Description
I added this route due to the safety problems highlighted in Oxford-Thame One. Most of it is the same, except for the Wheatley-Waterstock section.
Path review
The town and village sections of the Oxford-Thame (Oxftha) path are suitable for wheels, and a few sections of track would be viable for more rugged bicycles, but much of the path is only suitable for those on foot. The high point is at Shotover, and consequently the hills are either side of that, and leaving central Oxford, but otherwise, it's fairly flat.
Tricky turns - towards Oxford
1. Leaving Thame High Street, the path ducks off through a narrow brick-lined gap, between Co-op Funeral Care and Costa Coffee.
2. Approaching Moreton, the path opens out onto a field. Turn right at this point.
3. Leaving Moreton, take the right turn (which immediately bends left), not the straight on track.
4. When you emerge onto the A329 at the Oxfordshire Golf Club gate, continue for 100m before taking the Oxfordshire Way sign into Rycote Old Paddock.
5. As soon as you leave the Home Farm buildings (just after leaving the Rycote estate), turn left.
6. In Tiddington, the path that leaves the A418 is opposite the Oxford Caravan Centre. Go between the houses – the path you take after that is diagonal across the field.
Tricky turns – towards Thame
1. After the section of the Oxfordshire Way on Waterstock Golf Course, continue straight onto the field. The path initially keeps to the right edge of the field, but then cuts diagonally across it towards the houses on the A418 at Tiddington.
2. At Albury Church, join the Oxfordshire Way. Continue through Home Farm, and keep left, taking the stile into Rycote Estate.
3. At the A329, turn left and continue for 100m. Cross the stile next to the Oxfordshire Golf Course gate, and turn immediately left over a second stile.
4. The route through Moreton is pretty straight – at the end, take the narrow right-hand path adjacent to the sign saying ‘Brook Cottage’
I added this route due to the safety problems highlighted in Oxford-Thame One. Most of it is the same, except for the Wheatley-Waterstock section.
Path review
The town and village sections of the Oxford-Thame (Oxftha) path are suitable for wheels, and a few sections of track would be viable for more rugged bicycles, but much of the path is only suitable for those on foot. The high point is at Shotover, and consequently the hills are either side of that, and leaving central Oxford, but otherwise, it's fairly flat.
Tricky turns - towards Oxford
1. Leaving Thame High Street, the path ducks off through a narrow brick-lined gap, between Co-op Funeral Care and Costa Coffee.
2. Approaching Moreton, the path opens out onto a field. Turn right at this point.
3. Leaving Moreton, take the right turn (which immediately bends left), not the straight on track.
4. When you emerge onto the A329 at the Oxfordshire Golf Club gate, continue for 100m before taking the Oxfordshire Way sign into Rycote Old Paddock.
5. As soon as you leave the Home Farm buildings (just after leaving the Rycote estate), turn left.
6. In Tiddington, the path that leaves the A418 is opposite the Oxford Caravan Centre. Go between the houses – the path you take after that is diagonal across the field.
Tricky turns – towards Thame
1. After the section of the Oxfordshire Way on Waterstock Golf Course, continue straight onto the field. The path initially keeps to the right edge of the field, but then cuts diagonally across it towards the houses on the A418 at Tiddington.
2. At Albury Church, join the Oxfordshire Way. Continue through Home Farm, and keep left, taking the stile into Rycote Estate.
3. At the A329, turn left and continue for 100m. Cross the stile next to the Oxfordshire Golf Course gate, and turn immediately left over a second stile.
4. The route through Moreton is pretty straight – at the end, take the narrow right-hand path adjacent to the sign saying ‘Brook Cottage’
Status
This route has been reviewed by 3 people.
This route has been flagged (1 time) for reasons relating to safety.
Photos for Oxftha two
Photos of this route will appear when they are added to a review. You can review this route here.
Information
Route status - Live
Reviews - 3
Average rating -
Is this route good enough? - Yes (2) No (1)
Problems reported - Safety (1)
Downloads - 18
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Geography information system (GIS) data
Total length
Maximum elevation
Minimum elevation
Start and end points
Oxford
Grid Ref
SP5050306292
Lat / Lon
51.75306° / -1.26977°
Easting / Northing
450,503E / 206,292N
What3Words
hidden.prep.round
Thame
Grid Ref
SP7064505914
Lat / Lon
51.74748° / -0.97809°
Easting / Northing
470,645E / 205,914N
What3Words
cobbles.minivans.plastic
Oxford | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | SP5050306292 |
Lat / Lon | 51.75306° / -1.26977° |
Easting / Northing | 450,503E / 206,292N |
What3Words | hidden.prep.round |
Thame | |
---|---|
Grid Ref | SP7064505914 |
Lat / Lon | 51.74748° / -0.97809° |
Easting / Northing | 470,645E / 205,914N |
What3Words | cobbles.minivans.plastic |
Sorry Land Cover data is not currently available for this route. Please check back later.
reviews
Alan Milosevic
27 Aug 2024As someone living in Oxford I looked forward to reviewing this route and took the X20 to Thame. I took extensive notes and photographs with the intention of providing a thorough review but the section from Waterperry to Wheatley is simply too dangerous and unpleasant to recommend.
