Oxfordshire - Walk 3

Sheepcot to Hartslock along Thames

Length 5.0 miles
Parking Parking at Sheepcot recreation ground, RG8 0EN
Eating & Drinking A variety of pubs to choose from in Goring, including the Miller of Mansfield, the John Barleycorn and the Catherine Wheel
Route Start in the Sheepcot recreation car park and walk onto the field with the tennis courts to your right. Head up the hill keeping the hedgerows on your right and move into the far right corner of the field where you will find a footpath. Follow this footpath up a hill with field on your right. Go up to the brow of the hill an over, following the footpath round and own to the right. Go through a gate and then another with which leads into the Great Chalk Wood. Follow the footpath up on a gradual incline up through the wood. You will eventually reach a right turn off which you should take going due south at point A. When you reach near the edge of the wood turn left, follow the path along and then turn right through a gate and onto a field. Cross the field to another gate which will lead to the back of a farm. Take the track on the right and turn left onto a footpath that leads round the back of a cottage. Go through another gate and out onto a tarmac road where you should turn left. Skirt around the cottage and other farm buildings and out into the open with fields on both sides. Follow the road until you reach B, turning right onto a footpath and right again going downhill down a path with trees on both sides. Keep on this path which will continue to descend until eventually you will come out into the open at point C. You will see Hartslock Nature Reserve on your left. Go through the gate into the nature reserve, climbing the hill to the top where there are splendid views over the Thames, and also orchids if you come at the right time of year! Go down the hill and out of the gate at the bottom, turning right onto the Thames Path. Follow the Thames Path back to Goring keeping left where possible to hug close to the river. You will cross under the railway bridge and also go through Little Meadow Nature Reserve with Goring Boat Club on the opposite bank. Head back into Goring via the tow path at D, joinging the High Street. Follow the High Street through Goring up to the railway bridge which you should cross, turning right at the T junction. Go past Tesco on your left and the railway station on your right and up a slight incline. Turn left back into the Sheepcot car park.
Notes At Hartslock the Monkey orchids flower from early May to early/mid June and the Lady orchids flower from the end of April to the end of May. Please see https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/hartslock for more information.
GPX Download Sheepcot to Hartslock along Thames.zip


Hartlock%20map


Hartslock
View from Hartslock to the Thames Railway Bridge, Oxfordshire
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