Robinsons Rambles 1: Radley to Abingdon

Allow 2 ½ hours (3 hours if refreshments taken in Abingdon)

Journey by car

Turn left out of Le Manoir’s car park into Church Road. At the end of the road, turn right onto the A329. Follow the A329 to Stadhampton. In Stadhampton, turn right to Chiselhampton/Oxford and then, about a mile further on, turn left onto the B4015 and follow the signs to Clifton Hampden/Culham/Abingdon. Once in Abingdon, cross the bridge and head through the town, following the signs to Radley.

Walk

Park in the public car park at Radley Station (clearly signed as you enter Radley). Leave the car park turning to the right, and then right again over the bridge, heading down towards Lower Radley. Notice and follow the Thames Path signposts by taking a left fork, then turning right and then left down a private road to the river, where you turn right along the Thames Path. Follow this path downstream which leads under the Culham – Radley railway bridge until you see a modern building housing a leisure complex on your right.

At this point, there is a choice of paths. Take the right hand path towards the leisure centre and as you meet the surfaced cycle path, turn left and continue along this path, crossing an area called Barton Fields, until it rejoins the Thames Path.


Cross over the river by a wooden bridge, a footway over the weir and the gates over Abingdon Lock. Turn right and continue along the river to the bridge at Abingdon. Refreshments can be enjoyed in a number of hostelries once you have crossed the bridge into Abingdon.

For the return journey, continue up Stert Street, at the top turn right and shortly after fork right at a large Catholic Church into the Radley Road. Continue along the left hand side pavement to the outskirts of Abingdon. After a roundabout, follow a cyclepath/footpath which runs alongside fields, parallel to the road. When this ends, continue straight into Radley along the pavements until you meet the sign to the station. Re-enter the car park. (If preferred, the return to Radley can be made via a 35, 35A or 35B bus, any of which serve the return walk.)