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Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1

Walk 38 : Hanborough to Charlbury

Updates and Feedback

Summary	No major changes.

Updates	[Jun-08] Lunchtime pubs in Stonesfield : The White Horse has reopened as a gastro-pub/restaurant. You will need to book in advance for Sunday Lunch. However, The Black Head has closed. For picnics, there is a small shop a little further on. There are many nice pubs in Charlbury at the end of the walk. The short cut, mentioned in the text, is quite pretty. [red / blue editions only] Short detour around the Column of Victory in Blenheim Park, keeping to public footpaths, and avoiding a potentially locked gate. At the column, turn right (with Blenheim palace now on your right) and walk across the field on an unmarked path, initially level with a fence away to your left. Where the field begins to descend follow it down with no clear path, to the private car road in the valley below. Turn left along this road. Follow the road as it rises to the left and then turns right. You can now see the column behind you once more, and are between two avenues of young trees, with a fence away to your left. Continue until the end of the fence on your left, which has stile with a footpath marked. Go left to this stile and cross it. You are then at [5] in the book.

Updates

[Jun-08] Lunchtime pubs in Stonesfield : The White Horse has reopened as a gastro-pub/restaurant. You will need to book in advance for Sunday Lunch. However, The Black Head has closed. For picnics, there is a small shop a little further on.

There are many nice pubs in Charlbury at the end of the walk.

The short cut, mentioned in the text, is quite pretty.

[red / blue editions only] Short detour around the Column of Victory in Blenheim Park, keeping to public footpaths, and avoiding a potentially locked gate.
At the column, turn right (with Blenheim palace now on your right) and walk across the field on an unmarked path, initially level with a fence away to your left. Where the field begins to descend follow it down with no clear path, to the private car road in the valley below. Turn left along this road. Follow the road as it rises to the left and then turns right. You can now see the column behind you once more, and are between two avenues of young trees, with a fence away to your left. Continue until the end of the fence on your left, which has stile with a footpath marked. Go left to this stile and cross it. You are then at [5] in the book.

Feedback	[add your comment] 1 comments Posted by PeteB : Monday, 14 July, 2008 The track just before Point [9] was very narrow and overgrown when I did the walk on 13 July 2008 with nettles, brambles and other weed growth making progress quite difficult. It is also slippery underfoot when it is wet. The good news is that towards the end of this 400m stretch work is underway to clear and widen the path and hopefully this will continue for the remainder. I am a bit bemused by the new instructions when at the victory column. I walk past it go over a lower part of the fence directly ahead (there's an even lower section 70m to your left)and turn left to meet the wooden field fence on my left and then continue for 700m.........etc

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1 comments

Posted by

PeteB : Monday, 14 July, 2008

The track just before Point [9] was very narrow and overgrown when I did the walk on 13 July 2008 with nettles, brambles and other weed growth making progress quite difficult. It is also slippery underfoot when it is wet. The good news is that towards the end of this 400m stretch work is underway to clear and widen the path and hopefully this will continue for the remainder.

I am a bit bemused by the new instructions when at the victory column. I walk past it go over a lower part of the fence directly ahead (there's an even lower section 70m to your left)and turn left to meet the wooden field fence on my left and then continue for 700m.........etc

Older Updates	Edition	Date	Page	Location	Update
	red				One tearoom in Charlbury is worth the slight detour: the Number 11 Coffee House Restaurant, 11 Sheep St - the far end of Sheep Street - (tel 01608 810564) which can seat up to 14 or so walkers round the tables, and is open till 9pm on Saturdays, 5pm other days, except closed Mondays and Tuesdays. It's slightly pricey at 4.25 pounds for a cream tea.
	blue	Sep-02	296	tea	A walker recommends the pub on the corner, just beyond the Bell Hotel and nearly opposite it, as being very obliging for tea.
	green	Sep-03	296	col 2	Tea. apart from the Bell Hotel there are three other pubs in Charlbury, including the Rose and Crown and the Farmers Arms. Continuing past the Bell Hotel, two of these are at the next road junction (with Sheep Street) and the third is by turning right in Sheep Street and is on the left of the street. Also on the left of Sheep Street before this pub are "The 8 till late shop" and a newsagent that closes at 5pm. Both of these sell snacks and drinks.
	green	Sep-03	296	col 2, para 2	On reaching the A4095, turn right and in a few yards cross the road at the pedestrian and cycle crossing. Then turn left.
	green	Sep-03	296	col 2, para 3	Park Lane is marked with a sign in the hedge opposite.
	blue	Sep-02	298	col 1, para 7	250 metres on The two footpath signs are a few metres beyond a house marked "Boltons Farm".
	blue	Sep-02	298	col 2, last para	go left over the stile or go through the adjacent gate.
	green	Sep-03	298	col 1, para 1	On approaching a wide gap in the hedge ahead, turn right through a narrow gap in the hedge to your right and immediately left along the left hand edge of that field. In 300m you come to the far corner (etc).
	green	Sep-03	298	col 1, para 6	The footpath signs pointing left and right are a few metres after the house on the right called "Boltons Farm".
	green	Sep-03	298	col 2, para 2	The Combe Gate entrance has a prominent notice about vehicles exiting by another exit and not disturbing the lodge.
	green	Sep-03	298	col 2, penultimate para	Where you turn left for the stile is a sign with a blue (C).
	green	Sep-03	299	col 2, para 4	The route across the middle of the fields is unfenced both sides.
	green	Sep-03	299	col 2, para 5	Follow the edge of the woodland, following a yellow footpath arrow in the trees. In 30 metres turn left on an unmarked path. IN 30 metres follow a yellow footpath post over the wooden bridge.
	green	Sep-03	300	col 1, para 3	After crossing the road, there is a hedge and valley on your left. At the end of the field, pass a stone wall and turn right, then immediately left to continue following the hedge and valley on your left.
	green	Sep-03	300	col 2, para 2	Along Pond Hill on the right is a Spar supermarket that sells drinks and snacks.
	green	Sep-03	300	col 2, para 2	The book refers to a previous lunch stop, now defunct. Instead "Follow Pond Hill to the T-junction with the bus stop (buses every hour or two to Charlbury) and green. Turn left, following the sign to Fawler and Charlbury.
	green	Sep-03	300	col 2, last para	The blue arrow has faded.
	green	Sep-03	300	shortcut	the shortcut into Charlbury is well worth taking, an idyllic green tunnel which whizzed two of us to Charlbury by 3pm - Tom Brooks
	blue	Sep-02	301	col 2, last para [9]	crossing over the stile - there is no stile so go through the gap. The path between hedgerows is impenetrable with brambles so continue to the right of the hedge in the same field, later exiting at the white farmgate on your left as before.
	green	Sep-03	301	col 1, para 4	Neither Finstock station nor Combe station have any Saturday trains later than the early morning.
	green	Sep-03	301	col 1, last para	In 125 metres go over a stile by a padlocked wooden field gate.
	blue	Sep-02	302	col 1, para 3	(and much earlier a walker reports) In 650 metres there is no wooden fence so follow the clear unfenced track. You come to a car-wide track also now unfenced. "In 90 metres turn half left" - still there is no fence. "In 330 metres" - again there is no fence.
	blue	Sep-02	302	col 2, para 2	At the top of the carpark the stile is unusually large and solid.