Beckley (Oxfordshire) to Thame. For a change this walk is an end to end - of around 15
miles - and nearly always follows The Oxfordshire Way but you can use a
bus to get you to the start. One immediate point
concerning The Oxfordshire Way is that sometimes on path junctions it is
correctly named but also quite often it seems to have been downgraded to
either a simple "public footpath" or a "bridleway" on the signposts.
If any rain at all has been about this Trail can be extremely muddy in places
as it wanders across fairly flat countryside most of the time.
There are also no pubs or other types of watering hole available once you leave
Beckley until you get as far as Waterperry where there is a cafe.
Park
in Thame in time to get the one bus a day which goes out to Beckley
- this leaves at 0924 Monday to Saturday but it would be worth checking with
Heyfordian Coaches that the bus service is still running. Failing that a
taxi from Thame to Beckley is an appalling 23 UK Pounds as of time of
writing (July 2005). The map relevant to this walk is OS Explorer 180
Get off the bus by the church and then walk back along the
High Street (i.e. the way the bus brought you in), but when this road
turns sharp right continue straight ahead on a small road which almost
immediately becomes a track - this heads quite steeply up through some
trees.
The track passes several houses and then levels out in open
countryside - around 200 metres after it levels out look out and take a
marked path going half left off the track - follow this path over two
fields after which it drops down very steeply over a third field still in
the same basic direction. Go over a style into a small woods and follow a
narrow path with a stream on your right - then cross the stream on a plank
bridge and shortly reach a small road (this is the driveway to Beckley
Park). Go straight across and into fields following the marked path as it
goes across five fields always in the same basic direction to eventually
arrive at a gate in the far corner of the last field and by the road.
Cross over the road and through a gate opposite - follow this sometimes obscure path as near to the left hand hedge as possible although to start with there is rather a lot of farmer's debris and manure dumped. Around half way along the field look out for a signpost which will aim you half right across the field to small wooden bridge - cross this and continue across the next field to reach a green track. Cross the lane and continue now with the woods on your right to come shortly to a field edge, turn right and continue along the edge of the field with the woods still on your right until you reach a track. Turn left and follow this quite rutted and sometimes boggy path now with a hedge on your right - ignore a track on the left (which should be marked no-entry anyway) - continue straight ahead on what is more of a field edge path - at the corner go left i.e. do not take the bridge in the hedge on the right. Again follow the path along the field edge - this can be seriously overgrown and wet/muddy - eventually arrive at the barns belonging to Danebrook farm on the right. The path comes out on the farm's driveway. There is a marked path which goes past the farm on the left side of their driveway (if impassable just go via the farm drive way between barns and buildings although this is not a right of way.) Once through the farm the road bears a little left - now continue (legally since this is now the Oxfordshire Way) along the road as it goes dead straight between fields to arrive at a road junction.
Cross the road and take the bridleway on the right - this is a wide grassy track - stay on this until you come to a gate. Once through the gate cross the field heading for the woods - now go round the woods in an anticlockwise direction i.e. the woods are always on your left. There is a path just inside the woods but the cows use it so it is quite mucky - also quite overgrown with low thorny branches - so it's best just to stay in the field. As you get to the corner of the woods the path goes round to the left i.e. still following the wood edge - as you finish going round you can now see the woods stretching a long way ahead, seemingly never-ending - but stay with it and eventually arrive at a gate. Don't go through the gate, instead turn right and follow the hedge-row to the field corner where there is a wooden bridge ahead - don't cross this, instead you take two wooden bridges in the hedge on the left. Once across turn left and follow the path across the field to reach a small road. Turn right up a hedge lined track which goes gradually up and emerges by farm buildings and a gravel track. Go left on this track passing Ledall Cottage and then shortly go right on a small tarmac road which then crosses the motorway (M40). Stay on this road to reach a cross roads.
Very carefully cross this road to walk on
down towards Waterperry. As the road bends left continue straight on
through a gate and onto a path which is for once marked "Oxfordshire Way",
shortly afterwards arrive at a drive - Waterperry House and garden centre
is on the left now.
Stay on the waymarked track as it passes Waterperry,
continue across the field ahead and at the end just past a thatched
cottage the path emerges onto a small enclosed track - turn right and
follow this down to cross the River Thame via Bow Bridge.
Keep straight
ahead and just after passing the Old Mill House go half left across a
paddock to reach a small road, turn left and continue along passing St.
Leonards church and soon afterwards look for a gate on the right marked
"Oxfordshire Way".
Go through the gate and then head slightly left across
the field to reach a sunken stile which then leads onto the golf course.
Continue straight ahead with the fence on the left and as you approach the
far end the path goes off at right angles (this is signposted). Follow the
marked path through the golf course to eventually reach the A418 opposite
a laybye.
Very carefully cross this often busy and fast road and go down to the far end of the
laybye where the Oxfordshire Way leaves on the right through high hedges. Follow
the marked path as it crosses a field, then crosses the old railway line via two
gates - then go diagonally left across the next field to the corner. a
slight diversion - if you go to the right through trees on an unarked but
obvious path there is a really nice lake to take a look at. Back at the
field corner go over the style and cross the next field to a footbridge - the
path then passes to the right of a cottage and comes out on a track. Turn left
and then take a possibly hidden style on the right in the hedge about 100 yards
along the track. Cross the next field and continue to reach wooden steps which
lead down to a small road. Go left and then almost immediately right which
brings you to another road by some houses. Go straight across the road and as
the houses end the path continues ahead with a wall on the right hand side.
The marked path
goes down and then up again over fields to reach yet another small road at
Albury. Go right and quickly arrive at the small church - the path
continues between the left side of the church and Church Farm - it soon
becomes a grassy track which undulates along to reach more farm buildings
and a concrete junction. Go right to wind through the buildings - on
reaching a gate continue on across a grassy area and then through a very
overgrown area to reach Rycote.
On reaching the drive turn right to the
end of the fencing and then hook back left and then up the steps to Rycote
Chapel. The path now goes on to the right side of the chapel and into
woodland - winds round a bit and then becomes a fenced path across a field
to then reach lots of gates at a wood edge. Go ahead and follow the
intially wide path as it winds through the woods - the path becomes
narrower and grassy and eventually becomes very narrow and quite
overgrown. The path emerges on the A329 - take care because there is
hardly any verge and traffic is often quite fast here.
Cross the road and take the marked path opposite into the Oxfordshire Golf Course - the path
climbs up to arrive at the right hand side of the club house and buildings.
Follow the tarmac road round the club house's car park to come to a track -
there is a quite large practice green on the right.
This is now where you leave
the Oxfordshire Way - follow the track as it continues down to the left of the
practice green and follow this down with the main golf course now on the left.
The track emerges by a gate - go through the gate and then slightly right onto a
road then where the road forks go left to head on down with house on the left to
reach Moreton.
At the road junction go left and continue through the village,
ignore a road coming in from the left and then when the road bears right by a
pond and a grass area with a seat continue straight ahead between houses.
There
is a footpath on the left which goes between a hedge and a fence - follow this
over a bridge and along now with hedgerow on the left and fields on the right. At the end of the hedgerow go left onto a wide gravel track and follow this as
it winds round a little and then heads straight down into Thame. On reaching the
road continue straight ahead now with playing fields on the left to reach a
roundabout.
Go across the roundabout and then through houses to arrive at the
Co-op car park - go through this and then on via an alley to reach the high street.
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