City of the dreaming spires – Oxford Circular, 10 miles, moderate

Calendar

When:

December 12, 2021 @ 10:45 am

2021-12-12T10:45:00+00:00

2021-12-12T11:00:00+00:00

Where:

Oxford station
Oxford OX1 1HS
UK

Cost:

Free

Contact:

Claire A

Walk

Booking Required Circular moderate public transport Walk

In a change from the norm and outside of Berkshire, this 10-mile circular walk around the city of Oxford will offer something a bit different and hopefully provide excellent views of the city.

Walk details

Step inside the magical city of the dreaming spires…

This walk will start at the Oxford train station at 10:45, shortly after the arrival of the 10:15 departure from Reading. This is a later start due to the Christmas party on the Saturday night, hopefully there won’t be too many sore heads!

In a change from the norm and outside of Berkshire, this walk will offer something a bit different and hopefully provide excellent views of the city.

We’ll walk away from Oxford, heading towards the village of North Hinksey, passing behind the busy jam packed roads leading into the city. We’ll then limbo under the A34, before climbing up through Raleigh Park where we will hopefully be rewarded with our first views of the city (weather permitting).

Following the Oxford Greenbelt Way, we will head towards Happy Valley and our lunch stop. There won’t be any crime dramas here, but hopefully there will be something exciting in your lunchbox. After a tasty lunch we will continue through Happy Valley back over the A34 and through South Hinksey Village. Unfortunately, the pub here closed many years ago, so we will have to continue into Oxford before we find a source of refreshment.

We will wiggle through the suburbs of Oxford, heading towards the Thames Path and follow this back towards the station, finding a suitable place to stop for refreshment.

Whilst it is unlikely that you will need to wade through water on this walk, it is likely to be quite muddy in parts. Please wear a good pair of walking boots/wellies or risk ruining your favourite trainers!

Travel details

Train: 10:15 departure from Reading.

There is parking available at the station or various other car parks in the city, charges apply.

Notes

If you or someone else from your household has COVID-19 symptoms, please do not attend.
Please be considerate to other path users and step aside to let people past – and don’t forget to say ‘hi’ or ‘thanks’!
Please bring a packed lunch and a drink.
It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear.
If it’s a rainy day, please bring waterproofs.
Please feel free to contact the leader with queries about the walk, or if you are delayed on the day.

Booking details

Do not turn up for the walk without booking, else we will have to turn you away.
Book a place on this walk by completing this Google Form. Booking will open the Wednesday evening before the walk.
If you have any queries, please email walkbookings@berkshirewalkers.co.uk.

Booking onto a walk

Most walks do not require advance booking, and you can just turn up on the day. We encourage those comfortable with Meetup to indicate there that you plan to come though, so that others can see there will be plenty of people there – this really helps to encourage new members to come along.
For the few which still have limited numbers, this is handled via Meetup. Follow the link to a walk’s Meetup page (or press 🎟 Register / 🎟 Tickets / 🎟), and mark yourself as attending.
Social and other events may have their own booking system – please see the event description.

Pace Guide

Gentle: led at a gentle pace with regular short breaks for water or rest. Should be suitable for anyone capable of the distance. (Expect 2–2.5 mph.)
Medium: led at an intermediate pace with fewer breaks but still suitable for most walkers. (Expect 2.5–3 mph.)
Fast: led at a quick pace with minimal breaks. May be a challenge for those with less fitness. (Expect 3 mph+.)

Speeds quoted are only a rough guide, including time spent on short water/rest stops and negotiating stiles/gates/roads etc. but not that spent on longer lunch or pub stops.