Rycote Chapel, Charlbury, Wychwood Forest and Thame English Walking Guides.

These two Walks vary between 8 to 12 miles and also involve other English National Trails including The Ridgeway, The Icknield Way, The South Bucks Way and Grim's Ditch.

Thame (S. Oxfordshire) via Shabbington + Rycote Chapel. This meadowland and forest walk starts at The Prebendal and Thame Church [ SP 7040 0638 ] where you will usually find plenty of parking space on the roadside. Note however that if there has been recent heavy rain the fields just after the start of the walk do flood easily (they are water meadows of course and meant to do this) or can be very muddy - Thame river does go over it's banks with little encouragement and if the fields are flooded here then probably the area after the Fisherman's pub will be too wet to walk.
With the church behind you head north (through some white traffic barriers) along the old road soon crossing two bridges and shortly arriving at the by-pass (A418); cross this busy road with great care.
After a few metres take the path on the left (marked Thame Valley Walk) and head across the fields in a westerly direction until you reach a minor road [ SP 6803 0777 ]

Turn left on this road then when the road bears right take a path leaving on your left (Thame Valley Walk) and follow this across the fields to emerge on a road by Shabbington Church. Turn left and follow the road - passing the Fisherman Pub off to the right but staying on the road as it goes sharp left over two hump bridges - the path continues on the right just after the second bridge [ SP 6697 0651 ]. Now simply follow the river until the path seems to end [SP 6682 0551 ], where you turn sharp left and head to the now visible and noisy A418 main-road.
Cross this with care and take the opposite path for a few yards, then turn right onto the old disused railway track. Follow this track soon going through some gates and then after passing woods on your left arrive at a driveway, turn left up this driveway towards the houses and farm buildings. At a T-junction you pick up the Oxfordshire Way [ SP 6635 0486 ], go left here and follow it to Rycote Chapel (The Oxfordshire Way goes right passed the Church - which is sometimes open in the Spring/Summer - and also note there are seats at the Chapel for a picnic break)

When a small road comes in from the right keep straight on and follow the road until it forks, go right here and continue along through this very pretty village, passing a small duck pond on your right (ignore the road going off to the right here - it's a dead end). The road ends at some houses, look for a path going straight on between houses+gardens and follow this mostly tarmac path - soon going over a small stream and then with a field on your right - until this path meets a track [ SP 7018 0513 ], turn left down this track and head back into Thame. The track eventually reaches houses and then a tarmac road, continue in the same direction - with playing fields on your left - until you reach a roundabout, turn left here and follow the road until it reaches Thame high street. Turn left here (, go across the road and then continue along until it turns very sharp left on it's way out of Thame - take the small road on your right which will take you back to the Church.

 

Charlbury to Charlbury via the ancient Wychwood Forest. This walk is around 8 and a half miles, undulates, takes in a lovely green track, then the former hunting forest of Wychwood and finishes by the river Evenlode. Park at Charlbury railway station [ SP 35219 19441 ] - loads of space on the weekends.
Walk back to the road (B4437), turn left crossing the railway line and then turn right along the small lane to Walcot Farm (this is in fact the Oxfordshire Way). The track bears slightly left at the farm and changes from tarmac to a grassy and gravel surface. Passing a derelict barn (Top Barn) continue along the track to Catsham Lane [ SP 33367 20000 ]. Turn right and almost immediately left - signposted Shorthampton, you will soon see the church in the distance on the right. Carry straight on at the first road junction ( but it is well worth first diverting right down the small road to the church and taking a look ) and then as the road turns right at the bend carry straight on along another grassy track.

On reaching the road at Chilson [ SP 31857 19547 ] turn left and walk out of the village up to the main road (B4437). Turn right towards Burford but very shortly take the signposted footpath on the left - pass some houses, go along a hedged track and look for a stile on the right. Follow the footpath on the left side of the field up into the woodlands ahead. Follow the marked path through Knighton's Copse until you reach a signposted path junction - go left and then shortly right and follow this track down through Cockshoothill woods - you should have a fields on your left. This takes you down to a small road.
Turn left up the road following it until you come to Waterman's Lodge farm. Opposite the farm entrance turn right [ SP 33276 18217 ] onto a quite muddy track and immediately right again and follow this main track through Wychwood Forest - it eventually turns into a very wide grassy track - keep going along this wide grassy area (almost avenue) until you reach Vista Gate [SP34530 17553], turn right along the track here and follow it passing disused sawmills and dropping steeply down to a lake. Turn sharp left here (steel gates in front of you) and after a few yards turn right on a steep track back up into the woods. Carry along this track which eventually comes out into more open countryside - the track has it's own name "Patch Riding Track". Keep going until you reach the main road at Finstock.

Turn left along the road and follow it out of the village - pass a road junction coming in on your right and just a little way down the hill there is a footpath on your left - it is a stone stile with an arch cut into the hedge. There are a couple of ruined stone buildings ahead of you, pass to the right of these to go through a gate and continue along a track as it sweeps down and then up and around fields eventually with a high hedge on your left.

Turn right [ SP 35778 17358 ] down a track and after a few yards look for an avenue of trees slightly to your left (Cornbury House is away on your left) and walk through these trees (this is a marked footpath) - this then brings you down to the lakes by Park Farm. Cross the lakes with an old building on your left and shortly take a public footpath along the side of Cornbury Park (metal railed fence on your left).
Simply continue along to North Lodge [SP 35473 18739] - turn right to cross the beautifully named river Evenlode and then the railway bridge to a t-junction, turn left along this road back into Charlbury and then back down to the railway station.

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