The Oxford Green Belt Way - Stage 8

Kidlington to Elsfield (then Marston) -
Monday 26 October 2020

Exciting news, our band of four has been expanded to five!  However, as it turned out D had to send his apologies due to work commitments and then P dropped out due to feeling a bit under the weather.

"Morning"

Never mind, the three of us, A, N & T met up at St Mary’s Church, Kidlington (Grid Ref: SP4973 1481) at just before 11am and after N had his breakfast sandwich we set off.

The weather had been very wet the previous week though the forecast for today was reasonable. Cling on to that hope as it was already raining as we followed the footpath skirting the built-up area of older Kidlington and passing through pasture fields with a variety of horses and then cut though a 1960s housing development to emerge onto the Bicester Road. “Why didn’t I wear a hat today?” wondered T as he peered through raindrop-splashed glasses at the map.

Gosford fields

While making good time along the path we exchanged updates on respective family news and what had been going on since we last met in September.  The footpath continued to the east of Gosford Farm (not too muddy) and then joined a concrete farm road up and over the A34.

This “improved” road continued over the Oxford to Bicester (and thence to London Marylebone) railway line, SP5091 1287. We discussed what the numerals on the railway bridge meant, 27M 71Ch. T suggested that this was the distance from (somewhere?) in miles and chains.

Chiltern Train !!

 A chain is to 66 feet or 22 yards (20.1m).  There are 10 chains in a furlong, and 80 chains in one mile. The distance between the stumps on a cricket pitch is one chain.

 

The conversation then drifted onto the fact that the area of one acre was a chain by a furlong and that this was apparently the amount of land that could be ploughed in a day. Interestingly there are many farm fields around the world that have areas measured on the basis of the ability to cultivate in a day. A said there was a French measurement of area that was similar and there is the fedan in Eqypt and Sudan which is very nearly an acre.

Middle Farm pond

We passed Middle Farm and then headed across fields towards Water Eaton Manor (SP5157 1207). Various humps and bumps in the fields around suggested evidence of an earlier settlement. (Thank you “Time Team”.) All that is left now is the grand looking, still occupied, but isolated manor facing east towards the Cherwell River. We suspected that this area was at risk of flooding in wet times.

 

Water Eaton Dovecote

Water Eaton Manor

 

 

 

 

 

We crossed over the Cherwell at Sparsey Bridge (SP5186 1190)and then had to head away from the river across a muddy field to cross the parish boundary before tracking back to follow the left bank of the Cherwell.

Upstream from Sparsey Bridge

This trek around a large field seemed to go on forever. There were few places to stop and have our packed lunches. We eventually found some boughs on which to perch and had our respective snacks. Said “Hi” to a passing couple. The first people we had seen since the railway bridge.

We set off after about a 20 minute stop. The path moved away from the river across a cultivated field. According to A “Surprisingly well drained”. Too late we hit a wet patch and were up to our ankles in mud. This was just to the north of Sescut Farm (SP5240 1049) which we dog-legged around.

The route then followed the Sescut farm road out to the Wood Eaton road which we reached just as a large truck from Wales (is that relevant?) turned in to go down to the farm. Was it delivering or collecting?

Towards Elsfield

Another kilometre and a bit, up a slight hill, and we reached Elsfield (SP5400 1028). N often cycles out this way and had always wondered what was down the path we had come up. Elsfield’s sewage works as it happens.

Elsfield was the “official” end of this stage but due to the lack of buses we had to walk downhill towards Marston. Walking “off” the route is never that exhilarating as it means we will have to retrace the 3km (1.9 miles) next time. Never mind, Elsfield looked a pleasant place. We walked past the house where John Buchan had lived for a time (“Thirty-nine Steps” and “Greenmantle” author among other things).

St Thomas of Cantebury, Elsfield

The road crossed over the main A40 “Northern Bypass” into Marston. We eventually found the correct bus stop (SP5297 0770) and after a wait of about 10 minutes caught a bus into the City, Oxford that is.

