Buckinghamshire Hills
England
2019

Thames Path Abingdon


23. 3. 2019

Peter Schrammel

Weather

sunny

Interest 

***: Cycling tour varied in several regards

Route

Oxford, 66m - Garsington, 112m - Nuneham Courtenay, 81m - Culham Science Centre, 70m - Abingdon, 53m - Radley, 54m - Sandford, 62m - Oxford, 66m

Elevation gain

170m

Distance

37km

Timing

3h (1/2 + 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/2 + 1/3 + 1/2 + 1/2)

Stamina 

B

Difficulty 

++: variable path quality: rough tarmac/concrete slabs, gravel, bumpy meadow, naked tamped soil; mountain or trekking bike recommended

Danger 

1: beware of crumbling river banks

Visitor frequency 

c: lots of walkers along the Thames

Comments

The road from Nunehame-Courtenay to Culham Science Centre is private. It is blocked in the middle (500m after the "New Cottage") by a 3m high fence. It`s recommended to use the public foot path to the B4015 road.

Report

On a nice, sunny March weekend I went for an afternoon bike ride. I crossed Donnington bridge and rode via Cowley to Blackbird Leys. The Magnolia trees were blossoming in the churchyard of Cowley. In continued up the hill to Garsington and steep back down to the B480. On small country roads I passed through Toot Baldon and right-left-crossed the A4074 in Nuneham Courtenay. After the Global Retreat Centre the tarmac ends. Suddenly 50m later I had a flat tyre. It looked as if I had hit a piece of barbed wire somewhere. I replaced inner tube and continued. At New Cottage I noticed a cycling forbidden sign. I cycled back a few meters and asked at the cottage how I could pass through to Culham They told me that the public foot path goes via B4015. The direct road is blocked by a locked gate, but I could climb over it if I wanted. So I tried. There was indeed a 3m high fence. None of the holes in the fenc was suffiently big to fit through. So I lifted the bicycle onto the top oft the gate, climbed up, hooked it on the other side and climbed down. The road with paved with concrete slabs. I rode past a farmhouse with a loudly barking dog and rolled fast down to the Science centre. From there I passed the bridge over the train line and followed the path towards the river between motocross tracks and fenced rails. The path was not straightforward with my slick tyres. The continuation wasn`t either because of the bumpy meadow along the river. After I had crossed a wooden bridge over the former Swift Ditch Lock I overtook a couple of walkers with dogs. Along the Thames path before the quite impressive Abingdon weir, there are animals cut into wooden trunk. I continued on the cycle path over rough tarmac and country roads to Radley, where I crossed the railway and followed a footpath across a field to the narrow bumpy narrow dirt path directly along the Thames. I encountered a few hikers while being careful not to fall into the river. The sun was already quite low above horizon when I crossed at Sandford lock and rode back via Iffley and Donnington Bridge.



Legal Notices