Foxholes Wild Walk

Foxholes Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk Oxfordshire

Explore Foxholes: stroll through Foxholes Nature Reserve rolling countryside, woodland and quiet villages This tranquil woodland, a remnant of the ancient forest of Wychwood, is one of the best bluebell Starting in Shipton-under-Wychwood, this 11 km woods in Oxfordshire. The wet ash-maple woodland circular walk takes in ancient woodland at the Berks, bordering the River Evenlode gives way to beech Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) Foxholes further up slope with oak and birch on the gravel nature reserve. plateau within the reserve.

11 km/7 miles (about 2.5 hours) In spring the woodland floor is vibrant with primroses, violets To start the walk from Kingham railway station, allow an and early-purple orchids. More than 50 bird species, including extra hour marsh tit, nuthatch and treecreeper breed in the wood, There are additional paths through Foxholes nature reserve producing a chorus of song through spring and summer. to explore further, including a Wildlife Walk Wild honeysuckle grows in the wood and is the food plant How to get to the start of the white admiral butterflies’ caterpillars. Look for the butterflies flying in the woodland. Numerous other butterfly Postcode: OX7 5FJ Grid ref: SP 282 186 species have been recorded in the wood, including ringlet, By bus: Check www.traveline.info for information about holly blue, and speckled wood. local buses Fungi are abundant here during autumn. Over 200 species have By train: The route starts at Shipton railway station, been recorded including boletes, russulas, milkcaps and false alternatively there is an extension to start from Kingham death cap. Look out for the bright red beechwood sickener railway station. Check www.nationalrail.co.uk for train times poking out from the fallen beech leaves, the fly agaric – the By car: There is parking at both Shipton and Kingham railway classic red and white fairytale toadstool, and the blue-grey stations and very limited parking at Foxholes nature reserve oyster mushroom, growing in tiers at the base of trees. (access track is very potholed, a 4x4 is recommended) Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) By bike: There is cycle storage at Shipton and Kingham railway stations BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure Please help us look after wildlife by keeping dogs on short the future of special landscapes like Foxholes. leads at Foxholes and picking up after them. Join us today!

NATURE NOTES

The carpets Fungi emerge White admiral Listen out for of bluebells from the soil butterflies willow in spring mainly in are seen warblers woodlands autumn. There flying in shady in woodland are one is a great variety woodlands, and areas of Britain’s of them in clearings and of scrub great natural spectacles. all sorts of shapes, sizes rides during late summer. during the spring. These Native English bluebells and colours. The parts we The upperwings of the small, grey-green birds come have a distinctive ‘droop’ see above ground are the butterflies are black with to the UK from sub-Saharan like the top of a shepherd’s reproductive bodies of the white markings on the wings. Africa to breed. They look crook, the tips of the narrow, fungi: their gills or pores They have a distinctive flight very similar to the chiff- bell-shaped flowers are release millions of spores that pattern: short periods of chaff but their songs are rolled back and the pollen are carried by the breeze to wing beats followed by long very different. The willow is creamy white. Any plants germinate elsewhere. Below glides. Their caterpillars feed warblers’ song descends that grow upright will be them is a web of microscopic on honeysuckle flowers and down the musical scale while Spanish bluebells that were filaments, or mycelium, in the the adults feed on bramble the chiffchaff calls its name. introduced to Britain by the soil that aids decomposition flowers. Victorians and escaped of dead material. from gardens.

Protecting local wildlife Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route Oxfordshire

STAGE 5 STAGE 4 Milton-under-Wychwood Foxholes nature reserve to Milton- to Shipton railway station under-Wychwood Turn left on High Street, bear Continue straight on through a scrub- right at the playing fields towards Shipton- bordered corridor that widens after 500 metres Shipton. Turn on to the A361, A361 to an area of rough grass. Just before the passing the pub on the right; under- to Burford stream, turn left on to the footpath. Follow this cross the river and uphill to the with the stream on your right, then cross at a railway station. Wychwood concrete culvert and follow the path with the stream on your left to a stile. Follow the arable Station field boundary past a small pine plantation, Road then through the field heading to the right Milton-under- of the farm cottages; cross the road then A361 Mill cross the ditch to join a track lined with horse PH Milton Road Wychwood to Chipping Norton chestnut. Follow this into Milton village. 1 Look for old pollarded willow trees lining 5

Oxfordshire Way the streams. STAGE 1 Shipton Road River Evenlode Start to Bruern Wood High Street From Shipton railway station head to A424 and downhill on the A361 towards the Burford village. After 600 metres turn right on to Meadow Lane and 200 metres Lyneham Road after the last house turn left on to the Heath bridleway. Follow the hedge to the Farm Grange Bruern Road end, then turn right on to the worn Farm path between arable fields. Follow the path towards Heath Farm, passing a 2 Fifield Bruern small conifer plantation and cross a Home Wood road, then following the hedge into Farm Bruern Wood. Home Farm Cottages Listen for yellowhammer singing 4 from tops of hedges. Bruern Abbey

STAGE 2 to Lyneham FOXHOLES Idbury Bruern Wood to Foxholes River Evenlode NATURE car park 3 RESERVE Follow the woodland ride to the Foxholes house, passing a spring and the Farm avenue of lime trees, then cross the

Oxfordshire Way road to follow path beside a wood. At Bould STAGE 3 the path junction 700 metres from the Foxholes car park to Foxholes road, turn the left to a small car park. nature reserve In spring, look for primroses and Take the grass track opposite the car bluebells along the woodland Foscot park entrance. Follow the path (which ride edge. B4450 becomes a bridleway) into the wood until a crosspaths is reached. Turn left to Chipping Norton and follow the path. Take the next right through a large bracken glade. To start at Kingham Turn left on to a narrow winding path railway station: Kingham and over some boardwalks. Once on Station the wide path turn right and follow the Turn right on B4450, then left at Bledington bridleway to end of the wood. T-junction towards Foscot. As the

road bends right, take the bridleway Listen for the chorus of birdsong (Oxfordshire Way) to FOXHOLES and look for the stunning displays of NATURE RESERVE. Turn left on to bluebells in spring and the numerous the track to the small car park at to Stow

on the Wold fungi in autumn. the nature reserve. Follow the main N 0 100 200 B4450 route from stage 3. metres KEY WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS J F M A M J J A S O N D BBOWT Nature Reserve Woods carpeted with bluebells 4 4 Railway station Variety of woodland fungi 4 4 4 Bus stop Chorus of woodland bird song 4 4 4 4 Parking Graceful white admiral butterfly in sunny woodland glades 4 4