SILENCE IS GOLDEN Follow Jody Vaughan on a Peaceful Seven-Mile Stroll in Picturesque Oxfordshire That Takes in Village, Countryside and Canal Towpath

TACKLEY : WALKING

SILENCE IS GOLDEN Follow Jody Vaughan on a peaceful seven-mile stroll in picturesque Oxfordshire that takes in village, countryside and canal towpath

hatever the time of year, it’s hard to beat a walk along a quiet canal towpath. There’s plenty of wildfowl to watch, Wcolourful narrowboats to photograph and the going is never too heavy. So that’s what I have in store for you this month. An easy four-mile cycle ride from The Club’s Bladon Chains site, Tackley is a small rural village, with a little café that serves delicious cakes and hot drinks, a treat for when you have finished our seven-mile route, which takes you from the car park by the village hall, across fields and along the Oxford Canal. A 78-mile long waterway that links DIRECTIONS Oxford with Coventry via Banbury and Exit the car park and turn right along the “...the quiet hum of the narrowboats Rugby, the Oxford Canal connects with 1 pavement. Continue straight ahead at is almost the only interruption to the both the River Thames and the Grand the small road junction next to the Union Canal. It’s not surprising then that thatched Rose Cottage. Cross the road if sounds of birds and rustling leaves” there are so many narrowboats chugging up necessary to continue along the pavement and down its length and through its locks, in the same direction. to the left, following the very faded arrows. their quiet hum almost the only Very soon, at a sharp left-hand bend, At a black gate, continue straight ahead interruption to the sounds of birds, rustling 2 veer right up what looks like a driveway down a muddy track that flanks some leaves and your own footsteps (along with between a dog litter bin and a ‘Balliol Farm’ paddocks. There are lovely views to your the odd distant train). sign. Continue along this track as it bends right across the hillside.

December 2015 The Caravan Club Magazine 63 WALKING : TACKLEY

Go through another gate and walk along 3 the track as it continues downhill and around a right-hand bend. Pass over the railway bridge and go through another wooden gate. When the track reaches an open field, keep to the left. When you see a stone bridge on a slight 4 diagonal to your right, on the other side of the field, walk to this and then cross it via its two gates. Keep straight ahead across the next field to the large stone wall, when you turn left (keeping the large trees through a metal gate (signposted to your right). ‘Oxfordshire Way’). Walk along the Look for a stile in the fenceline ahead left-hand side of the field, looking for a post 5 and cross this before turning left up the with a yellow arrow on it in the far left farm track. Where the track forks in front corner. Follow this arrow left out of the of a thatched cottage, keep right and pass field, through some woodland. Go over a through a metal gate marked ‘Caution – small wooden bridge, then turn right down Young Birds. Dogs on Lead’. an overgrown path (keeping the canal on Keep straight ahead to pass through a your right) which soon emerges into a 6 wooden gate beside a metal one, where wooded area. the path opens out into a large field. Veer At the field, veer around to the left diagonally left to walk to the far left-hand 10 and then keep to the left side of the corner of this field. Pass through another field along the lightly-trodden path. At the metal gate and then walk to the bridge that field’s far left corner, follow another yellow spans the canal. Cross the bridge, but arrow through one metal kissing gate and before you reach the gate at the other side, then another one, before heading down the turn right to cross a stile. Descend to the left side of the next field while veering © Crown copyright 2015 canal’s towpath, beside the lock, and turn slightly towards the house in front of you. Ordnance Survey. Media046/15 right to walk along it (keeping the canal on To the left of this house is another your left). 11 kissing gate – pass through this so Keep going for a long distance until you you’re standing by the road. Turn right, INFORMATION 7 reach Pigeon Lock and bridge number along the road, and continue past the pub 213. Don’t walk under or pass across this until you return to the car park. Club site: Bladon Chains Caravan Club Site, Bladon Road, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX 20 1PT. For the most bridge – instead, look for a public footpath up-to-date details, see The Club website – alternatively, sign on the right-hand side as you approach turn to p129 of the Sites Directory & Handbook 2015 /16. it. Turn right here through a wooden gate Open 20 March-2 November. To book, call 01342 327490 following a yellow arrow marked or see caravanclub.co.uk/searchandbook. ‘Oxfordshire Way’. Walk distance: 7 miles Soon, you cross a small wooden bridge Terrain/level of difficulty: Good towpaths, some as you continue along the path. Cross potentially muddy fields/easy 8 Number of stiles : 2 ( not dog friendly) another bridge over the weir and then, Essential equipment: Ordnance Explorer 191 ( Banbury) having passed over a couple of smaller and Explorer 180 ( Oxford ) concrete bridges, bend left following the Refreshments: Tackley Café, Tackley main track (ignoring the footpath to your Toilets: none right). At the next footpath junction, Parking: Tackley Village Hall and Shop, continue straight ahead following the off Medcroft Road, Tackley direction of the ‘Bridleway – White Hall ½, Oxfordshire Way’ sign. The Caravan Club Magazine recommends the use of Ordnance Survey maps – your ideal passport to navigating Britain Pass beneath the railway line then, 9beside the cottage’s gate, turn right 64 www.caravanclub.co.uk