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Green edged disc with name and yellow arrowOxford Green Belt Way

Oxfordshire

84 km / 52 miles
A route developed by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Oxfordshire branch to to celebrate its 75th anniversary and 50 years of Oxford's Green Belt and mark the significance of the Green Belt in protecting the open countryside surrounding England's cities. The route has one mile for each year since the designation of Green Belts in 1956. Collaborators on the project are the Oxfordshire Field Paths Society and Oxfordshire County Council's Countryside Service.

It is a 50 mile circular walk through some of Oxfordshire's most picturesque countryside and historic villages, and alongside delightful stretches of the River Thames near Abingdon and the Oxford Canal north of Oxford.

The Green Belt Way links four of Oxford's Park & Ride sites and is crossed by major bus routes, making it easy for city and village dwellers to access the route, and to travel back to their starting point. The route provides excellent views of Oxford's Dreaming Spires, as well as Otmoor, Foxcombe Hill and Wytham Woods.

Route maps and descriptions may be downloaded from the website below. The route is divided into nine stages and includes described links to the Park and Rides.

The 50-year history of Green Belts started in 1955, when councils were invited to establish their own Green Belts and in 1956, Oxford councillors had the foresight to suggest they designate the fields surrounding their city as Green Belt, following a campaign by CPRE and the Oxford Preservation Trust.

Green Belts now protect 13% of England. As designated open space surrounding many towns and cities, they play a critical role in creating a high quality of life for people in both town and country. They protect the open character of the countryside next to urban areas and stop sprawl, thereby encouraging urban regeneration. Green Belts face multiple threats, nowhere more so than in Oxfordshire.

UPDATE September 2023: route amended to follow the OS map line south of Woodeaton.

UPDATE September 2023: The route of this LDP along the south side of the River Thames is closed between the railway line and Abingdon Lock, with a diversion along Thame Lane and the A415 to Abingdon Bridge. The route is rejoined at Abingdon Lock, crossing the Thames via the weir. The diversion, due to repairs to Nunham railway Viaduct, is scheduled to continue until December 2023.


Details:

Waymark: Green edged disc with name and yellow arrow
Path Type: Other Paths
Waymark: Green edged disc with name and yellow arrow
Attributes: Easy
River
Start and Finish: SP565074 - Thornhill Park & Ride, Oxfordshire View on StreetMap
Open Date: 2007
Web Sites: CPRE Oxfordshire - Oxford Green Belt Way

Publications, Badges and Certificates:

Guidebook Oxford Green Belt Way  (CPRE Oxfordshire  - 2018 )

Maps:

You can use the interactive controls to zoom in and out and to move around the map, or click on a path or a marker for more info.(interactive map help)

Show Connected Path Outlines
E Routes
National Trails (England & Wales)
Paths Marked on OS mapping
Other Paths

Show Accommodation
Hostel Accommodation

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2016.
© OpenStreetMap contributors under Open Database Licence.
Rights of way data from selected Local Authorities.
Large scale digital mapping is provided by John Thorn.
At high zoom levels the route is indicative only.
Purchase Ordnance Survey Maps:
OS Landranger 164
OS Landranger Active 164
OS Explorer 170, 180
OS Explorer Active 170, 180

Accommodation within 5 km of this Path:

 
 
From
Path
Along
Path
Hostel Accommodation
3 km
36 km

Connected Paths:


Downloads:

Reminder: Material downloaded from this website is for personal use only. Commercial use, reproduction, modification of all content is strictly prohibited without prior approval by the LDWA. Please Contact Us if you have any requests.

GPX Route File
Oxford Green Belt Way GPX Exchange Format Route File
Last Updated 12/09/2023 17:17:47 - Follows OS map and guidebook S of Woodeaton
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(Members Only)
MemoryMap Route File
Oxford Green Belt Way Memory Map Route File
Last Updated 12/09/2023 17:17:47 - Follows OS map and guidebook S of Woodeaton
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(Members Only)
Tracklogs Route File
Oxford Green Belt Way Tracklogs Route File
Last Updated 12/09/2023 17:17:48 - Follows OS map and guidebook S of Woodeaton
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(Members Only)

Route Profile:

85.8 km (53.3 miles)
794 m (2,605 ft) ascent
172 m (564 ft)  maximum height

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