Claydon
Circular Walk 31 (7.5 Miles)
Walk Overview
This circular walk starts in the picturesque village of Claydon and meanders across mostly flat farmland & open countryside, crossing the Oxford Canal at two points and going through the delightful villages of Lower and Upper Boddington. Claydon is Oxfordshire's most northerly village. The pubs mentioned only offer limited opening hours, so check with them first if you wish to visit. Why not consider taking a picnic? For part of the walk, you will enjoy the delights of the Millennium Way where you will be guided by our distinctive waymarkers.
You can also start this walk at either of the pubs mentioned in Upper or Lower Boddington, as there is no pub in Claydon.
Rambling Rachel has a smashing video of this circular. See it by clicking Claydon Video Thanks to Rachel you can get a really good idea of the countryside near Claydon.
Note: LATEST UPDATE ( November 2024) There are HS2 re-routes in Section B and Section E going into and coming out of Lower Boddington
The map and the GPX file have been updated to reflect these HS2 diversions
The purple line on the map below indicates the proposed HS2 route
Walk Details
- Start: St James the Great Church , Claydon OX17 1EZ
- Start Grid Ref: SP457 500
- Parking: Roadside
- Refreshments:
- Carpenters Arms , Lower Boddington (01327 437215)
(Open lunchtimes on Sundays and 5pm other days. Closed Monday) - The Plough , Upper Boddington (01327 260364)
(Only open lunchtimes on Saturday and Sunday) - The Fox & Hounds at Charwelton NW1 13YY ( 01327 260611 )
(Opens daily for lunch)
- Carpenters Arms , Lower Boddington (01327 437215)
- Maps: OS Explorer 221 or Landranger 140
- Distance: 7.5 Miles
- Time: 3 Hours
- Stiles: 13 (not all dog friendly)
- Download: Walk GPS (GPS Exchange Format, GPX)
- GPS and GPX explained
- Find a mobile app on the Apple App Store or Google Play
Updated November 2024
Walk Instructions
Section A
We begin our walk from St James the Great in the picturesque village of Claydon. With your back to the church (at the East gate) go left down the road, through the village and take footpath on right by road sign hidden in bush, signed to Lower Boddington (opposite the junction with Fenny Compton Road). Go past the wooden bollard & house called The Brambles. Walk down narrow passage with brick wall on right to take stile to field. Go ahead for 60 paces and take fence stile right into field and go left keeping hedge left to stay along edge of field. Go over new single stile then double stile and keep ahead along left field edge to take gap into to next field. Keep ahead with hedge left to corner of field, through two large metal gates, then across canal bridge and ahead down track to go through double metal gate, to take footbridge over small stream to next field.
Stunning Views
Section B
Go ahead over dismantled railway line and take stile into next field to go 1/4 right across field heading just to left of farm. Take double stile and footbridge by a large lone oak tree. Stay ahead under power lines with hedge and farm buildings right. After 300 paces take gate right, crossing the scrub to take further damaged tricky stile into next field. Go left along edge of field to take stile in top left corner. Turn right ( here the route deviates from the right of way due to HS2 ) keeping hedge and fence right until you reach field corner. Turn left, immediately passing three metal barriers tied together, to follow field edge keeping fence and hedge right. Go through large metal gate on right crossing ditch up to road. Cross road to enter the HS2 re-route (later you will return to this point so you could cut short here) and follow this narrow track enclosed with posts & wire netting passing over the HS2 with new bridge on left then at the end of the walkway cross road between two gates and then turn left by the large grey barn for a few yards, then right along the road to arrive at crossroads with the often closed Carpenter Arms ahead of you.
Section C
Go over crossroads with Carpenter's Arms R, to walk through Lower Boddington. Continue steeply uphill, ignoring the first bridleway right (opposite The Manor House) and a little further up the hill where the road swings left, take bridleway right to Cleveland Farm. Go up track and opposite a barn, take wooden gate left to field with sign that reads "Private Property please use the bridleway." Go right with hedge right to field end and exit by gate to road. Go left on tree lined road and after some 1/2 mile come to crossroads.
