Autumn Walk, October 2009, Oxford,
08/10/2009 - 11/10/2009
Thursday 8th October,
Weather fine & sunny.
Most were travelling this day except Martin & Graham who were travelling on Friday.
Andy & Ian travelled in Ian’s car stopping off in Thame for a morning coffee break. They then moved onto Minster Lovell for lunch at the pub. After lunch they decided to have a short walk & travelled to Swindbrooke & Asthall via the river Windrush. The distance was approx 8 miles.
Dave decided to cycle to the hostel in Oxford, setting out about mid morning from Luton.
Steve arrived just after 19.00 after leaving work at 18.00 in Leighton Buzzard.
Pete arrived early evening after first attending a works leaving do.
Richard arrived about 20.00 after a days work & Paul just before Richard (after missing his fast train from London).
After signing into the hostel (there was some concern that there was an issue with the gas boiler) we all met for initial drinks & food in the Whitehouse pub which was next door to the hostel. Beer was good & food excellent. We then moved onto the Hollybush across the road. On the outside this pub looked quite quaint but inside more basic with a pub quiz in full flow and pool being played nearby. However the beer was ok (even if there was mainly one real ale; Witch..... something or other, that was a dark beer).
After an average drinking session we decided to retire to bed & hope & pray all would be ok with the boiler situation at the hostel.
Friday 9th October
Alas & alack NO HOT WATER! Cold showers for all or none at all.
Weather fine & sunny initially then cloud later with odd spots of rain (not much rain really as we did not need to put on water-proofs).
At breakfast Steve & Richard (who were in another room to the rest ((Graham was to join them later)) regaled the incidents from the interesting occupants in their room:-
‘There was this ‘Old git’ who was dressed in his neatly pressed very stripy jim-jams who snored a lot (there’s more to come on a later night). Then there were these two foreign looking Mafia types (later it was decided they were Lebanese after the flight bag, Lebanese insignia, give-away) who decided it was a good idea to get up at 05.00 & faff around for 2 hours before finally vacating the room. We were not amused’.
The walk that day would start with a train journey (the station was next to the hostel. Nice planning Paul) to Tackley station, a short walk to Pigeon lock then a canal walk (Oxford canal) back to the youth hostel. About 12 miles. Pete was going to use his foldaway bike.
The train left at 08.50 on time and after about 10 min arrived at Tackley. All got out and assembled the other side of the rail crossing (gated) for a photo call. Then onto Pigeon lock, Pinsey Bridge (just after this Andy & co decided to play with the cantilever bridge), Enslow, Shiptonweir lock, past Shipton-on-Cherwell and then tea & buns at ‘Annie’s’ at Thrupp.
After the tea break it was onto Sparrowgap bridge, Kidlington green lock, Kings canal bridge, under the A44/A34 (where some serious raised section work was taking place), Dukes lock house, calling in at the Red Lion in Wolvercote for lunch & a few beers. It was in the Red Lion that we met Martin who had travelled down that morning.
From the Red Lion we moved onto the Thames Path & called in for a swift half at the Perch. This was an interesting pub with gay lighting illuminating the path to the pub through the back garden (Pete had to go around to the front of the pub & not through the garden as bikers were not welcome that way). The beer was good with an inviting log fire on the go. Ian, Richard, Dave & Steve sat on a table near some ‘Ladies’ who were out dining and immediately Ian struck up a conversation with one of these ‘Ladies’ with ‘Noodles’ (from now on nicknamed ‘Noodles’) emblazoned across a sort of T shirt she was wearing. ‘Noodles’ commented on how lovely Ian’s legs were (I think she was a bit tipsy) & the conversation became more engaging. Dave suggested that there were better legs on the next table (Andy, Paul, Pete & Martin) to which she quickly scurried across to chat up some more young blood.
After a while we all managed to escape & head on back to the hostel for the evening’s highlights of Oxford city. On the walk back Paul met up with a person he had only made acquaintance last week on another one of his walks at ‘Black Sails’ YHA. He lived on a Thames boat nearby.
All bar Steve & Richard decided to eat in the youth Hostel before beers in the city. By this time Graham had joined us. Steve & Richard had their meals in the first pub we called into (White Horse). We then moved onto the Kings Head & finally at the Turf Tavern before turning in. On the way back Pete, Andy & Richard decided to have ‘one for the road’ (well two actually) at an O’Neil’s pub with no beer (only lager & cider). They were tempted at the burger/Doner bar outside the YHA and Pete & Richard succumbed with a Donna & burger respectively. Andy just about managed to abstain although sorely tempted with his beer hat on.
