Watlington to Aston Rowant Nature Reserve

START & FINISH: Watlington Recreation Ground car park, Shirburn Road, Watlington OX49 5BZ. Grid ref: SU 691 948

(S/E) Leave the car park and return to the B4009, Shirburn Road, and then turn left to follow the pavement (you can also cut across the recreation ground to meet the road at the far corner). After 300m you will see Station Road on your right.

(1) Cross right over the Watlington Road with care to join Station Road (also the route of the Oxfordshire Way). Just after 'Tilia House' on the left is the entrance to the old Watlington station, the terminus of a railway line that ran via Chinnor to Princes Risborough, and which closed in January 1961. Follow this quiet track enjoying the lovely views of the hills ahead. Continue past the Ridgeway National Trail and 450m later (and 60m past a metal gate) on your left you will see a wooden gate to a footpath.

(2) Follow this path which skirts fields and woods until you come out through a gate on to the open chalk grassland at the foot of (B) Shirburn Hill. Follow the path which climbs steeply uphill offering panoramic views from the top. Continue through a wooded section to a stile which takes you into a field. Continue ahead crossing the field to another stile which leads you on the Christmas Common Road by the Portobello water tower.

(3) Turn left and after 40m take the footpath on the left, through a wooden field gate into (C) Aston Rowant Nature Reserve. Follow this path straight ahead and gently downhill to a metal gate. Continue ahead steeply downhill for another 170m to another gate. Go through the gate and turn sharp right following the footpath (do not continue on the wide grassy track). Follow the path alongside the nature reserve fence-line, downhill, through one gate and continue until you reach another gate near the woodland. Go through that gate and downhill for another 150m, then turn right through a wooden gate and follow the footpath through the wood. Exit through a gate then cross a field to another gate that leads out onto the Ridgeway Trail.

(4) Turn left on to the (D) Ridgeway and follow it back to Station Road. Turn right along Station Road to retrace your steps back to the car park. (S/E)

"We hope you have enjoyed your walk. Please remember to rate the walk and add comments. We are interested in how we could improve the instructions or the route and would like to hear about any issues with paths on the walk."

TERRAIN: Moderate walking on unsurfaced paths and lanes with two long steep climbs. There are two stiles and 10 gates on this walk.
START & FINISH: Watlington Recreation Ground car park, Shirburn Road, Watlington OX49 5BZ. Grid ref: SU 691 948.
FOOD & DRINK: Pubs and café in Watlington. None on the walk.
PARKING: Watlington Recreation Ground car park OX49 5BZ.
LOCAL TRANSPORT: There is a local bus service running between Oxford and Watlington, see https://bustimes.org/services/11-oxford-watlington.

This walk is in deer country so walkers should be tick aware.
Walk designed by Annette Venters, Chilterns Conservation Board.

(A) WATLINGTON is an ancient market town with many 16th century and Georgian buildings. Its unspoilt traditional feel makes it a popular location for filming, including many scenes from Midsomer Murders. There is a good selection of independent shops in the town, along with a café, deli and two pubs.

(B) SHIRBURN HILL is a beautiful area of chalk grassland, chalk heath, scrub and broadleaved woodland. Most grasslands in the Chilterns are maintained by stock (mainly sheep), this site is unusual in being cropped only by rabbits. The grassland is dotted with large bumps which are ant hills, many of them are over 100 years old.

(C) ASTON ROWANT NNR: Perched high on the Chilterns escarpment, with flower-rich chalk grassland, woodland and juniper scrub. A huge number of butterfly, flower and bird species flourish. With fantastic views over the plain, it's a great place to watch red kites soaring.

(D) THE RIDGEWAY NATIONAL TRAIL has been described as Britain’s oldest road and is part of an historic corridor thought to have connected the Dorset coast to the Wash. It is now an 87 mile National Trail running from Avebury to Ivinghoe Beacon.