Staeyn two

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Staeyn here.

This walk started as a survey of StaEyn1, but I decided while sorting out the actual route to be followed around West End to take a detailed track of a significantly more direct route. This alternate route does follow a section of the Thames Path starting at West End, but leaves when the Thames Path turns east towards Pinkhill Lock and the river in favour of following a green farm lane and then a footpath direct to the south of Eynsham. The Thames Path, a route I've walked many times, is scenic, but in following the river does meander somewhat. Also, once at Swinford Bridge, there is no choice but to trudge the narrow pavement beside the often unpleasantly busy B4044 for nearly 1km before taking a huge dog-leg into Eynsham. This route does join Oxford Road in Eynsham for the last 400m or so, but at a point only 100m before where StaEyn1 joins that road, and well after the B4044 traffic has turned off towards the A40.

I walked Standlake to Eynsham. Leaving Standlake is a pleasant walk through a small village. The church is well worth a look. After than one heads into gravel pit country. You need to keep an eye out for traffic for the short section along Cow Lane. Immediately after that you turn into a gravel pit section that is rather unpleasantly fenced, the fences often accompanied by some rather threatening signage. Once you leave that behind at West End there's a short walk along the lane to join the Thames Path, and the only remaining dicing with traffic is crossing the B4449 once you reach the south of Eynsham. There's two or three stiles - the pictured one on the Thames Path is about as bad as it gets.

In summary, then, you don't get to walk alongside the river or to visit Pinkhill Lock. But you do avoid a busy road, take a nicer route into Eynsham and save yourself a good km or more of walking

This walk started as a survey of StaEyn1, but I decided while sorting out the actual route to be followed around West End to take a detailed track of a significantly more direct route. This alternate route does follow a section of the Thames Path starting at West End, but leaves when the Thames Path turns east towards Pinkhill Lock and the river in favour of following a green farm lane and then a footpath direct to the south of Eynsham. The Thames Path, a route I've walked many times, is scenic, but in following the river does meander somewhat. Also, once at Swinford Bridge, there is no choice but to trudge the narrow pavement beside the often unpleasantly busy B4044 for nearly 1km before taking a huge dog-leg into Eynsham. This route does join Oxford Road in Eynsham for the last 400m or so, but at a point only 100m before where StaEyn1 joins that road, and well after the B4044 traffic has turned off towards the A40.

I walked Standlake to Eynsham. Leaving Standlake is a pleasant walk through a small village. The church is well worth a look. After than one heads into gravel pit country. You need to keep an eye out for traffic for the short section along Cow Lane. Immediately after that you turn into a gravel pit section that is rather unpleasantly fenced, the fences often accompanied by some rather threatening signage. Once you leave that behind at West End there's a short walk along the lane to join the Thames Path, and the only remaining dicing with traffic is crossing the B4449 once you reach the south of Eynsham. There's two or three stiles - the pictured one on the Thames Path is about as bad as it gets.

In summary, then, you don't get to walk alongside the river or to visit Pinkhill Lock. But you do avoid a busy road, take a nicer route into Eynsham and save yourself a good km or more of walking