Saturday 11th October
The weather was bright & sunny initially with some light cloud towards the end of the day.
All but Pete (Pete decided to take a mini tour of the city) took the 9.20 train to Charlbury (old ancestry village of Martin). The walk would take us eventually onto Hanborough station where we would pick up the train to take us back to the city. This walk was about 13 miles.
All felt a little tired from the previous night's jollities in particular room 218 (where Steve, Richard & Graham were sleeping). They suffered again from the ‘old gits’ snoring & mutterings in his sleep, with continual early morning faffing around by the ‘Lebanese twins’.
Charlbury is a very pleasant village with some interesting pubs & shops. One of the shops had a dog sleeping in its window front which immediately prompted the inevitable ‘How much is that doggy in the window – ruff, ruff’, from Ian.
Leaving Charlbury we followed the ‘Oxfordshire way’ past Hill Barn farm cottages, Highfield farm, through Stonesfield (famous for its stone?!), past Baggs Bottom adjacent to the roman villa (what villa?) continuing along this old roman road (nothing grandiose, just a footpath) before turning right into Blenheim park. The first thing you are aware of before the house is the huge ‘Column of Victory’ memorial (134 ft statue topped by the Duke of Marlborough ((John Churchill)), built at the cost of Ł3k 5 Yrs after his death, commemorating his victory over the French at the battle of Blenheim). We all walked further on eventually finding the secret door out of the estate to get to Woodstock for lunch.
Lunch was taken in Hampers, a small eatery in the middle of Woodstock which was fine (what no pub I hear you say!!). After lunch a short walk through the old high street of Woodstock then back through the secret door through Blenheim Park again. The walk took us past the ‘Column of victory’ again then onto the ‘New Park’ (wooded area), exiting at Combe lodge. We stopped at the Cock Inn in Combe village for a nice IPA then onto Long Hanborough for a pint of Young’s at The Horseshoes. Finally a swift half of Tribute at the Bell before catching the train at Hanborough station.
That evening it was decided that as the food looked good on the menu at the Turf tavern the previous evening, we would have our dinner here. It was a bit of a shame in that although we arrived fairly early, the place was packed, with a lot of the items of food unavailable. Paul then decided it would be good to sample some of the different beers in the many different pubs taken from his CAMRA good beer guide.
First ‘The Lamb Flag’, en route to ‘Far from The Madding Crowd’. Then ‘The Bear’ & finally ‘The Blenheim’. As The Blenheim was the last pub, some of the group decided to have one or two for the road before bed. To my knowledge all managed not to succumb to the burger/Doner bar outside the hostel.
Sunday 11th October
The weather was cloudy initially, turning to persistent drizzle/rain, clearing up about 15.00.
Graham, Martin & Dave said their goodbyes as they were travelling back this day. Pete decided he would use his bike again & cycle out & meet the rest of the walkers.
The walking plan was to catch the bus from the station & journey to Abingdon. The walk would then follow the Thames path all the way back to the hostel where the cars had been parked. This walk was about 10 miles.
The walkers set off & caught the 09.50 bus from the train station next door. In no time at all we arrived in Abingdon. We all set off in good spirits despite the forbidding rain clouds forming.
The first problem was how to escape Abingdon. There were some weir works further along the Thames path & some local runners (who had also gone the wrong way) told us that we had to turn back & travel on the other side of the river. This we did (the diversion signs were not that explicit) & eventually found ourselves on our way; then the rain started!
Due to the rain the path became a little muddy & slippery and we basically trudged on past Pumney farm, Lower Radley, meeting up with Pete in The Kings Arms at Sandford-on-Thames. Just some light bites were had & a pint.
We trudged on and after a while the rain abated. Steve spotted a Kingfisher which was a first for Andy. Walking on we passed Rose Isle, Iffley lock, New Hinksey. At this point we started to see a lot more activity on & by the river as we were on the outskirts of Oxford. A number of aspiring novice university boat rowers were being taken through their paces which looked fun. A couple of miles on and we were back at the hostel again.
The walks overall had been very enjoyable and apart from the rain on the last day the weather had been good. All agreed another good walk organised by Paul with discussions taking place on next year's walk (Northumberland maybe?).
