Rushy Common & Tar Lakes Discover the Lower Windrush Valley Welcome to Rushy Common & Tar Lakes, a 30ha site with 3 lakes that are being managed by Smiths Bletchington for the benefit of both local people and wildlife. Rushy Common and Tar Lakes are important sites within the Cogges Lower Windrush Valley managed Cogges Oxford specifically for local people and wildlife. Witney Town Centre Tar Lakes South Leigh

Tar Lakes is an area of open space for local people to A40

e n enjoy. This new 8ha site offers an opportunity to walk a South Leigh L

P n o i t around two lakes using footpaths that enable a t S access for all and link to the wider

s) Witney s Rushy Common network of public rights of way. Nature Reserve P The Amenity Lake has been designed

o public acce You are (n Cogges Lane k here PH for people with a 650m surfaced P Tar Lakes Witney rac PH Lake path suitable for wheelchair users, m T PO A40 r PH PO

Fa two main seating areas and PO perch posts every 100m. Gill Mill P Quarry PH P P Stanton The Conservation Lake Lying to the south east of Witney, Burford PO Harcourt R iver Windrush has been designed for the Lower Windrush Valley is an w i tn ey ) Ro s wildlife and provides a s d e P area that has been transformed c c a lic a more informal, quiet ub by mineral extraction over PH o p (n

y area with mown paths rr the last 60 years. Ducklington ua o q PH ad t ro R ive meandering through r Standlake Road W in d

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d longer grass. sh

oa P

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With extraction set to continue

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t Village Car Park As P for many years to come the A415 Lower Windrush Valley Project

B4449 Stanton Rushy Common works closely with mineral Harcourt

operators, landowners and local Hardwick Linear Nature Reserve Fisheries communities to enhance the Lew landscape, wildlife and access to Rushy Common Nature Reserve Yelford Cokethorpe the countryside in the valley. School is a haven for wildlife and so public access is not permitted across the reserve. KEY Standlake The bird hide on the southern shore offers Windrush Path 5km / 3miles good views across the site. Keys for the hide Paths around Witney Lake 1.5km/1mile Circular Walks from Rushy Common can be purchased from the project office and Lew PH Paths around Tar Lakes 1.25km/0.8mile Rushy Common car park provides a good starting point enable you to visit this and other hides in the Lower Windrush Valley at anytime. For further information contact: PO Public Footpath for circular walks in the wider area. PH Lower Windrush Valley Project Public Bridleway PHPO A 3 mile circuit south offers a gentle walk beside the Signal Court, Old Station Way, P Parking River Windrush or follow a 3 mile circuit north to Eynsham, OX29 4TL PO OS Maps: Information South Leigh to see the wall paintings in the parish d s c a p e . . . Tel: 01865 815426 P Explorer 180 n g l a n PH (serving food) church of St James the Great. l v i PHPH Public House e v o P Landranger 164 . . a n PO Bus Stop e . POPO c a p l a n d s Permissive access to Rushy Common Car Park, . . . l v i n g Tar Lakes and the associated footpaths is made P a n n e v o P PPH e v o l v i n g l a n d s c a p e . . . a available to the public at the discretion of the landowner. PO Please note that access to the water is not permitted for any purpose. Rushy Common & Tar Lakes are part of To report a problem or for further information Smiths Bletchington’s Gill Mill Quarry complex P contact the LWVP on 01865 815426. and are managed by Smiths Bletchington in In case of emergency call 999 partnership with the Lower Windrush Valley Project