Banbury Fringe Circular Walk Getting there As its name suggests, the Banbury Fringe Circular Walk will take you on a ramble right around the urban fringe, where town meets countryside. Look in one direction and you can see the bustling market town of Banbury, look the other way and you can enjoy the beauty and diversity of its rural setting. From its start in the town centre you can set out for the full 10 mile walk. However, if you would prefer a more manageable ramble there are shorter options to enjoy, going from and returning to one of the alternative starting points using the main roads of Banbury. The shorter options include – Town Centre/Spiceball Park Banbury to Bodicote along the canal towpath (2.75 miles/4.5 km); Bodicote to Giant’s Cave - through the village and along Fringe walk the Salt Way (2.5 miles/4 km); Giant’s Cave to the Mineral Railway Path through fields, woodlands and along a farm track (2.5 miles/4 km); and Mineral Railway Path to Town Centre/Spiceball Park including a stretch of the canal towpath (2.25 miles/3.6 km). You are advised to wear stout, waterproof footwear as walking in the countryside can be muddy and wet, even in the summer months. The route is clearly waymarked in a clockwise direction along its full length but it helps to follow the information in this leaflet as you go. Please take great care when crossing the busy roads. By train: The nearest station is Banbury which links to Bicester and Town centre car parks are available close to the start of Oxford to the south and Birmingham to the north. The the walk. Alternative starting points on the route also have Oxford canal towpath where the walk begins is a short provision for cars: roadside parking along White Post Road walk from the station. in Bodicote; a small area for parking off the Broughton Road near Giant’s Cave; and along Ferriston near the mineral railway path. For bus services visit: Banbury has good bus connections within the town and *Please check www.cherwell.gov.uk/circular-walks-in-cherwell with other locations within Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and to ensure you have the latest version of this leaflet Northamptonshire. Coach services from further afield are including any temporary alterations. also available. By car: The walk starts in the town centre where car parking is available. The walks in this leaflet are based on roads in the town and official public rights of way (footpaths or bridleways). Distance The publishers accept no responsibility for any loss, injury up to 10 miles/16km or inconvenience sustained by anyone using this leaflet. (shorter routes available) Oxford Canal towpath Time up to 4 hours September 2020 edition 1 * At the bottom, turn right onto what is now a public footpath September 2020 edition 9 Distance / Approximate time and go steadily uphill through woodland for approx. 400 10miles 16km 4 hours metres. This path can be very wet and muddy. At the end of the Walk woodland, where the path reaches an open field, turn left. W a Alcoa r 2 w Follow the path straight ahead out of the woodland, along the i 10 c k field edge and past fenced paddocks on your left. Pass Withycombe R Hardwick Drayton o 15 y Farm on your right and continue the farm access road for about FringeBanbury walk a 14 r d ir three quarters of a mile (passing new development on your right) 2 North sbu o J Join the Oxford Canal Continue along the towpath 16 m to the Drayton/Stratford road. (Back over your left shoulder you can Start Str 12 13 i at Oxfordshire serv through Banbury and f Gr e see a stone archway, part of the original landscape design of the towpath from Spiceball Park o R r Academy (near the play area). Pass then alongside fields, for d Mineral Railway IPath Wroxton Abbey estate). under the road bridge and approximately 1.75miles / Ro ad 11 17 Hennef Way 11 Turn right and walk Turn left, pass Ludlow walk along the towpath and 2.8km, to ‘Nadkey bridge’, Ruscote d 12 oa along the road until you Drive and then cross the under the covered bridge a brick arch bridge which is R K m reach the light controlled road using the light controlled (which links the Castle Quay No 172. Come up from the a h crossing opposite North crossing. Turn left and then Bretch t Spiceball shopping centre to Banbury towpath past the remains u A 10 o Oxfordshire Academy. right at the roundabout Museum). Note Tooley’s of a stile, turn right over the S Park Hill Castle 1 Cross over and continue onto