birthday and we were genuinely touched by the fact that he spent part of his birthday with his walking pals.

Birthday muffin

Refreshed after our stop we pushed on over the Bampton road and along a good path past a dog and walker and then through the grounds of St Hugh’s school, Carswell and then on across fields (still remarkably not muddy) to Littleworth.

It was here that we now got a view to the north across the Thames valley towards Brize Norton and Witney and in the distance the Cotswolds that we had walked on when following the Roman Way and Seven Shires Way.

Looking North from Littleworth

Faringdon Folly

Time for a decision should we back track to the pub on the A420, “The Snooty Mehmaan” or walk another two miles into Faringdon. We decided on Faringdon and made speedy progress across the next few fields, enjoying the views to the north, the view of Faringdon Folly to the south but thinking that walking into the cold westerly breeze wasn’t the greatest plan. We eventually made it into Faringdon which appeared to be very quiet on a Monday afternoon.

The Bell Hotel

Buses to Oxford were fairly frequent and there was ample time to find a suitable pub to drink N’s health. We selected the Bell Hotel, SU2890 9555, (6 out of 10), and found a comfortable table to have a couple of drinks and have a good chat. The beer was OK (Wadworth’s) and A & N were intrigued by the wall decoration in the dining area which was either some old (very old Georgian wall paper) or some sort of old fresco. The barman / manager didn’t know much about though.  

Faringdon Market Place

After a couple of small drinks we crossed over the market place and waited for the next bus to Oxford. A got off in Botley and T left the bus at the station as P was using the bus back to Wallingford. For N the day was still young and he had more plans for his birthday.

A good walk, especially as it was January. We did 7.72 miles today which makes the distance from Wheatley to Faringdon less the mile in Southmoor, 25.5 miles. Thanks chaps that has filled in a bit of a gap in the map.