노스 애스턴 최고의 워킹 & 하이킹 경로

Great coffee & cake! Bangin’ bacon butty!

A lovely, peaceful stretch of the Oxford Canal running parallel with the River Cherwell.

When I saw this plant I thought 'I wonder if that's rhubarb'. So I looked it up on my plant identifier app. It turned out that it's called Butter Bur as well as the less flattering Pestilence Wort and Bog Rhubarb. I prefer Butter Bur, so called because in days of old the leaves were used to wrap butter to keep it fresh for longer.

Free parking is provided at Heyford Train Station for rail users only. However there are several, marked parking bays outside the boundary fence on what I took to be a public road. These too are free of charge. I got there at about 5.30pm and was able to find a space.

A little exit to the right will lead you onto the main road and toward Aynho Wharf and the Great Western Arms, which is a perfect spot for a half-way mark rest. The pub serves a great array of food and drinks and features a lovely outdoor seating area.

A mile north of Lower Heyford is its twin village Upper Heyford. Its location in the Cherwell Valley gives it excellent access to the verdant Oxfordshire countryside. There are plenty of local trails to explore. The Barley Mow pub is a good lunch option. The nearby RAF base was decommissioned in 1993 and many of its buildings are now listed as scheduled monuments. The site is popular with local urban explorers.

Somerton is a quaint little village in the Cherwell Valley. To the north of the village, by the Oxford Canal is a pillbox from the Second World War. The parish church of Saint James to Apostle dates back to the 11th century and is now Grade I-listed. A great option for dinner is the Secret Supper Society. Inspired by the Cuban Paladares, this is a 'home restaurant' where diners eat reasonably priced, yet excellent food, all from the comfort of the owner's home dining room.

Nestled in the Cherwell Valley with both the river, the Oxford Canal and the railway passing by, Lower Heyford is an easily accessible yet delightful little village. Expect lush pastures and pleasant walking in the surrounding countryside, whilst the village itself has a shop, a cafe and a superb gastropub pub, the Bell Inn.