Day out to Heyford

Saturday 18^th July

Lift Bridge

We are not going any further on this canal and are now going to head back up, but found out the train went to Heyford which is a bit further down the canal and the train station at Heyford is right on the canal so we decided to catch the train there today.  It is only about 20 minutes on the train and then we were there and you get off the train and the canal runs alongside it, very handy.  It was another lovely sunny day and we discovered there was a 2 miles circular walk around Lower Heyford and Upper Heyford, so we thought we would give that a go.  

We walked up the towpath, past the lift bridge.  This southern section of the Oxford canal was opened in 1790 and the Lower Heyford wharf was an original feature.  The Oxford to  Banbury branch of the Great Western Railway was opened in 1850 and Heyford was one of the three original intermediate stations.  

The Barley Mow, Upper Heyford

Upper Heyford Church

We carried on up the canal to Allen’s lock, then left the canal and up the track to the road and into Upper Heyford.  We made a little detour from the walk and walked up the hill to The Barley Mow pub for a refreshment stop.  We walked back down the hill and carried on with the walk, past Upper Heyford church, through a field of sheep then onto a concrete road and past the water treatment works, we then had to cross a huge field of sweetcorn and the path we had to walk on was very overgrown, the grass was waist height in some parts.  Kev had shorts on, so stung his legs a bit!!  Then back down the road adjacent to the lift bridge, along there and we were back in Lower Heyford.  There is a lot of old cottages and buildings in this street and the traditional red painted telephone kiosk has been listed to preserve the character of the corner.

Lower Heyford

The Bell Inn

We then came to The Bell pub which is on the corner of market square where we had another refreshment stop.  The Bell is late 17^th/early18th Century and has a most unusual narrow window extending to the full height at the rear.  Markets were once held regularly in Market Square, the last being around 1900.

Heyford Station

We walked down past Lower Heyford church, down a little pathway and we were back on the canal where we started.  It was a really nice walk and enabled us to see Lower and Upper Heyford.

Lower Heyford Wharf

Opposite the station is Lower Heyford Wharf, which has a chandlery and a café with a garden right on the canal so we had lunch there.  

Rousham House

After lunch and a rest, we walked down the road to Rousham House and gardens.  The house dates from 1635 and was enlarged and its gardens landscaped in 1730 by William Kent.  We had a walk around there then back to the station and got the train back.  Lower Heyford is such a lovely place, really peaceful and very pretty, we were glad we ventured there.

We are staying in Banbury until Tuesday, but on Monday we are going to move again back through the lock and lift bridge and moor by the shopping centre.

Moored by Shopping Centre