English Walks - Path, Towpath and Trail Walking Guides for England with Photos.

England has a really well mapped network of National Trails and Footpaths to walk along plus miles of beautiful Canals and Rivers to enjoy for towpath walks in the countryside.

Walks in England - paths through bluebell woods

Below you will find descriptions for a variety of walks in England (around 21 of them) plus photographs from around the Chilterns which might be of interest and wish to just go sightseeing). These walks generally work out around 8 to 12 miles - although there are a couple of heavys described too - they are mostly circular and often incorporate hiking along parts of several National Trails. These Trails include The Ridgeway National Trail, The Oxfordshire Way, The Icknield Way and The South Bucks Way as well as parts of the eternally wandering Grim's Ditch - plus along the River Thames and parts of the 185 miles of Thames Path National Trail. There also walks a little further north from where we live - around Market Harborough and Welford which may be of interest too.
The walks visit amongst other places Blenheim Great Park, Woodstock, Thame, Goring, Henley, Islip, Reading, Maidenhead, Marlow and not forgetting the lovely little Rycote Chapel (near Thame). By definition these ancient long National Trails simply go from A to B and are pretty much impossible to get lost on. Walking their whole distance involves having transport available at each end and either diverting off to find bed-and-breakfast accommodation or perhaps camping along their routes unless there are trains or buses serving the various locations. An alternative way of walking these National Trails is to do it in sections by walking circulars and accumulating parts of the route over a period of time. We have in fact organized our various walks so that you can cover quite reasonable parts of the various trails simply by following the circular walks descriptions.

In England public footpaths and Rights of Way are by law not meant to be blocked or obstructed or create any sort of hazard to walkers however young cattle in particular have a habit of running towards you. This is simply because they are inquisitive. However 20 or 30 calves racing towards you is a bit of a hazard in that (we know) sometimes they forget they have to actually stop in time - what they do tend to respect and pay attention too is a stick being waved at them. Remember also that normally docile cows can become somewhat concerned and even aggressive when they have very young calves with them so give them plenty of room. Obviously dangerous bulls are not allowed to wander freely where public access is permitted however you can come across a bull now and again - the one thing that might just help you should you come across a bull by having a stick or walking pole - bulls know about sticks and respect them (again usually!.)

Walking routes and Places visited - miles = [ ]

Description of the walk - circulars unless otherwise indicated.

Avebury Stones to Barbury Castle + Back walk [12]

Some climbs and it undulates, track and Ridgeway Path walk

Wantage to Wantage walk via Letcombe Castle fort [10]

Couple of steepish climbs, else undulating

Wormsley Estate walks [9]

Several steep climbs, track and path

Cowleaze Woods + Ridgeway Trail circular walk [9.5]

Several steep climbs, beautiful tracks and paths for walking

Marsworth, Ivinghoe Beacon, Tring, Marsworth walk [12]

Marsworth Locks - fairly flat but somewhat bumpy in the middle of this walk.

Whiteleaf Hill - Pulpit Hill Fort - Chequers walk [5]

Track and woods, several climbs - partly on the Ridgeway Trail

Goring - Moulsford - Goring walk [15]

Several climbs at the start of this walk then it undulates

Wendover Woods and Boddington Hill Fort [11]

Bumpy - Ridgeway, a Hill Fort, Wendover Canal Arm towpath

Halton, Wendover Woods, Tring - part Ridgeway Path [10]

Bumpy - woods paths+tracks. Uses The Ridgeway Trail

Halton, Grand Union Canal, Wendover Woods walk [9]

Starts flat then 2 climbs, uses the Grand Union Canal towpath + Ridgeway

Halton, Boddington Hill Fort, Halton part Ridgeway [7]

Circuit partly on the Ridgeway trail via Wendover woods. There are 2 climbs.

Lower Heyford - Aston's - Lower Heyford walk

Visits The Astons and uses the Oxford Canal towpath

Oxford to Lower Heyford towpath walk [14]

Start of the Oxford Canal to Lower Heyford - one way

Lower Heyford - Tackley - Lower Heyford walk

A walk partly along the Oxford Canal enjoying the canal's beautiful towpath

Somerton - Aynho - Somerton walk

Another circular walk which uses The Oxford Canal

3Locks - Old Linslade - GreenSand Ridge - 3Locks [11]

Grand Union Canal towpath - woods - undulating

Clifton Hampden, Wittenham Clumps and back [14]

via Dorchester, then The Thames Path - mostly flat (apart from the Clumps)

Stonesfield, Woodstock, Blenheim, Stonesfield walk. [17]

Undulates - along the Oxfordshire Way - includes Blenheim Great Park

Stonor to Stonor walk via Henley and The Thames [11]

Some steep climbs, undulating, walk along the Thames Path a little way

Beckley to Thame - Oxfordshire Way National Trail [15]

Fairly flat - The Oxfordshire Way. This is a ONE Way walk.

