Cycling type
Road
Distance
39 miles / 62.76 km
Duration
6 to 7 hours
Difficulty
Strenuous
Shape
Circular
Route description
A long day ride for the cycling enthusiast, up and over the Evenlode Valley passing historic houses and villages and dropping into the Windrush Valley to visit a wildlife park. Quite country lanes but some climbs along the way. Allow time for stops.
Highlights
Knollbury is a roughly rectangular Hillfort consisting of a single rampart and ditch. The rampart is built of piled earth and stone rubble behind a stone revetment of limestone slabs, and measures 10 metres wide and between 1.5-4 metres high. Cultivation has levelled the hillfort interior. There was a surrounding quarry ditch, now filled in, which supplied earth for the construction of the rampart.
Start
Address
OS Grid Ref
SP2564422741
What3Words
Refreshments
Pubs and shops in Kingham, Chadlington, Minster Lovell, Brize Norton, Shilton, Little Barrington and Milton-under-Wychwood. Café and toilets at Cotswold Wildlife Park
Navigation
1. Turn left from station, after 1/4 mile turn left signed Kingham. Continue through village turning right, after village green, signed Churchill.
2. In Churchill turn right at T-junction, signed Kingham Station. At the Church turn left (appears to be straight on) signed Sarsden. Continue straight on to A361, turn left, then immediately right, signed Chadlington. Pass Knollbury Hillfort in about 3/4 mile.
3. Turn right at T-junction, signed Chadlington then straight over staggered X roads into Horse Shoe Lane, signed Leafield. In 1 1/2 miles cross B4437, signed Leafield, then in 1/4 mile turn right at T-junction.
4. After passing through Wychwood Forest and climbing up to Leafield, turn right at T-junction, signed Minster Lovell. Turn left by the church, to Crawley then bear right into Buttermilk Lane.
5. Turn right at X roads through Field Assarts, then in 3/4 mile turn left (Fordwells), before Leafield sign. Turn left at T-junction, signed Astall Leigh, then after climbing into Astall Leigh, turn left, signed Minster Lovell, continue for 1 mile then turn right at T-junction, signed Minster Lovell.
6. Turn left by the Old Swan, and continue to car park for Minster Lovell Hall. Turn right through car park and continue to Church. Then walk to the ruins through the churchyard. Retrace to the pub and turn left, then turn right after crossing Windrush, signed Brize Norton. Turn right at B4047, signed Burford, then immediately left, signed Brize Norton.
7. Continue for around 2 miles, turn right at roundabout, after 1/2 mile turn right into Burford Road and immediately left into Kilkenny Lane. Continue for 1 mile turn right into Shillbrook Avenue. Turn right at T-junction and in 1/2 mile turn left.
8. Turn left after going through ford, continue for 1 1/2 miles, cross A361 WITH CARE, signed Holwell, the entrance for Cotswold Wildlife Park is a short distance along on the left.
9. On leaving the Wildlife Park turn left and then straight over X roads, signed Eastleach St Martin, then in 3/4 mile fork right, signed Danger Failed Road. Turn right at T-junction and follow signs for Barringtons, TAKING CARE when crossing the A40.
10. Continue through Little Barrington, cross river bridge then turn right at War Memorial in Great Barrington. Continue along through Taynton, then turn left, signed Stow and climb to cross the A424.
11. Turn left at T-junction and follow signs to Milton-under-Wychwood. Turn right at junction into village, turn left by playing field, signed Lyneham, continue for 1 mile then turn right at T-junction, signed Bruern.
12. Turn left at T-junction, signed Kingham, then follow the signs back to Kingham Station.