Walk Report

Oxford Semi-Circus, Saturday 14th November 2015
12 walkers, 19 miles - leader Jerome Ripp
12 determined walkers undeterred by forecast of very bad weather met at Oxford station for a very enjoyable 19-mile semi-circular walk. There was drizzle in the air for part of the day and a heavy shower after lunch but overall the weather was quite OK for walking. We began with a tour of the town to see some of the colleges and famous buildings, including the leader's own alma mater college of Merton and the walk around Christchurch Meadows. A brief stop at Holywell cemetery (Kenneth Grahame and Kenneth Tynan are both buried here), then we headed onto the Mesopotamia path between two branches of the Cherwell river and steadily moved out of the town passing the vast Radcliffe Hospital and reached Headington. Passing close to the remains of Headington Quarry which had provided the stone for many college buildings, and through the CS Lewis nature reserve to Shotover Plain with views of the Cowley car works. Down through some delightful woodland to Garsington where the leader managed to find two closed pubs before finding an open one.
Suitably refreshed, even though it was instant coffee, we headed west towards the flood plains of the Thames and joined up with the Shakespeare Way to Sandford and the river. From here it was a pleasant towpath walk accompanied by many rowing groups and their trainers following the Thames to Osney Mead and back to the station.
Photographs by Paul Lawrence

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