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The Glyme Valley Way

The map at the top of this page gives you an idea of the route our walking trail takes from Chippy to Woodstock, through the communities of Chalford, Lidstone, Enstone, Cleveley, Kiddington, Glympton, Wootton and Old Woodstock.Ìý

But if you're planning to walk any part of the route - or perhaps work out a circular walk of your own - you need to download the trail leaflet put together by Oxfordshire's Countryside Service.

You're also advised to use the leaflet in conjunction with the large-scale (1:25000) Ordnance Survey maps for Banbury (map 191) and Oxford (180), though if you're an experienced map-reader it's possible to get by with the 1:50000 map.

The leaflet also gives details of the regular bus service between Chippy and Woodstock, with stops at Enstone and Kiddington - which makes it possible to do the walk in short stages.

Follow the Glyme through Clevely...

Importantly, there's also information about the pubs and shops at Enstone, Wootton and Glympton!

We hope to publish a detailed route description in due course.

And the Countryside Service team plans to put up special way-marking signs. In the meantime, watch out for the familiar markers for public footpaths and bridleways.

At Blenheim Palace, there's an extra loop that takes you into the historic parkland designed by the great Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, the father of England landscape gardening. The leaflet sets out a suggested route along the many public footpaths through the park, but you can devise your own or just follow your nose - and maybe try to find the stone plinth marking the site of the royal manor built by King Henry I.

Incidentally, there is no public right of way across the grand bridge that spans the lake, and the public footpaths don't go up to the palace itself.

Kiddington House

You can read about the manor - and its thousand years of history - elsewhere in our Glyme Valley Way section.