Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds & Gloucestershire
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© Lonely Planet Publications 342 lonelyplanet.com OXFORDSHIRE 343 Oxfordshire, Activities something more ambitious, the Cotswold Way Walking or cycling through the Cotswolds (www.cotswold-way.co.uk) is an absolute classic. The is an ideal way to get away from the crowds route covers 102 miles from Bath to Chipping the Cotswolds & and discover some of the lesser-known vistas Campden and takes about a week to walk. and villages of the region. For more informa- Alternatively, the Thames Path (www.thames tion, see the Outdoor Activities chapter ( p83 ) -path.co.uk) follows the river downstream from Gloucestershire or specific suggestions for walks and rides its source near Cirencester to London. It takes throughout this chapter. about two weeks to complete the 173-mile One of the most visited parts of Britain, Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and Gloucestershire offer route, but there’s a very enjoyable five-day old-world English charm by the bucketload and a diverse range of headline attractions across CYCLING section from near Cirencester to Oxford. the lush, rolling hills of the region. Little changed since medieval times, the Cotswolds are Gentle gradients and scenic vistas make the probably the area’s biggest draw, their picture-postcard villages overflowing with implau- Cotswolds ideal for cycling, with only the steep western escarpment offering a challenge to the OXFORDSHIRE sibly picturesque thatched cottages, flower-strewn gardens, graceful stone churches and legs. Plenty of quiet country lanes and gated gorgeous views in every direction. roads crisscross the region or follow the way- A region of old money, scholarly pursuits, marked Thames Valley Cycle Way, part of the Na- thatched roofs and undulating hills, Oxford- However, the region has far more than bucolic views and rural retreats to offer. To the tional Cycle Network (see boxed text, p88 ). shire is a well-bred, well-preened kind of place east, the weight of academic achievement seeps from the very walls of the beautiful college Mountain bikers can use a variety of bri- with plenty of rustic charm and headline buildings in Oxford, the museums are full of ancient artefacts and the hushed reverence is dleways in the Cotswolds and Chilterns, and in attractions. only broken by the laughter of unruly students who ensure there’s always lively nightlife. the west of the region the Forest of Dean has The county is dominated by its world- many dirt-track options, and some dedicated renowned university town, a genteel city soaked Just north of here Churchill’s extraordinary pile, Blenheim Palace, is set in glorious grounds, mountain-bike trails. in history and full of august buildings, gowned and to the west of the region the Regency grandeur and genteel atmosphere of Cheltenham cyclists, ivy-clad quads and dusty academics. Yet draw the crowds. Nearby, Gloucester’s magnificent cathedral is the town’s crowning glory, WALKING Oxfordshire is so much more than its university while higgledy-piggledy Tudor character can be found in riverside Tewkesbury. The Cotswold Hills offer endless opportuni- suggests. It is also home to the extravagant ties for day hikes, but if you’re looking for Baroque pile Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir This wealth of attractions, high-quality accommodation and glorious countryside can mean 0 20 km serious crowds in the summer months and the shameless peddling of nostalgia in many OXFORDSHIRE & GLOUCESTERSHIRE 0 12 miles villages. Get on your bike or take to the hills on foot, however, and it’s easy to leave the Cook Hill Stratford- M40 A44 upon-Avon Worcester crowds behind and discover a legion of rarely visited villages just bursting with charm. HEREFORDSHIRE & WORCESTER WARWICKSHIRE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE M1 See Cotswolds Map (p357) A34 Towcester A435 OXFORDSHIRE, THE COTSWOLDS Pershore Evesham M5 Shipston- A43 on-Stour Banbury & GLOUCESTERSHIRE Hereford Bredon Broadway Brackley Hill Ledbury Moreton–in– Buckingham HIGHLIGHTS Tewkesbury Chipping Marsh Campden e Chipping Wy Norton Great M50 Stow-on- Tew Soaking up the studious calm and weight of Ross-on- the-Wold Wye Bicester academic achievement at Oxford University Cheltenham Huntley Gloucester A429 ( p345 ) Woodstock ay Cinderford Cowley Northleach Wyc hw W Wandering the sumptuous rooms and gar- Forest Westbury oo d Blenheim Kidlington & GLOUCESTERSHIRE & GLOUCESTERSHIRE of Dean GLOUCESTERSHIRE Burford BUCKINGHAMSHIRE dens of Blenheim Palace ( p354 ) Coleford Soudley Swinbrook Palace Painswich Newland Coln St Witney A40 A417 th Cheltenham Great Tew Stroud Aldwyns a Oxford Hanging out at one of the many festivals in Gloucester P OXFORDSHIRE, THE COTSWOLDS OXFORDSHIRE, THE COTSWOLDS Clearwell Barnsley OXFORDSHIRE s Clifton Thame Blenheim Fairford e Lydney es Tham Hampden graceful Cheltenham ( p370 ) Palace Cirencester Tham The Cotswolds Tintern Nailsworth Berinsfield n Ewen Lechlade- A420 Abingdon A48 er Marvelling at the magnificent cloisters of v Dursley on-Thames Buscot Park