Highlands. After a short Boatyard across the canal on bridge, go through a field Quay C to the junction with the distance turn right in front of your right and the Mill Arts gate and then uphill along Warwick Road. the houses onto a path which Centre further on to your left, the field edge. Go through a Poem takes you down to join the a pedestrian gate and follow Banbury Sculptures close to the lock. Note the B 13 Continue along Mineral Railway path. Poem Sculptures the track straight ahead Tooley’s the tarmac path to just after the lock. through the Longford Park Withycombe Ironstones. Cross the road Cross Boatyard Grimsbury Rejoin the tarmac path housing estate, cross the road 9 Far and almost immediately 14 m and a little further on, the Cross the road using the and continue walking straight 8 bear right off the path 3 R light controlled crossing ahead until you reach the i route passes through a tunnel 7 ve onto a grass track and and continue straight Oxford Road. Oxford Road r under Highlands. If you prefer Ch continue straight ahead. on along Broad Gap into e not to use the tunnel you Broughton Road H rwel can come up to the road and Bodicote village. At the end 4 Gi nt’s 6 l a O Follow Salt Way for about x 15 Carry straight on until cross over with care, rejoining turn right along High Street G f Cave o the embankment ends the Mineral Railway path which becomes White a mile, (passing the junction r Crouch Hill d with the Bodicote Circular H Bloxham Road and the path turns right and on the other side. Continue Post Road. Pass the playing Ca Cherwell n Walk on the left and the a takes you steeply downhill. straight on past a play area B field on your left and the Easington B l a 5 a 2 Take great care at this on your left. Then bear left n Council Offices and School bridleway link to the main Heights n k Salt Way k s s point as the path is very down a short slope and turn i Oxford Road on the right F i d on the right. Salt Way starts d D e e steep although is zig right. Follow the path straight as well as several other R on the left, just before the R o Key: Salt Way o a a zagged to reduce the on through a small open d roundabout. pathways) until you reach the Route d 4 slope. Turn left at the space area and then up along junction with Bloxham Road. Spiceball Park Nadkey Rejoin Salt Way on the Canal Lane bottom onto the path the top of an embankment 5 Cross with care. Bridge other side of the road Urban area 3 which runs alongside a (alongside an industrial area). and continue along the Grimsbury Plantation stream and head straight The embankment path takes 6 track for about another Cross the road with care Reserve Health on towards the Southam you through an area of trees mile (note Crouch Hill and take the wooden steps Points of interest A road, crossing an access road and scrub. club through the trees over over the wall and into Bodicote and going down steps as you to the right) Follow the Giant’s Cave park. Turn right go. On reaching the road turn 16 Go over the canal bridge, E right and then cross opposite main path round to the and follow the path to the 8 follow the walkway round right until you reach the hardstanding area. Permissive path - Walk steadily uphill until you the canal bridge. There is no to the left until you reach the Broughton road. reach the top of the field. Bear left and after controlled crossing point here canal towpath and turn left. a short distance bear right following the track and it is a busy road so take care. steeply downhill through a belt of trees. On Permissive path - Climb the steps straight ahead and follow Continue along the towpath which leads alongside 7 reaching the open field, turn right and walk 17 the field edge immediately left and then right around the Spiceball Park back to the start of the walk. Alternatively the field corner. Continue uphill along the field edge. downhill with the hedge on your right. park can be entered at an earlier point from the towpath. Points of Banbury interest Castle Quay Poem Sculptures ‘Nadkey bridge’ The Castle Quay shopping centre was opened in 2000. Sculptor Michael Fairfax and Oxfordshire poet Jamie The ground on which it is built includes the site of Banbury McKendrick worked together on a series of artworks for Oxford Canal Castle, which was the subject of two intense and bloody the Oxford Canal funded by Cherwell District Council Running from Coventry to Oxford, the Oxford Canal sieges during the English civil war.