Modern Farming
Quite Villages
Section D
Go left into Upper Boddington. Pass The Plough Inn on left (restricted opening times) and, after 70 paces, take short road left to find T junction (here you join The Millennium Way). At this T junction go left up Church Road to pass post box left and school right and leave Upper Boddington (a slight detour on your left, to visit St. John the Baptist Church, is worthwhile). Continue on undulating lane with panoramic views right and after 1/2 mile road swings right as you enter Lower Boddington. Go past the bridleway left which you took on the outward route then opposite two houses (Sears Farmhouse & The Manor House ) on right, take bridleway left, which becomes a lane and goes down to the road.
Section E
Cross road and go ahead on track past Cleeve House left. After 100 paces, just before gated entrance to Paradise Farm, turn right through wooden kissing gate into field. Turn 1/2 left for 100 paces to fence corner of small paddock and bear left to take another wooden kissing gate. Go with fence right to small field corner and take large metal gate left to cross stream via low bridge. You now encounter HS2 works and the footpath has been diverted, so go through metal gate directly ahead then right along a new path enclosed by fencing which takes you towards the road from Lower Boddington. Before reaching the road turn left through a pedestrian access gate, through which you came earlier, to cross the HS2 route again retracing your steps. Stay on the walkway until you reach the road. Squeeze between the temporary metal fences to go left down road towards Claydon. ( If access to the road here is completely blocked go ahead into field then turn left to follow hedge left to reach three metal barriers tied together - go through barriers then turn right to continue down road. Follow the road passing through a temporary barrier, and where the road veers right go straight ahead through large metal gate down track between hedge & fencing. At the end of the track veer right past a waypost ( with distinctive black Millennium Way Waymarker. ) Stay along with wire fence on your right for approx 100 metres reaching the start of a hedge. At this point go diagonally 1/2 left across large field ( or around field edge keeping hedge right, if heaviy ploughed / cropped ) towards tall trees to find a waymarker post by gap. Here you will cross a dismantled railway line, emerging into large field. Stay on same line across field to top left hand corner emerging onto a narrow lane. Turn right to reach a junction. Go left for 50 metres and where the road bends right go straight ahead into field heading towards a group of large oak trees.
Section F
Go ahead across field to take gap and continue with hedge R. Go through small gap ahead and then cross field past two well separated oak trees to mid hedge gap (if this field is heavily cropped with an indistinct path just go left around field edge to reach gap on far side). Take gap and cross field towards next mid hedge gap (here we leave the Millennium Way). Do NOT take gap but go right along field edge keeping hedge left. Go through corner gaps of next two fields keeping hedge left and keep a sharp look out for a concealed waymarked footbridge on left 20 paces before corner of field. Take footbridge into field continuing 1/2 right across to far corner stile and metal gate by canal bridge.
Gentle Boating
Section G
Go over stile to road, then over canal bridge continuing gently up the road for half a mile to reach junction. Turn right, which will bring you back through Claydon to your starting point near the church.
Points of Interest - What to know and what to see...
by Andy Botherway
St. James the Great
Claydon
The church, and interesting double-gabled building with lovely stonework dates from 1100 but was heavily restored in 1860, obliterating many of the medieval features, but a squint from chapel to chancel survives.
St. James the Great
Three members of the famous clockmaking Knibb family were born in the village between 1625 and 1650. A blue plaque on the church commemorates them.
Knibb Family
Lower Boddington
The Carpenters Arms is a fine traditional pub, but has very limited opening hours so phone ahead! Boddington Reservoir, a top match venue for the serious angler, is to the east of the village. The route of HS2 passes close by to the south.
Upper Boddington
The Plough is a fine Grade II listed stone and thatch public house with some nice bed and breakfast accommodation. Opening hours are a bit restricted, so again check ahead. The village has a considerable number of listed buildings, including the 13th century church of St. John the Baptist and the former 16th century rectory.
Although having only around 700 residents, the village has a garage and two churches. The Welsh Road, an old drover’s route, forms the eastern boundary of the parish.
The spelling of Boddington has changed over the centuries from Botendon in Domesday Book (1086) through Bottelendon (12th century Survey of Northamptonshire), and Budinton in the Calendar of Close Rolls (1244) to Botyngdon (1358), Botyndoun (1396) and Botyngdon (1428).
The Manor House in Upper Boddington lost a top storey when a ‘flaming bomber’ crashed into it at the close of the last war.
