The Five Horseshoes - Route 1

(S/E) With your back towards the pub car park turn left and walk on the Common but following the road for about 1km, passing the footpath to Maidensgrove farm, until you reach a road off to the right to Maidensgrove.

(1) At this point bear left on the tarmac lane opposite following the footpath sign. Walk along the lane past some houses until the lane ends and becomes a footpath. Continue on for a short distance along this path until you reach an intersection with another path (the Oxfordshire Way).

(2) Turn left on to this path. Continue following the white arrows downhill through woodland for about 700m and for a short distance uphill, along the edge of a field, then through two five bar gates to arrive at Pishill Church via a hard track going right. (The origin of the name derives from “Peose Hyll”, where peas grew). Walk downhill until you reach a T junction.

(3) Turn left and walk with care along the road past the Crown Inn and past “The Old Road”. Continue walking along the road until you come to a left hand bend; with a vineyard to your right, turn left on to a tarmac lane (Pishill Bank), with a footpath sign to Maidensgrove. Walk uphill along the lane passing between a clutch of redbrick houses. Continue to climb as far as Walnut Tree Cottage then look for a very narrow path immediately to the right of the five bar gate to the cottage driveway. It is poorly signposted at ground level. Follow this path through the woods. At a fork continue straight on following the white arrows on trees; the path then levels out and emerges on to an open common.

(4) Turn right by Upper Nuttals Farm and follow the track to Russell’s Water and the local duck pond. Turn left towards Maidensgrove, with the pond on your left. (At this point if you want to shorten your walk you can continue along the road to arrive back at the Five Horseshoes.) To continue, walk as far as The Old Chapel, now a house, and turn right here on a bridleway following the blue arrow. The path narrows as it goes downhill, at the foot of the hill turn left on to another path and walk along the valley bottom.

(5) After 800m turn left through a small wooden gate and take the path (Shakespeare’s Way) back up hill. When you reach the road turn right to the pub.(S/E)

A highly unusual ‘T’ shaped country church in an enviable location overlooking the Stonor Valley. It was originally an 11th-century Norman building but it was rebuilt in 1854. One of the stained glass windows was made in 1967 by John Piper who for many years lived less than 2.5 miles (4km) away in Fawley Bottom, Buckinghamshire.

The duck pond at Russell’s Water featured in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Truly Scrumptious drove into it several times throughout the film.