For completeness, the section from Thame to Waterperry is great (4/5) and the section from Wheatley to Oxford via Shotover is walked by thousands every year and well documented.
Martin Ellis
02 Aug 2024 (edited 17 Aug 2024)Oxford to Thame 2 (Oxftha 2) review.
A longer Slow Way which heads east out of Oxford; to visit several villages via footpaths, including a stretch of the Oxfordshire Way.
From Oxford train station, the first three miles are through the heart of the city, and then beside roads. This is not as arduous as it sounds, as there are plenty of historic sights to enjoy (Photo 1).
Once beyond the A412, there is an ascent to reach a grassy path along the northern edge of Shotover Country Park. For a longer (and shadier on a hot day) walk, there are footpaths through the woods (Photo 2).
There’s a break point at The Sun in Wheatley (Photo 3), although I was too early to try it out. The village had a unique way to deal with unrest (Photo 4).
The road to the M40 bridge is partially avoided via footpaths. I found the stiles in some disrepair (a general issue on this Slow Way). Some fence scrambling was required (Photo 5).
As pointed out in the previous review, the approach to the M40 bridge bends right with little verge on that side. I thought it best to cautiously walk along the left-hand verge (Photo 6).
It was a very hot day, so the Waterperry Farm Shop was a welcome surprise: a cold drink and ice cream! (Photo 7). At this point the route joins the Oxfordshire Way long-distance walk.
The Slow Way crosses the River Thame by a picturesque mill in Waterstock (Photo 8). A concerned local asked if I was a surveyor. There’s ongoing opposition to a large development proposal (Waterstock Science Park).
There is a break point at The Fox and Goat in Tiddington (Photo 9). More cold drinks were ordered.
The Slow Way passes through the woods of Rycote Park and by Rycote Chapel (Photo 10). A narrow footpath between a hedgerow and a thistle-lined fence was alive with 'hedge brown' butterflies and damselflies (Photo 11). The route leaves the Oxfordshire Way at the A329.
Across the A329, a footpath skirts a golf course. Don’t be fooled by a stile which led me onto a maze of paths within the course – keep to the outside.
The final part of this Slow Way is a straightforward walk through Moreton village, and then well-maintained footpaths into Thame, finishing outside the town hall (Photo 12).
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Share your thoughts
Martin McGovern
30 Mar 2022 (edited 24 Jan 2024)NB - this text is mostly a copy of the route description. I thought it was sufficiently detailed to be a review.
I added this route due to the safety problems highlighted in Oxford-Thame One. Most of it is the same, except for the Wheatley-Waterstock section.
One note of warning: the section where the route crosses the M40 is on road. It isn't a very busy road, but there are no pavements, and it bends, so extra care is needed.
Path review
The town and village sections of the Oxford-Thame (Oxftha) path are suitable for wheels, and a few sections of track would be viable for more rugged bicycles, but much of the path is only suitable for those on foot. The high point is at Shotover, and consequently the hills are either side of that, and leaving central Oxford, but otherwise, it's fairly flat.
Tricky turns - towards Oxford
1. Leaving Thame High Street, the path ducks off through a narrow brick-lined gap, between Co-op Funeral Care and Costa Coffee.
2. Approaching Moreton, the path opens out onto a field. Turn right at this point.
3. Leaving Moreton, take the right turn (which immediately bends left), not the straight on track.
4. When you emerge onto the A329 at the Oxfordshire Golf Club gate, continue for 100m before taking the Oxfordshire Way sign into Rycote Old Paddock.
5. As soon as you leave the Home Farm buildings (just after leaving the Rycote estate), turn left.
6. In Tiddington, the path that leaves the A418 is opposite the Oxford Caravan Centre. Go between the houses – the path you take after that is diagonal across the field.
Tricky turns – towards Thame
1. After the section of the Oxfordshire Way on Waterstock Golf Course, continue straight onto the field. The path initially keeps to the right edge of the field, but then cuts diagonally across it towards the houses on the A418 at Tiddington.
2. At Albury Church, join the Oxfordshire Way. Continue through Home Farm, and keep left, taking the stile into Rycote Estate.
3. At the A329, turn left and continue for 100m. Cross the stile next to the Oxfordshire Golf Course gate, and turn immediately left over a second stile.
4. The route through Moreton is pretty straight – at the end, take the narrow right-hand path adjacent to the sign saying ‘Brook Cottage’.
-
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