Bridewell Walk

Date: Saturday July 21st, 2012.
From: Bridewell Organic Gardens, a walled garden and five-acre vineyard at Wilcote, near Witney in West Oxfordshire. OX7 3EB
Meet: about 10.30am to start at 10.45am

Directions: Take the turning off the A4095 between Witney and Long Hanborough, Boddington Lane, sign posted to East End.  Continue straight on Boddington Lane, don't turn right to East End but continue on the single track road towards Wilcote for about 2 miles.  Then bare left at a triangular junction, again towards Wilcote.  The parking is on the left about 200 yards up the hill after a slight right hand bend at Bridewell Farm.
Map Link:  https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.833397,-1.455903&hl=en&ll=51.833404,-1.455667&spn=0.010316,0.019205&num=1&t=m&z=16
Parking: Bridewell Gardens, Vineyard Gate.  Look for the scarecrow!

Added interest: guided walk and tour of garden and vineyard
Length of walk: about 5 miles led by Cotswold Warden, Ian Gourlay, pointing out many aspects of natural history, geology and local history.
Dogs: well behaved welcome, on short lead in the gardens.
Boots: advisable.
Lunch: picnic at Bridewell Gardens undercover if necessary!

Hope to see you there!

June walk - Hook Norton

Date: Saturday 23rd June 2012 – starting from car park of The Pear Tree Inn, Hook Norton.  OX15 5NU

Meet: 10.30 am to start about 10.45 am.

Route: circular, south of Hook Norton. 

Length: just over 5 miles long, some ups and downs, with some awkward stiles.

Lunch: at The Pear Tree Inn about 1.30pm.

Boots: advisable!

Dogs: well behaved dogs welcome.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Kirtlington Walk - UPDATE

Just a quick update on Saturdays (19/5/2012) walk.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the forecast, but I think it is a safer bet to revert to the pub option rather than a picnic.  The near by Rock of Gibraltar has a lovely garden if the weather does turn nice.

So to recap:

Meet at Kirtlington Village Hall car park.  (Link:  http://g.co/maps/msxhu) at 1030hrs, we will try and set off by 1100hrs. 

Take S Green off Heyford Road (A4095).

It's unlikely there will be toilet facilities I'm afraid!

The walk is around four and a half miles with some ups and downs including steps through some very pretty parts of the Cherwell Valley.

We will take a look around the old quarry in Kirtlington and will be joined by Lesley Dunlop from the Oxford Geology Group who will tell us a bit about some of the important things that have been found there.

Expect it to be muddy in places.

It’s a short drive down to the Rock of Gibraltar pub for lunch.  (http://www.therockofgibraltar.co.uk/)

I test walked the route a few weeks back.  Here is my GPS trail if you want to see where we are going:  http://gps.motionx.com/maps/c149c6ba1214cea5bdb5a20b68ad123e

May Walk - Kirtlington

Date: Saturday 19^th May 2012 – starting from Kirtlington.

Meet: 10.30 am to start about 10.45 am.

Route: circular to the nearby quarry, Tackley and Northbrook Bridge. 

Length: about 4 miles long, lots of up and downs, some with steps.

Lunch: picnic, weather permitting, or The Rock of Gibraltar, Enslow Bridge about 1.30pm.

Boots: advisable!
Dogs: well behaved dogs welcome.
Full details of meeting place nearer the time.
Looking forward to seeing you!

April Walk - Charney Bassett

Date: Saturday 21^st April 2012 – starting from The Chequers Inn, Charney Bassett, near Stanford in the Vale.

Meet: 10.30 am to start about 10.45 am.

Route: circular from Charney Bassett through fields and lanes towards Stanford in the Vale.

Length: about 5 miles long, very flat.

Lunch: tables booked at The Chequers Inn for about 1.30pm.

Boots: advisable!

Dogs: well behaved dogs welcome.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Beckley Walk

Date: Saturday 31^st March 2012 – starting from The Abingdon Arms, High Street, Beckley, Oxfordshire, OX3 9UU.

Meet: 10.30 am to start about 10.45 am

Route: to the RSPB Reserve on Otmoor with brief introductory talk from a reserve volunteer, opportunity for a quick visit to a reserve hide, through reserve towards Noke before returning to Beckley.

Length: about 5 miles long, fairly flat.

Lunch: tables booked at The Abingdon Arms for about 1.30pm.

Boots: advisable!

Dogs: well behaved dogs welcome and on a lead through the reserve.
N.B. Dogs not permitted in the area of the hide.

Looking forward to seeing you!

March Walk

Saturday 31^st March 2012 – probably in the Otmoor area, North East of Oxford.

Start: about 10.30am

Full details to follow as soon as the route and final arrangements have been checked.