Buckland Dorchester-on-Thames e Faringdon Oxford S Long M40 Gloucester Cathedral ( p366 ) Chepstow M5 Wittenham Warborough A46 Easton Cricklade Uffington Wallingford Grey Malmesbury Getting lost on the winding roads of the Purton Wantage Chipping Uffington Stoke Acton White Horse Cotswolds ( p356 ) Severn Sodbury Turvill Swindon Row Beach Little Wittenham Streatley Wittenham Henley- Wootton on-Thames Going medieval with a tankard of ale at the M4 Bassett M4 A338 Clumps Avonmouth Castle Pangbourne Falkland Arms ( p359 ) in Great Tew Combe A34 Chippenham WILTSHIRE Reading Bristol Corsham Calne Marlborough BERKSHIRE Hungerford Newbury M4 A Bowood A4 von House Avebury Pewsey POPULATION: 1.2 MILLION AREA : 2222 SQ MILES Bath Vale 344 OXFORDSHIRE •• Oxford lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com OXFORDSHIRE •• Oxford 345 Winston Churchill, and affluent Henley-on- ably restrained for a city driven by its student to the east of the city where BMW’s new Mini MONEY Thames, an elegant riverside town that hosts the population. It’s the kind of place where the runs off the production line today. Every major bank and ATM is represented on ever-so-stylish Henley Royal Regatta each year. pursuit of excellence, the weight of academic or near Cornmarket St. Near here is the mysterious giant Uffington achievement and the whiff of intellectual ideals Orientation White Horse, carved from the limestone hills, is palpable as soon as you get off the bus. Oxford is fairly compact and can easily be POST and a smattering of quaint traditional villages Thirty-nine colleges make up the univer- covered on foot. Carfax Tower makes a good Post office (%223344; 102 St Aldate’s; h9am- oozing the gentle charm of middle England. sity, their elegant honey-coloured buildings central landmark and is a short walk from the 5.30pm Mon-Sat) wrapping around winding cobbled streets and bus and train stations, which are conveniently Activities attracting hordes of tourists each year. Yet de- located close to the centre of town. TOURIST INFORMATION As well as the long-distance national trails, spite the rushing traffic and throngs of people, The university buildings are scattered Tourist office (%726871; www.visitoxford.org; 15-16 walkers may be interested in the Oxfordshire inside their jealously guarded quadrangles an throughout the city, with the most important Broad St; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) The Way, a scenic 65-mile waymarked trail running aura of studious calm descends. The oldest col- and architecturally significant in the centre. Jeri- tourist office stocks a Welcome to Oxford (£1) brochure, from Bourton-on-the-Water to Henley-on- leges date back almost 750 years and little has cho, in the northwest, is the trendy, artsy end of which has a walking tour with college opening times, as Thames, and the Wychwood Way, a historic changed inside the hallowed walls since then. town, with slick bars and restaurants and an art- well as the University of Oxford leaflet and Oxford Acces- 37-mile route from Woodstock, which runs Yet the university is only part of Oxford’s house cinema, while Cowley Rd, southeast of sible Guide for travellers with disabilities. Also look out for through an ancient royal forest. The routes story; long before Mensa was ever born the Carfax, is the edgy student and immigrant area In Oxford, a free publication that lists events, museums, are divided up into manageable sections de- Morris motorcar was rolling off production packed with cheap places to eat and drink. restaurants and accommodation options. The centre can scribed in leaflets available from most local lines in Cowley, and today the university’s book accommodation for a £4 fee plus a 10% deposit. tourist offices and libraries. academic elite are still far outnumbered by Information The quiet roads and gentle gradients also the real-world majority. Butting up against all BOOKSHOPS UNIVERSITIES make Oxfordshire good cycling country. The that fine architecture, the celebrated libraries, Blackwell (%792792; www.blackwell.co.uk; 48-51 Oxford Brookes (%741111; www.brookes.ac.uk; Gipsy main waymarked route through the county is world-class museums and historic pubs is Broad St) ‘The Knowledge Retailer’ stocks any book you Lane) Oxford’s lesser-known university. the Oxfordshire Cycleway, which takes in Wood- an increasingly urbane city flush with chic could ever need. Oxford University (%270000; www.ox.ac.uk) stock, Burford and Henley. If you don’t have restaurants, trendy bars and exclusive shops. Little Bookshop (%559176; Ave 2, Covered Market) your own wheels you can hire bikes in Oxford Tiny shop bursting with first editions and rare books. Sights (see p353 ). History QI (Quite Interesting; %261507; www.qi.com; 16 Turl UNIVERSITY BUILDINGS & COLLEGES You’ll find information about all walk- Strategically placed at the confluence of the St) ‘Ridiculously well-read and over-educated’ staff to help Christ Church College ing and cycling routes in the county at www River Cherwell and the Thames (called the you trawl through specially chosen titles. The largest and grandest of all of Oxford’s col- .oxfordshire.gov.uk/countryside.