Cross-Cotswold Pathway - Stage 3

Chastleton to Stow-on-the-Wold – Monday 13 June 2016

If you are following this route on a map you will see that we have advanced nearly 11 miles to Chastleton. We had realised that much of the route between Sibford Gower (where we left off last time) and Chastleton had been walked by us over the last few years on the Seven Shires Way and the Shakespeare Way. Making this jump meant we actually missed about three miles of “new” path but it was worth it as we need to press on towards Bath. 

Stow-on-the-Wold is over there

We met up in Oxford and took the S3 bus to Chipping Norton. It had been raining in Oxford and as it was a bit cold for June we popped into a local pastry shop to have a hot sausage roll before finding a taxi to Chastleton outside the Fox public house (last visited when doing the Shakespeare Way and now “done up”.)

Path from Chastleton

We had previously visited Chastleton on 7 August 2015 for afternoon tea on our last leg of the Seven Shires Way. After some indecision as to the direction to head, the path seemed to head uphill, which was roughly south-east. We broke out the compass and with some surprise we headed south-west to join the Macmillan Way! Crossed from Oxfordshire into Gloucestershire and followed a good path through a wheat field and rough pastures to Adlestrop.

Station sign with signs of "walkers"

Saw the old station name-sign (Grid Ref: SP2419 2717), which is now in the small village with a memorial to Edward Thomas the poet who wrote a poem named after the village about a train stopping unexpectedly at Adlestrop on a warm summer’s day. This is one of T's favourites as it sums up much of the countryside we have rambled in over the last eight years.

Adlestrop cottages

The village is very attractive, with classical “Cotswold” stone cottages with rose-garlanded front doors.  Our route took us past the church and then across Adlestrop Park with its crop of new (getting fat) lambs to cross the main railway and juvenile river Evenlode via the A436, near the site of the old Adlestrop station.

Adlestrop church

Conversation ranged from catching up on family news to discussing old business matters and the forthcoming Referendum. We are not going to discuss the R issues here. Our next walk planned for the day after the referendum will reveal more. We were disappointed about Oxfordshire County Council's decision to remove subsidies from all bus services in the county. From July many communities in Oxfordshire will not be served by any buses at all. Our walks have made use of these services as an important way to undertake walks without having to rely on two cars, beginning and end.

Yet more Cotswold stone

The showers that had been on and off since leaving Chastleton at 11am seemed to have stopped so time to take off the wet weather clothes as we walked into Lower Oddington. Walked smartly past a pub (correction Inn),  looked like they concentrated upon dinning and would not welcome drinking-only walkers, it was called the Fox Inn. The route took us out towards the church which is some way south of the village. The path then turned westwards towards Upper Oddington which is another commuter village with a pub (The Horse and Groom) that wasn't open on Monday lunchtime! We declared it less attractive than Adlestrop and decided that it was now time to find a spot for lunch. A convenient gateway overlooking the village, SP2189 2556 was chosen with the peace and quiet only occasionally disturbed by a bird-scarer (gun).  

Lunchtime view

After lunch we climbed a gentle slope through a field of young beef cattle who appeared inquisitive but proved to be no problem and then past Stow Rugby Football Club.

Another shower threatened which meant donning the water proofs. We walked down to the B4450 and along the road to Maugersbury. Now it was getting warm so off with the waterproofs again! Walked through the village, which seemed to boast several new looking holiday-let cottages in farm barn-conversions. We were now heading up the road to Stow-on-the-Wold (off the route of the Cross-Cotswold path), “Where's your stick, P?” Oh dear left at our last change of clothing stop. We all turned back (can’t leave one chap behind.) N jogged back (he is the youngest after all) and retrieved P's walking stick.

Distant poppies

Back up the lane to Stow. The small town that is perched on the ridge that carries the route of the Fosse Way seemed to be full of people of a certain age wandering around twee stores, antique shops and eateries. Lobsters seemed to be the big offer at one establishment, “How far are we from the sea?”

