Oxfber one

Verified Slow Way

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Oxford to Berinsfield (Oxfber 1) review.

A pleasant walk south out of Oxford which first follows the Thames Path National Trail, and then takes farmland footpaths into Berinsfield. Some the of paths proved tricky to follow.

The Slow Way leaves the Thames Path at Sandford Lock (Photo 1) for footpaths across fields. Two pylons on the route via Lower Farm made handy navigation aids (Photo 2). The bothersome cows mentioned in previous reviews were not encountered on this occasion. I had to wander around a bit at Nineveh Farm to find the correct route.

There is a break point at The Seven Stars in Marsh Baldon. A recently ploughed field south of the village obscured the footpaths (Photo 4), but I muddled through without too much trouble.

A bridleway leads south towards Berinsfield, with a clear view of the distinctive water tower from the former RAF airfield (Photo 5).

This route can be hard to follow in places but takes in some beautiful scenery. The section from Oxford to Sandford is very straightforward but there are cows in the fields beyond from April to October. You need to assess where they are when you enter the first field beyond Sandford Lock and can avoid them by going left up the hill just before the fenced off section of woods, or if necessary, taking the road uphill from the lock and following the laneway to the right opposite the hotel field. You'll end up rejoining the route at Lower Farm. From here you must track diagonally across fields which can be confusing, and there is a short section on the busy A4074 to rejoin the route on the far side, which is again confusing as the markings through Nineveh farm are not clear. Marsh Baldon is a very scenic village and its rural lanes and fields all the way from here to Berinsfield.

The route isn’t suitable for anything with wheels – there aren’t that many stiles, but there are several tight gates that would be a challenge, and significant sections can be muddy.
I tackled this route starting from Berinsfield, which has a different feel from other villages in the area, having been developed from an old RAF air base. The route is flat and varied, and relatively easy to follow.
I find that when a path cuts across a field, rather than around the edge of it, the path can be difficult to follow. This was particularly true of this route, with two significant sections (one running westward out of Marsh Baldon towards Nineveh Farm, and one from the A4074 to Lower Farm) being difficult to identify. The Marsh Baldon section was a wheatfield which had been harvested, and was therefore easy to cross, but the A4074-Lower Farm section had fully grown pea plants on it.
There are plenty of amenities at each end, though little else until you reach Sandford.
The previous review mentioned problems with bullocks in a field. I didn’t have the same problem at the same place, but there were several bullocks at Marsh Baldon. I could see them before I entered the field, and was able to avoid them by using the road for a short section.

Tricky Turns
Berinsfield to Oxford
1. Leaving March Baldon, the path continues straight as the road bends to the left.
2. At Lower Farm, the path appears to take you into a driveway. Be persistent – you’ll see a sign between two brick buildings, and follow that.
Oxford to Berinsfield
1. Having crossed the Thames at Sandford Lock, turn right as you leave the Kings Arms. The path twists and turns between the houses, but the signs help.

I walked part of the Oxford to Berinsfield route with the intention of completing the whole route and doing a survey. We got as far as Sandford and having had to cross a stile to enter a set of fields heading to Lower Farm, we encountered a herd of young and frisky bullocks which were very interested in us and rushed us. Having become stuck in a corner of a field, we had to escape through barbed wire fence and wade through a ditch of mud to get away.
There didn't seem to be another route other than through a set of interconnected where the large herd was, so we decided to turn back. On another day, or later in the year, we might not have encountered the cows, and they might not have been so excitable, but it was enough to make us have concern for our safety and turn back.
The route has a number of obstacles that wheelers should be aware of, I am attaching the photos I took of them.

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