Kidlington Circular Walk

4 miles (6.3 km)

This walk takes you around the pretty village of Kidlington near Oxford. On the way you'll enjoy nice views of the River Cherwell, the Oxford Canal and the surrounding countryside. The route runs for about 4 miles on fairly flat footpaths with a couple of small climbs on the way.
The walk starts from the St Mary The Virgin Church car park on the outskirts of the village. The noteworthy church dates from the 13th century and includes fine medieval stained glass with a 220-foot (67�m) spire known as 'Our Lady's Needle'. It is a�Grade I listed building.
From the church car park you can pick up footpaths heading north over the river towards the little village of Hampton Poyle. You then turn north west to follow another path through the countryside to Hampton Gay. Here you cross the river and the canal to reach Shipton-on-Cherwell. You can then pick up a nice waterside section along the canal towpath to the little hamlet of Thrupp Canal Walk where you could stop for refreshments at the The�Boat Inn. The final section then takes you from Thrupp along the Cherwell back to the church.
The long distance Oxford Green Belt Way runs past the village so you could pick this up near Hampton Poyle. It offers and alternative route for reaching Shipton-on-Cherwell.
You could further extend the walk by following the canal south into Oxford, via Wolvercote.
To the west of the village you will find the town of Woodstock and the splendid Blenheim Park which has some lovely trails to try. Also nearby are Wytham Woods.

Kidlington Circular Walk Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Kidlington Circular Walk Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Kidlington Circular Walk OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Kidlington Circular Walk Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head north along the canal and you will come to Kirtlington where you can explore the Kirtlington Quarry Nature Reserve. It's an interesting site where the fossils of several species of extinct mammal having been found. The historic Kirklington Park estate is also located in this area.