Oxfordshire Way Circular Walk 3
Start / Finish: Watlington Hill Car Park, Christmas Common. Grid: SU 709935
Distance: 10.6km
From inside the car park head to the South West corner. Here a path heads off into the woods, initially running parallel with the edge of the wood but then bearing right slightly through a gate. Follow the path as it descends through a mixed woodland and then under some low Yew trees to reveal a view over the rolling countryside of Oxfordshire.
Continue down the hill to come out on to a road. Turn right for about 200m before turning left to pick up the Ridgeway. Although the Ridgeway follows the track it is possible to cross into the field on the left and follow the permissive footpath for about 400m, more interesting and preferable to walking along a tarmac road.
At the end of the field, go through a small gate and back onto the Ridgeway proper. There is quite a junction of paths at this point. While the Ridgeway runs North East to South West there is one track heading North West and two other tracks that head to the South East. Of these two it is the one on the right that you need to follow. This leads around Dame Alice Farm. Almost 800m after leaving the Ridgeway there is a path that leads off to the North East.
Follow this path back to the road where you turn right for about 50m before turning left into a field, marked Dumble Dore on the map. The path leads up hill into a small strip of woodland that runs over the ridge of Watlington Park. The path descends on the far side and picks up a bridleway at a gap in the trees. Shortly after crossing the gap bear left and follow one of the bridleways up into the woods, steeply at first but becoming gentler, before levelling out completely. The woods thin out here and it should be possible to see the wall running parallel to the road.
We wandered off the bridleway at this point and had to bear to our left to find the correct gate that let us out the wood and on to the road. Care should be taken as the gate is right on the edge of the road. It was the end of November when we were there but people were still rushing to purchase Christmas trees, so there were lots of cars trying to get into the farm opposite and not looking out for walkers emerging from the wood. As soon as the road was clear we crossed over and tried to work a way through the throng. There is a track that is almost opposite the gate out of the woods and runs to the left of a barn, but this was not obvious to us at the time.
Once into Greenfield Wood bear left to pick up the Chiltern Way and follow it North East to where we left the Oxfordshire Way last time at the edge of College Wood.
Cross the stile at the edge of the wood and bear right to follow the Oxfordshire Way across a field. The Way crosses a track and follows the edge of another field with a farm on the right behind some trees. At the corner bear left and follow the path across the field and down hill towards the tree line. When we were there the path was obvious across the ploughed field. Hopefully the land owner will keep the path visible as the crops grow.
At the edge of the field we had to hunt slightly to find the path into the woods but once found it leads steeply downhill to a junction of four paths.
While the Chiltern Way continues straight on the Oxfordshire Way turns left. At one point a track appears on the left. While it would be possible to follow this up towards Christmas Common, the Oxfordshire Way actually continues to the right as it winds its way up through the wood. The Way emerges onto the track which is followed briefly before turning left into the woods behind the cottages. Bear right to follow the footpath through the trees (a bridleway that continues straight ahead should be ignored).
The path emerges from between a couple of houses to come out onto a road, just down from the Fox and Hounds. Follow the road past the pub and bear left to reach the next junction. The road to the left leads back to the car park, while the road to the right leads across the M40 to Stokenchurch. The Oxfordshire Way continues to the right, but for now we turn left and head back to the car park.
Carl Sprake 