Oxfordshire - Walk 4

Sheepcot to Cold Harbour and back via South Stoke

Length 7.3 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 come to some turnings off the main path but keep going ahead on the main path. You will coninue to ascend gradually until you get to T junction in the path at A where you should turen left. Go past some houses on your left and follow the path through until you reach a tarmac road where you should turn right. Follow the road along until you reach a fork- keep left. Follow the road around to the left and you will see a number of beautiful cottages on your left. You will come to another junction where you should turn left onto a road that becomes a bridleway. Follow the road down until you get to the last house and then follow the footpath to the right of it. Continue on and down into a dip- cross a track and go back up via the footpath. Follow the path round and it will eventually come out into some fields just south of Cray's Pond. Be careful when crossing the Reading Road and head away from the road on the track that is to your left. Follow the track downwards into some woods. You will reach a dip that can often be muddy and this will then tkae you out onto the road at B. Turn left on the road, proceed for about a hundred yards then turn right off it to a signposted footpath. Ascend up the footpath and there will be lovely views of Goring to the left. A track will trun right but keep left on the footpath which skirts some woods on the right. Follow the path into the woods. Keep on this track ignoring any intersections until you come out of the woods next to a pig farm. Take the track to the left and turn right on the intersection at C. Join the road and head across the intersection and towards the farm buildings. Keep on this road which will take you close to South Stoke. At point D cross the Wallingford road and go into the strawberry farm. Turn left and head towards the building at the end of the field. When you reach the road at the top turn right and head towards the railway bridge. Cross the bridge and head downwards bearing left and onto the footpath which runs parallel with the Thames. Follow this path until it brings you back into Goring at Mill road. Turn right and up onto Cleeve road, following it uphill until you see a pathway on your right which you take at point E. Follow this path which brings you out at Thames Bank. Follow the road until you reach the High street at the village hall, turning left. Follow the High street up to the bridge which you should cross, turning right at the T junction. Follow the road along past the station, ascend slightly and then turn left back onto the Sheepcot recreation ground.
Notes For an alternative shorter walk, turn left at C and follow the road back into Goring. Go back onto the Wallingford road, turning left and follow this road back to Goring station and the Sheepcot recreation ground.
GPX Download Sheepcot to Cold Harbour and back via South Stoke.zip


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Bluebells in the Great Chalk Wood near Goring, Oxfordshire
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