That’s it then, time for a drink. We found a suitable place “The Talbot” serving Wadworth’s.  OMG, how hot was it in the pub? The heating seemed to be full on and heat from the kitchen made it quite uncomfortable so sorry only 5 out of 10, folks We used the break to agree that we would take a bus north towards Moreton-in-Marsh and then take a train back to Oxford and Reading. That all worked well and we were soon on the 16:24 HST train from Worcester heading homewards.

That chaps was 6 miles. We walk more on our training walks! Never mind it was a good walk across the Evenlode valley. Don’t think we were too tired and we are now in a good position to launch into a part of the Cotswolds we haven’t seen before.  N declared it the “A” day.

Adlestrop : The poem

Training walk - 20 May 2016

Aston Tirrold circular – Wednesday 20 May 2016

Baldon Down from Blewburton

So as to keep the joints supple P & T agreed to do a short “training” walk in between Cross-Cotswold walks. P took responsibility for planning a walk from Aston Tirrold to South Moreton and then to Cholsey and back to Aston Tirrold.

Lids Down from Blewburton

Didcot PS

A good day for a walk, not too hot and looked like it would be dry. T & N meet in AT and headed westwards towards Blewbury before turning up on to Blewburton Hill (110m), Grid Ref: SU5480 8619, which offers 360 degree views across the from the Berkshire Downs in the south to the Vale of the White Horse to the north and of course Didcot power station bearing the scars of the recent tragic collapse of the turbine house during demolition.

Mill Brook, South Moreton

Heading north the path crossed the Hagbourne Road and went through old horse paddocks towards  the Mill Brook which skirts the village of South Moreton.

South Moreton Church

 Past the small church and on into South Moreton which used to have a pub, the Crown which has now been closed for  proposed redevelopment into upmarket housing, much to the disquiet of local residents and the local planning authority.

Freight train freight train going so slow ...

The footpath went out towards the railway and under the embankment. 

 

Took our lunch at SU5652 8840, within sight of the line and mused about how long the electrification of the line is taking and why such massive pylons are being used.

The path went through hay pastures beside the Mill Brook until crossing the Hithercroft Road and up on to the flank of Cholsey Hill and then a plod past a farmer spraying a wheat field and then through a field of rapeseed.  We last passed this way (in the opposite direction) on the Roman Way in May 2012.  A trek along the road into Cholsey and down through the meadows beside the church to have another bit of lunch beside the line of the “Bunk” railway (the branch line from Cholsey to Wallingford).

Cholsey church

 Under the main line again and headed in a straight line towards Lollingdon Farm, SU5703 8540, which is an attractive old farm house sporting a moat. We decided not to do the circuit up and around Lollingdon Hill, even though P declared that the views were good, but headed directly back to AT and a welcome cup of tea.

Lollingdon farm

Overall a pleasant walk of 7.9 miles, with really good views. Look forward to discovering more of this area.

Cross-Cotswold Pathway - Stage 2

Broughton to Sibford Gower– Friday 6  May 2016

Keen followers will remember that we started on this cross Cotswold trek back in February however a combination of family responsibilities, bad colds, coughs, work commitments and unlucky weather through the colder than average Spring meant that we were not able to get started until now, three months later. In the meantime we undertook a series of “training” walks that have been collectively remembered in the previous posts for 18 March, and 5, 11 and 18 April.

The usual CrossCountry train to Banbury (starting from Reading for T and picking up P & N in Oxford), on a warm May day. First decision was to either wait for a bus or take a taxi. We decided upon the latter and were whisked to Broughton in a white Mercedes to start outside the Saye and Sele pub at 10:45.

Broughton Park

The day looked promising as we headed west from the entrance to Broughton castle (open at weekends and recently featured on BBC Gardener's World  on 6 May.) Across Broughton park to the site of an old fulling mill north east of Tadmarton. This was the first time we three had met since February so there was a lot of recent history and respective family news to catch up on. We were soon heading along a small lane watching a large tractor spray a wheat crop for mildew(?).

Roman ruins (?), Swalcliffe Lea

Suprising amount of traffic on such a small lane. As we approached Swalcliffe Lea a lady motorist slowed down, lowered the electric window and reminded us to look at the Roman ruins (Grid Ref: SP3913 3848). The route we were on was originally the course of a Roman road.

