Section 47 Return
Aston Tirrold to Streatley (Goring)
Walk Details
| Map | OS Explorer 170 Abingdon & Wantage |
|---|---|
| Distance/Time | 5 miles/3 hours |
| Start | The Chequers Inn, Aston Tirrold; parking on street around village or at the recreation ground, about ¼ mile away, towards the end of the return section. |
| Comment | A hilly start with good views, then a gradual descent to the River Thames. The last two miles are along the Thames Path as there is no other way. If the path is ever flooded do not go down Ferry Lane but turn right at the crossroads and follow the main road. |
Walk Instructions
With The Chequers inn behind and facing the War Memorial, turn left down Baker Street (all other roads go slightly uphill). The church tower is immediately in view. Pass a field on your left and then turn left into a footpath between a hedge and a fence.
Keep on this path to pass the church of St. Michael (worth a visit with features dating back to Norman times and beyond). Leave the churchyard down a flight of steps and reach a road. Turn left on the road. In 10 metres turn off right on a path along a concrete track. Continue to a junction of tracks by a metal kissing gate and many fieldgates. Ignore the kissing gate and turn right past a metal fieldgate onto a grassy track between a fence on your left and a hedge on your right. Continue for some way.
Eventually swing right by a pond and reach a bridleway with vast field and stile beyond. Ignore the stile and turn left on the bridleway.
In ¼ mile, where the fence on your right ends by a double metal fieldgate, turn right, off the bridleway, on a footpath going uphill across the open field. In the top corner bear left onto a grassy path with a wire fence on your left towards a telegraph pole. There are excellent views.
At a T-junction turn right downhill. At a Y-fork, bear left on a raised path along the top edge of a field with a wire fence on your left.
In ¼ mile reach a T-junction with a rough asphalt bridleway. Turn right, down and up to a road.
Cross the road and continue uphill on a steep track. At the top go forward towards a house, with a treeline on your left.
By the house, bear left through trees, following a wooden fence on your right, out to a road. Cross and go straight across the open field to the hedge at the far side. Turn right downhill to a T-junction. Turn left to head downhill towards Moulsford. Pass farm buildings and a tennis court to reach a double metal fieldgate. Go round and on to a corner of a road. Turn right downhill on the road past a large building and cottages.
At the bottom reach a playing field. Bear left across the centre to the top opposite corner (ignore a gap in the hedge on the left near the top).
Exit right in the corner and go on up a path enclosed between a hedge on your left and a wire fence towards a house. Emerge onto a residential road. Turn right on the road and follow it around to a crossroads.
Cross with care and go down Ferry Lane opposite. This is now the Thames Path. On reaching a pub, bear left through the car park and right down to the pub riverside terrace. Turn right between the pub and the river.
Stay on the Thames Path with the river on your left for two miles. No more instructions are needed; just follow the river path. These are water meadows so be prepared for mud.
On nearing Streatley, stay with the path as it turns away from the river and winds through trees to eventually pass St. Mary’s Church and emerge on the main road in the village. Turn left a short distance down to The Swan inn and the start of the section.
(If going to Goring, take the road over the River Thames bridge, then on through the village and finally over a bridge over the railway to reach a T-junction on the previous section of the walk. Goring Station is down on the right).