We had a drink outside of the Bear Inn in Bear Lane (Oxford’s oldest pub?) and then said our farewell to N. T & A walked to the station as T had decided to return home via train and bus which was much speedier than the Thames Travel X40. True, one has to pay on the train but in these days of near empty trains it’s rather nice.

Despite the risk of rain and getting a bit damp early on it was a good day for walking. Certainly some unknown territory around Water Eaton even if it was a bit laborious trudging along the Cherwell at one point. We made it 8 miles (12.9km) in total though 1.9 miles (3km) of that was walking back to Marston. Hopefully we can walk again before the end of the year.

The Oxford Green Belt Way - Stage 7

Due to the corona virus pandemic our walking “expeditions” in 2020 (perhaps “rambles” or “ambles” would be a better description) have been severely curtailed. We did manage a couple of afternoon walks, firstly, on 6 July a walk from Wittenham Clumps (Grid Ref: SU5674 9238) via Day’s Lock to Dorchester-on-Thames and back (similar to the walk P&T did on 29 July 2016) and secondly, an afternoon stroll along the Thames from Culham Lock (SU5081 9494) to Abingdon and return (similar to part of the walk that P&T did on 2 May 2017). This was on the hottest day of the year, 31 July 2020.

The first outing started with N going to an alternative (wrong!) meeting point in Dorchester (SU5789 9404). However a few WhatsApps messages managed to locate him and he joined the rest of us at Little Wittenham bridge, Day’s Lock (SU5684 9347). A pleasant afternoon with much catching up on family news, what we had read, and watched or not during lockdown. The pubs had just opened up again so we had a welcome pint or two (?) in the rear garden of the Fleur-de-Lys pub (SU5783 9417) in Dorchester. Can’t remember what we had to drink but it was very welcome and we had an enjoyable, socially distanced, drink and chat. Even though N was parked in Dorchester he walked back with us to the top of the Clumps. He had been cycling a lot during lockdown so was really fit and tanned. A too had a good tan from lots of lockdown gardening. The remaining two (P & T) appeared less fit but had managed their own lockdown exercise walks, respectively on the Downs or in the environs of Reading (or so they claimed.)  

We agreed to meet again and planned another circular walk from Culham via Abingdon. As said earlier rather hot (over 30°C). Pubs by this time were getting popular and we queued up at the Nag’s Head (SU4995 9688) on Abingdon Bridge. To keep it short - a poor experience - once contact details had been given we were shown to a recently sanitised table outside and then told to log onto the pub’s website and download the App so we could place an order for drinks. This defeated our collective smart phones so after some frustrating minutes trying to grapple with the technology we departed and headed into Abingdon finding that the Broad Face was closed, and that The Crown and Thistle and The Kings Head & Bell had to be pre-booked. We eventually found a newish, pop-up pub in High street called The Tipsy Mercer. Usual taking of contact details and table service but very friendly and good drinks. T wasn’t feeling too good (been over doing it on the DIY) so we returned to Culham the way we came, along the river.

Monday 21 September 2020 - Wolvercote to Kidlington Church

At long last we come to the real purpose of this report, the next stage of the Oxford Green Belt Way, from Wolvercote to Kidlington via Shipton upon Cherwell and the Hamptons. We agreed to meet up at the Plough in Wolvercote, next to the Oxford Canal on Monday 21 September.  Despite working out the timings for the buses, T misread his own message and caught a bus half-an-hour later. This caused P some consternation (they were meant to meet up in Wallingford). Anyhow this is getting boring, suffice it to say P & T arrived only five minutes late and then had to wait for N & A to wander round from N’s dwelling. In the process of jumping off the bus in Oxford, P had mislaid his walking stick, hopefully by now found and retrieved from Thames Travel.