Stonor to Stonor circular walk (Assendon Ridge) [8]

Track and woods - quite bumpy! - uses the Oxfordshire Way Trail

Charlbury to Charlbury walk via Wychwood Forest [9]

Track and forest, mostly easy walking

Thame - Shabbington walks - includes Rycote Chapel [9]

Flat, meadows, along Thame river, woodland

Islip - Kidlington - Oxford Canal - Islip circular walk [16]

Undulates - uses the Oxfordshire Way and the Oxford Canal towpath

Ibstone - walks amongst the Bluebells [8.5]

Circular walk in The Chiltern Hills with millions of bluebells in the Spring

Cowlease Woods - bluebell walks [5]

Another walk enjoying England's Bluebells (when they are out of course)

Napton - Claydon - Cropedy - Oxford Canal towpath walk

Napton, Marston Doles, Fenny Compton, Claydon, Cropedy and Banbury

Braunston and area Walks [5]

Covering Shuckburghs, Braunston, Brinklow, Ansty, Hawkesbury/Norton Jncs

Foxton - Market Harborough circular walk [11]

Foxton Locks along the Market Harborough Arm & back via Lubenham.

Welford Circular walk (Northants) [10]

Welford Canal - Jurassic Way to the Leicester Canal & on back via towpaths.

Thames Path Lechlade [6.5]

Inglesham/Lechlade to Radcot Bridge (one way)

Thames Path Newbridge area [6.5]

Thames Path from Radcot to Newbridge

The Thames Path into Oxford

Kings Lock back into Oxford City ONE WAY

Abingdon to Oxford - Thames Path Walk [9]

Along the Thames Path in Oxfordshire - ONE WAY, muddy in wet weather

Culham, Abingdon, Sutton Courtenay, Culham walk [9]

Mostly flat - Thames Path, nice overgrown tracks

Culham - Clifton Hampden - Abingdon - Culham walk [10]

Thames Path, across country then the Thames Path back from Abingdon

Benson area The Thames Path

Culham Cut and Lock to Wallingford via Benson ONE WAY

Thames Path Goring area

Wallingford to Reading and Caversham via Goring ONE WAY

Caversham to Maidenhead - Thames Path walk [10]

Thames Path, via Henley, Marlow - ONE WAY easy and lots to look at.

Our River Thames Locks and Weirs and River Thames Bridges topics do not contain walks instructions but have lots of photos of some of the locks, bridges and weirs which can be seen on the River Thames whilst walking along parts of The Thames Path.

The instructions for the walks are for guidance although we believe them to be accurate however of course a good Ordnance Survey Explorer map should be carried/utilised as well. Red Kite We have taken quite a few GPS readings on the way round some of these walks because it's great fun to load a map into the computer and plan a route, load it into the GPS, then when the walk is finished load the actual tracking back into the PC and see the results on the map - particularly the bit where you went wrong on the walk!. GPS is setup on British Grid and to OSGB rather than Latitude/Longitude since our U.K. maps are designed and most easily followed using this setting.
Quite apart from the lovely countryside around the area when walking it is always worth slight diversions to look at the churches in the various villages, some of which are very old. In addition at the appropriate time of year we have the "pre-Spring warning" of snowdrop displays followed by the massive displays of bluebells doing their thing in the woods - for example up at Christmas Common. Then there are the fantastic autumn leaf displays for which Wendover Woods is justifiably famous.
As far as wildlife is concerned The Chilterns is full of all sorts to enjoy - particularly we have a thriving population of Red Kites. For instance around Thame (Oxfordshire) it is very unlikely that you will fail to see at least 5 or 6 and quite often 30 or more of these wonderful birds flying around often at tree height. Other locations to expect to spot these Red Kites is around Christmas Common and up at Stokenchurch. If you are happy to go walking then another good place to spot Red Kites is around Stonor Deer Park where in addition you often see hawks and buzzards as well as owls, woodpeckers and many other bird species.