Freeland-Barnard Gate-Eynsham-Church Hanborough
Ordnance Survey Explorer map (1:25,000):
180: Oxford
Length: 19km (12 miles).
Duration: 5.5 to 6.5 hours.
Start: Church Hanborough, Eynsham, Freeland or Barnard Gate
Public Houses:
Freeland: 01993 881 003
Church Hanborough: 01993 875 047
The Talbot Inn, Eynsham: 01865 881 348
Cafes
Lyall & Co Café, 11 High Street, Eynsham.
Where to Start?
This is a walk of two halves divided by the A40. To the north of the A40 the landscape is rolling or wooded and reminiscent of the Cotswolds. To the south we are in a landscape more reminiscent of the Thames valley and the countryside is flatter and more open.
There are a variety of starting points with parking, namely; Freeland, Church Hanborough, Eynsham and Barnard Gate and all have public houses in which to end your journey, although you would need to check The Boot in Barnard Gate.
While not my local, The Boot has, in the past, been a popular place with me as a food pub and I used to go there not infrequently for a delicious meal. However, I suppose it is somewhat isolated and struggles to maintain its custom base and the last time I passed it The Boot was locked up with a distinctly abandoned look about it.
Big Skies
Between the A40 and South Leigh the walk crosses a wide plateau with reasonably large fields. The wider views are restricted by the hedge lines, but I still got the sense of space and big skies. This is not a walk that offers many spectacular views, the exception being to the south of Church Hanborough. If you are walking in an anti-clockwise direction than as you approach Church Hanborough from the south you will be walking up probably the most significant climb during the walk. Ahead of you, you will see a stand of poplar trees. Once you get to them make sure you turn around and look behind you as the view is wonderful. Looking back on a regular basis is one of my walking rules and I would recommend that all hikers make this a part of their walking behaviour, as the view behind you can sometimes be better than the one in front of you.
Ancient Byway
It has to be said that, other than the view, the walk south of Church Hanborough is rather unremarkable, except for the fact that it has been suggested (although the evidence is not conclusive) that the path is part of a prehistoric route from the North Oxfordshire iron fields to Uffington on the Berkshire ridgeway, some distance to the south. As such, you could be walking in the steps of thousands of generations of people who have used this very same route. The footpath was a road which ran between Church Hanborough and Eynsham until its inclosure in 1773 at which time it became a footpath.
Tranquillity
In contrast to the roar of the A40 west of Barnard Gate, the walk also offers some moments of tranquillity, most notably along a short stretch of the River Evelode and through an area of woodland west of Freeland, known as Broad Marsh Woods. Although neither offers a convenient place for a sandwich/tea break, I found myself loitering along these sections of the walk to take in the calming effect of the natural environment. At the Evenlode I was entertained by the antics of a number of gulls flying up and down the river. While in the Broad Marsh Woods I was inspired by the magnificent oaks that can be found in the woodland.
Walking in the Footsteps of God
South of Eynsham is another area that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of modern-day life, but in a different way. Here you are in the grounds of the long lost Eynsham Abbey. This area has a country park feel with small areas of woodland and open areas where families can be found having picnics. The steep banked Chil Brook runs along its southern boundary.
The abbey was a Benedictine monastery founded in 1005 by Æthelmær the Stout (d.1015) a descendent of King Æthelred I (845/848-871) who granted permission for the establishment of the abbey. It was the last abbey to be established by a Saxon king. The abbey flourished in the middle ages, although there were probably no more than 30 monks in residence. However, the abbey went into decline and by the 16th century there were only a few monks left and it was dissolved in 1538 during Henry VIII’s reformation and dissolution of the monasteries and the buildings were wrecked to prevent monks returning. The buildings were subsequently used as a source of stone for new houses in the village and very little physical evidence of the abbey remains today. A sad end to a once great place.
Follow this link for more information about Eynsham Abbey
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Solar Farms, Gates and Traffic
The Barnard part of Barnard Gate may be a corruption of Barnyard, while the gate indicates it was the “gate” to a large tract of heath and woodland which remained uncultivated until the 18th century. There were also Cuckoo and Freeland gates. Freeland developed from a medieval freehold, probably worked from the site of the present Elm Farm, near a wood called the Frith (now called Thrift coppice). By the 16th century the ancient freehold was called Frithlands or Freelands and Freeland was a named address by the late 17th century.
Just west of Barnard Gate there is an opportunity to get up close and personal to a solar farm. I know the planning of these developments can cause controversy, but I shall show my cards by stating that I am in favour of them as an excellent means of generating clean, renewable electricity. And actually, this is an example of a very well-planned solar farm, it is tucked away behind a good screen of tall hedging and well away from people who might be offended by it. And indeed, this section of the walk is more affected by the rush of traffic than by the solar farm, which just sits there quietly generating clean electricity (during the day at least).
To the west of the solar farm, the walk follows a pavement beside the A40. This is the trunk road between Oxford and Cheltenham and beyond to the M5. It is also one of the main tourist routes into the Cotswolds and so is busy. As a consequence, it is noisy. I live about 2 miles north of the A40 and on quiet, still winter mornings I can sometimes hear the low rumble of traffic, even at that distance. However, I was still surprised by the volume of the noise from the traffic as I walked beside the road, and was very pleased to cross it and leave the noise behind. As I said this is a busy and fast road, especially during rush hour, so I recommend avoiding this section of the walk at those times, as crossing the road safely will be a challenge at the best of times.