(S) With your back to the Griffin pub turn right and follow the tall stone wall around to the left into Mill Lane passing the attractive church of St Peter & St Paul. Stay along the lane to go through the gate next to an information board and a Lodge ( dated 1846.)
(1) Continue straight along a surfaced track to reach a waymarker post, to the left of which is a silver plaque mounted on a concrete plinth which marks the site where a Wellington Bomber crashed in 1945. Continue along the surfaced track to cross the bridge over River Cherwell and stay on the rising tree-lined track through a gateway and between beech hedges to take a green kissing gate ahead.
(2) Go forward a few paces then turn right to pass a large mansion ( Edgcote House ) and attractive church on the left and continue to a Y-junction. Take the gap, diagonally opposite (South-Esat), next to a large metal gate and go 1/4 left across the large field to cross over horse gallops via two access points.
Stay on the same line to exit via another access point over gallop then go 1/2 right into the next field and then to arrive at a Y-junction of surfaced tracks. Go past a large triangular shaped rock on your right in direction of Lodge Farm.
(3) Go past farm buildings to a junction then go 90 degrees left to follow downhill with trees right to reach a wide waymarked gap. Go 1/4 right across the field to find a waypost. Go through the gap and across the ditch. Continue uphill with trees/hedge left and on reaching the rise descend to arrive at a single waypost with multiple waymarks.
(4) Turn right onto the track. At this point we finish the temporary Milleniuwm Way (MW) diversion to join the original MW route. Continue straight on the track for some while keeping the hedge left, ignoring tracks to the left, to go through the gate ahead into a smaller field, maintaining a line straight to go to the left of the finger of trees to come to the corner gate. Take the gate over the disused railway line and exit by the gate.
Go ahead up the hill towards two gateposts to brow and then ahead keeping the trees and hedge left to exit the field by the top left field gate (if inquisitive cattle are in the field keep closer to the hedge left). Go through the gate and ahead on the farm track walking away from the farmhouse to the road.
(5) Cross the road and continue on a bridleway with bungalows to the left and a farm building to the right. Cross another road to the driveway. Go through the gap and go 1/4 right across the field going under a power cable to cross a track near the far hedge. Go straight on through the gap towards a tree in the far hedge to find a stile to the busy main road (caution fence is wobbly).
(6) Cross the road to go ahead up Thenford Hill farm driveway. At the end of the concrete driveway, before the bungalow, take the vehicle way right to pass a bungalow on your left. Follow around and in 200 yards enter a large field.
Go forward a few yards to find a path to go 1/2 right diagonally down the field to a mid hedge gap to the right of a small tree, 100 paces in from the far right field corner. At the gap go ahead up the short bank to the road.
(7) Cross the road and go straight ahead across a large field to find the far left corner stile. Take the stile and go with the hedge right and after 50 paces take the stile right to cross the bridge. Go 1/2 left, or around the field edge, to find a mid fence gap. Through the gap and go 1/4 right ahead towards the left of a line of trees.
Go ahead with the hedge and trees right to come to the field corner. At the field corner, go ahead 1/2 left under power lines to go through the far right corner gap, then go with the hedge left for 90 paces to come to a gap on the left and a stone bridge.
(8) Cross the bridge and go ahead to find and take a stile and then go right with the hedge and stream right to a stile. Go over the stile, keeping the fence left and hedge and stream right to cross a double stile into the next field keeping the hedge right to finally exit by a stile to a drive.
(9) Cross the road and take a stile to go ahead with the hedge right. Exit the field by a stile and continue ahead up the field edge bending left to eventually come to a damaged kissing gate on the right just before three telegraph poles. Go right through a gap and go on the path with properties to the right and left. Maintain the line between properties, ignoring footpaths to the left to come to the main road. You are now in Middleton Cheney.
(10) Cross the road into Glovers Lane on the opposite side. Turn left into Rectory Lane and follow the road along to All Saints Church on your left, to reach the finish at the main entrance gate to the churchyard. (E)
Don't forget to take your photos! The Dolphin Inn and Henrys Cafe are nearby so take a well earned break.