We found a small excavation beside the road with some exposed stones. Took a photo and moved on. “Probably the agger of the road” said an unimpressed P. “Not a patch on Time Team”.

It was about midday, time for the first snack of the day. We stopped below Madmarston Hill and opened up the packed lunches. P cracked open what he thought was his hard boiled egg only to discover that he had picked up a fresh egg. For the sake of the publication we have had to scramble the expletives uttered. Needless to say there was scrambled egg all over the place! P was then consigned to eating lettuce sandwiches sans oeuf.

Countryside near the egg incident

After the egg incident  we carried on past Farmington farm and by-passed Epwell. (From what we remembered when we last passed this way in 2012 Epwell was the village with a pub (Chandler's Arms) with restricted opening times, it was also the village of the mad cow (see our Seven Shires Way post, Stage 2, from 21 September 2012.

Ditchedge Lane (was a salt route)

Over the B4035 at Sibford Heath and joined the Macmillan Way, to be greated by a road sign declaring that the Chandler's Arms pub in Epwell was now open every day. Never mind we we getting tired and hungry and found a spot on the Ditchedge lane to finish off our lunches. N has his usual sushi combinations which made a contrast to T's non-lettuce salad, Wensleydale cheese rolls and P's afore mentioned lettuce-on-home-made bread creations. Just as we settled we had to move to make way for an enormous tractor and trailer of muck. Luckily the trailer didn't lurch on the uneven surface and cover us with muck.

Ironstone country

We then left the path and turned south east towards Sibbford Gower, through a very muddy section of path and then up the hill into SG. It was around 2:45pm. After some fiddling about trying to get a signal N phoned the same taxi to take us back to Banbury. The 50A bus serves the village but would have involved waiting an hour and a half. It was school pick up time and a waiting parent or teacher  suggested to N that we ask the taxi to collect from outside the village hall. Probably a wise suggestion as a large coach and numerous Discoveries, Troopers and Range Rovers then occupied all road space to collect their young passengers.

Taxi duly arrived and we shot back to Banbury. The driver appeared to run his whole business from the driver's seat phoning colleagues, and distributing jobs and taking calls. He dropped us at the Bell Inn in the Grimsbury district of Banbury (see our post of 4 January 2013, Seven shires Way Stage 5). A pleasant pint of Arkells and back on the train to Oxford and Reading. Wont be back this way for some time.

 

Well we managed 7 miles. “Why are we so tired?” “It was the hills!”. A lovely Spring day (at last). Good to be back in the Cotswolds. How do we summarise the day? Egg-ceptional!

Sibford Ferris from Sibford Gower

Training walks (various) - Spring 2016

For various reasons we were not able to meet up for much of the Spring of 2016. To keep reasonably fit and to recover from a variety of colds, coughs and chest infections we thought we would undertake some short “training” walks.  Just for the record, these were undertaken as follows; 18 March (T & N), and 5, 11 and 18 April (T & P). 

 

Wheatley to Oxford – Friday 18 March 2016

T&N met at Oxford station and took the Aylesbury bus (280) out to Wheatley to walk back to Oxford via Shotover Hill and Headington. It was a cold and grey day. The route from the centre of Wheatley to Shotover is fairly easy, along a road that eventually turns into a track. Past increasingly larger houses in larger and larger gardens. We kept up a good pace as the wind from the east was quite bitter but luckily behind us. Had a snack on the top of Shotover looking westwards over Oxford (we had a snack at the same place when we were doing the Roman Way on 1 June 2012!

We descended down towards C S Lewis' cottage, then turned to cross the Oxford By-pass, and then through the winding lanes of Headington Quarry (quite trendy these days). Across to the centre of Headington and then through the park to come out on Old High street. Past the site of the shop where T's parents had a shop when he was a baby and round the corner to the excellent White Hart pub in St Andrew's Road - Everard's Tiger. They also had a beer festival but no time to partake. We kept parallel to the London Road past the back of the JR Hospital and down Headington Hill into the Marston Road and then though the Plain and up The High (stopping at the sweet shop on the way.) Back to the station and then home. Good walk, 6.75 miles, this will count towards our route from Faringdon to Thame (Route 66). Sorry no pictures - forgot camera.

