Circular walk to Barford (7 or 4 miles)

Walk Bishops Tachbrook to Barford (Distance 7 miles or 4 miles)

Take a walk as far as Barford, a village that boasts alpacas, a church with bullet holes from the civil war and the home of an early trade union organiser (and allotment pioneer). If 7 miles is too daunting the walk can be cut in half by walking from Wasperton Lane (6) to Plestowes or just stroll and enjoy Oakley Woods.

The map shows the route labelled in red 1 to 12. Camera signs correspond to the attached photos that give a taster of the walk and show which gates and signs to follow.

Note: If you can navigate your bike across the Banbury Road, the Wasperton Lane, Barford, Hareway Lane loop  makes for a gentle, quiet countryside cycle for people just finding their cycling legs.

Walk Notes

1. Start the walk on Holt Avenue (off Mallory Rd), at the end of the avenue turn right through the new gate (A)

2. A short walk brings you to a high point with Oakley Meadows houses on your left and a good panorama of the local countryside (try and spot the Chesterton Windmill). Walk parallel to the houses down to the gate that leads you on a path that runs alongside Oakley Wood Road

3. (B) go through the gate and carefully proceed over the motorway bridge, use the verges to reach the Banbury Road and Oakley Wood entrance

4.Enter Oakley Wood (C) and proceed straight ahead. If this feels like the range of your walk why not just relax and enjoy the sounds and smells of the wood. More info about Oakley wood can be found at  Oakley Wood link

5. Cross over the Wellesbourne Rd and up the Wasperton Lane (C)

6. At the top of the small rise you have the option of shortening the walk by turning right towards Plestowes ( D)

7. If you’re in for the long one, enjoy the view and march on to Barford. At Barford (half way now) turn right (E) before the main road (and Granville Pub). Alternatively turn right at the main road, walk 200 yards to the mini roundabout and walk towards the church (St Peters church history) where the path back to Hareway Lane and Tachbrook begins.

8. After the playing fields turn right up the path that takes you towards Hareway Lane. A lovely tree lined path with a farm on the left that usually has alpacas in the fields. ( F)

9. You will come to a gate that takes you onto Hareway Lane,  turn right up the hill.

10. After ~1 mile you will come to Plestowes (this is where you exit if you have opted for the shorter walk). Stroll on along the lane back to Tachbrook (G)

11.  After crossing over the motorway bridge you have Hilltop Farm in front of you. Very carefully cross the Banbury Road (H), special caution needed for traffic coming up the hill from the left. Take the left driveway and carefully navigate through the farm buildings (down the side of the cattle shed), through the field and down the narrow alleyway that takes you back onto Holt Avenue. Remember this is a working farm with sensitive livestock.

12. Put your feet up and have a cuppa and biscuit