Oxford canal near Kidlington

We were off - heading north up the canal tow path towards Kidlington, under the A34 (Oxford Bypass) and past the Duke’s cut (SP4879 1064) that connects the canal to the River Thames. 

 

View from Jolly Boatman

We made good progress and by 13:00 had reached The Jolly Boatman (SP4802 1542). Frequented by Inspector Morse. There was a free table outside and a suitably masked team of N&A went in to get the drinks orders. A pleasant stop, enjoying the September sun discussing all sorts of news, political as well as family and recent breaks in the Isle of Wight, Wales, camping in Cornwall etc. It was also a chance to reminisce about past walks. Somewhere in the discussions we decided that the best fish and chips we had had was in the Scallop Shell, Bath (ST7464 6493) 15 December 2017! Why and how we were discussing this your reporter has no idea.

Thrupp canal basin

A decision was to be made should we continue to Shipton-on-Cherwell or take a short cut to Kidlington? We were all feeling good so continued on to Thrupp where we stopped for packed lunches or one of us visited the nearby tea rooms for a sausage sandwich (this scored 5 out of 10 apparently.) 

A short distance further on and we reached Shipton church yard, last visited by P, N & T when they followed the line of the now disused railway from Kidlington to Woodstock on 18 December 2015.

The scenery along the canal had been pleasant with an array of differently decorated narrow boats some used for holidaying and others permanently moored as floating homes with piles of coal and logs on the bank and potted tomato and pepper plants in much evidence. We were under the impression that one couldn’t moor for longer than a certain time and that at some stage in a year the “house boat” had to be moved an re-moored. Longer-distance views from the canalside had been restricted by trees and hedges and it was not until we crossed the canal at Shipton that the countryside opened up.

Cherwell at Shipton

St Giles, Hampton Gay

Our path took us over the Cherwell river and its flood plain and under the Oxford to Banbury railway line, noting the double bridge of where the branch line headed off to Woodstock. It was difficult to imagine that we were less than ten miles from the centre of Oxford. 

 

 

The path gently climbed from the river to go past the small church of St Giles in the hamlet of Hampton Gay and past the ruins of Hampton Gay manor (SP4802 1649).

We guess that this was the site of a medieval village as the lumps and bumps of what were, presumably, house platforms were fairly clear. Deserted in the Black Death? You can tell we have being paying attention on Time Team programmes!. There was an excellent example of a Georgian farmhouse and recent construction activity near the ruined manor. Perhaps someone was doing a “Grand Designs”?

 

Hampton Gay Manor

Across the fields to Hampton Poyle, past hedges with good crops of sloes and blackberries and then missing the path at some stage, necessitating crawling under some railing fences to get back on track. The equine occupants of the fields didn’t seem bothered. We arrived at the edge of the larger hamlet of Hampton Poyle by the church of St Mary the Virgin (SP4984 1553).

Hampton Poyle church

More fields and horses and on towards the spire of Kidlington church crossing the meandering Cherwell again and past the site of a Roman Villa (not visible). It was clear that we were getting nearer to habitation as the number of dogs and their walkers had increased.

St Mary's - Kidlington

 

 

The neighbourhood of St Mary’s church (SP4973 1481) was attractive, with old stone houses and alms houses. Not at all like the rest of Kidlington. The spire of the church is a prominent landmark and, in times past, known as the "Lady’s Needle".

We decided to walk on down Church Street and into Mill Street to catch a No. 2 bus (suitably masked) back into Oxford. N got off the bus at Five Mile Drive and the remaining three travelled into Oxford. A said cheerio and elbow bumped before heading off home and P & T returned to their respective homes via the slow Thames Travel X40 bus.

 

 

Overall it all worked out OK. We managed a pleasant walk in what turned out to be some delightful countryside and in good walking weather. Great to be back on a real walk again. Plotted on Google Earth we covered 7.56 miles (12.2km) though P did more than that as he walked from Westgate on St Aldates several times!