Stony Bottom, Rotherfield Peppard

 

 

T & P agreed to do some gentle walks in south Oxfordshire based upon the descriptions and routes given in Oxfordshire Country walks – South Chilterns and Thames by Mary Webb, Alan Spicer and Allister Smith.

 

 

 

 

Rotherfield Peppard & Crowsley - Tuesday 5 April 2016

Rotherfield Peppard church

The sun was out though there was a cold wind from the north. We headed from The Butcher’s Arms in Sonning Common (Grid Ref: SU7121 8064) along Blounts Lane and then took the path across the fields, down through Stony Bottom and up to the small church at Rotherfield Peppard, SU7134 8151. 

Followed the published route to Crosslanes and then to King's Farm and on to Old Place. 

Old Place

Cedar of Lebanon

Good display of mistletoe

We then climbed the slope into Crowsley Park and did a loop through the park. Some excellent examples of parkland trees, many displaying mistletoe.

  

 Crowsley Park was part of the BBC's Caversham monitoring station though most of the aerials have now gone.

Stopped for a sandwich break before following our track back to King's Farm and then westwards past Bottom Barn and up to Blounts Farm (SU7160 8058). Spring was on its way. In sheltered spots, bluebells and lesser celandines were coming out. Popped into the Butcher’s Arms for a pint and agreed that we could do some more of these south Oxfordshire walks which are well marked. A pleasant and gentle, half-day walk of 6.3 miles.

Crowsley Park

Peppard Common & Kingwood Common - Monday 11 April 2016

The weather didn't look too good - a grey day, but it wasn't raining so we set off from Sonning Common village (near Sonning Common Garage) to follow the B481 and then along Shiplake Bottom, past Rotherfield Memorial Hall where Chiltern Players were about to put on their play.

Greatbottom wood

Across the Stoke Row road and down through Peppard Common, then northwards through the beech woods of Littlebottom and then Greatbottom. The bluebells were trying to come out, just needed a bit more sunshine.

We made a gentle climb through woods to Kingwood Common and then south-westwards past the site of the old Borocourt Hospital. It was spitting with rain so we pushed on to go past the old fort in Wyfold Woods and down through the woods to the Gallowstree Common cricket ground and had our sandwiches on a damp bench.

Back towards Sonning Common via Bishops Wood, Old Copse and down Wood Lane. Good walk, managed 6.6 miles in less than 4 hours.

The way through the woods

  

Mapledurham - Monday 18 April 2016

Mapledurham Lock

Buoyed by our success we (P&T) agreed to do another walk from the book, number 4, Mapledurham. Starting at the pavilion on the Woodcote road in Reading we headed out towards Gravel Hill below Caversham Heath Golf Course.

The pavilion has been left to deteriorate and is no longer safe to use. Some of the land of the playing fields which was given in trust for the good of the community is now under threat of development for the Heights Free School putting at risk the rest of the area, once one development starts there will be nothing to stop the council the so called Trustees selling the land for housing.

Towards Harwick

Anyway we crossed over Blagrave Lave and went down Gravel Hill, turned westwards and made a good pace towards Mapledurham House, quick stop in the church yard for a sandwich. “How are we feeling?” Yes, we can press onto Hardwick House.

Hardwick House is best viewed from the river and is said to be the model for Kenneth Graham’s Toad Hall in “Wind in the Willows”. We headed up from the back of Hardwick Hall towards Path Hill and Holly Copse and then doubled back to Mapledurham via Bottom Farm.

Bluebells above Hardwick

On the way to Bottom Farm

The bluebells were now out in force. Snacked on our respective packed lunches near Mapledurham  before climbing Park Wood.

Bank of Primroses

Found an old folly in the woods and then splendid displays of bluebells, primroses, lesser celandines and wood anemones.

Folly

 

Across to Rose Farm and then back through the Golf Course to the Woodcote Road. 

Goodness 8.8 miles in about four hours. Puts us in good shape for the Cross-Cotswold. Not the greatest weather but a good day for a walk and an impressive distance in only a half day!

Bluebells, Park Wood