Goring to Moulsford and back to Goring - a longish Circular Walk.

The first part of this 15 mile (25km) long walk in Oxfordshire has several quite steep climbs but then is much easier as it undulates across country and ends up with a nice flat couple of miles along the River Thames. The walk starts from the car park in Goring - this is well marked once you get into the town.
From the car park go past the public toilets and into the High Street, turn left and stay on the main road as it crosses the River Thames twice via 2 bridges - go on up the road as far as the traffic lights. Turn left uphill and after around 100 yards look out for a driveway and house on the opposite side of the road - cross over to this driveway and take the marked path on the left up wooden steps. This is very steep to start with as it climbs out of Streatley with a fence on the left and high shrubbery on the right - eventually it comes out into a more open area and becomes a grassy wide path - now with excellent view of Goring, Streatley and the river way below. As the path reaches the woods carry straight on ahead into the woods on an initially fairly indistinct path i.e. do not follow the more obvious path which goes left. Once into the trees the path becomes very clear - stay on this main path to go through Common Woods to reach a gate. Once through the gate continue straight ahead now over open ground and with a hedge on the left - the path comes to a stile at the field edge - cross this and then walk very steeply down the field towards a house - this area was still full of wild flowers even in July.

Go right here and then follow the path up still through the woods and then over a field with a hedge on the left to finally reach a small road.Turn left on the road - ignore a road coming in from the right but as the road starts to bend sharply left take a path ahead into woods (Broom Wood) - this path now winds through the woods where at the right time of the year (usually around May) you can find masses of foxgloves growing. The path comes out at a field having just crossed a bit of the ever wandering Grim's Ditch. Continue on the path going half right down the field with woods on either side - once at the bottom lookout for a signpost - a small incline then takes you into the woods at a track. Turn right and stay on this track which goes along the right hand edge of White Hill - i.e. woods on the left and fields/open ground below on the right.
The track emerges on a road - turn left and follow this to the next junction where you go right and then shortly after go right again. This then goes up hill with houses on either side - towards the top of the hill note a signpost on the left - take the (permitted) footpath which goes straight ahead along the field edge i.e. still alongside the road. The path then becomes a wide track - follow this as it heads eventually past more houses, then a common area to finally reach a small road on the outskirts of Ashampstead. Turn right along the road and then left into St. Clements' churchyard.
Walk on through the church grounds and then continue across the field, at the far side go through a hedge gap and onto a small tarmac'd bridleway. Turn right along this and shortly cross the main road and then continue on a narrow path which winds through the woods. The path emerges by houses, go left along a quite muddy tree-lined track then as it enters a more wooded area at the field edge look out for a signposted path on the right which hooks back a little (this signpost can be somewhat obscured by undergrowth and no longer actually sits on the path/track junction.)
Take this path on the right and follow it down through Bullards Copse to reach a road. Turn left and then around 200 yards along the road turn right up some steps - keep right at the top of the steps and now follow the path as it goes through trees and then into a more open area where it becomes more of a grassy track. Stay on this track which eventually goes through pine woods and then emerges on a small road.
Go left and follow the road for around 300 yards to then take a byeway going off to the left initially in woodland and then treelined which eventually passes houses and ends up on a road, turn left along the road to walk into Parsonage Green. At the road junction turn right to walk on down to St Mary's church. At the junction in front of the church gates you divert from the walk by taking the road on the right which goes up into the village and it's pub the "Bell Inn" - also the village's publicised well - the latter is a bland and complete waste of time in our view. Take the small road to the left of the church gates and follow this as it passes a farm and then reverts to a track - stay on this main track which winds to the right and then starts a long climb intially with fields either side and then finally with a high hedgerow on the right to meet a small road.

Turn left and then shortly go right on a track marked "To Warren Farm" - follow this as it drops down then soon turns to the left. Keep on this undulating main track as it heads almost straight to reach the Ridgeway Path. Turn right along The Ridgeway and shortly look out for a gate and stile on the left - take this as it heads a little uphill to reach a stile by a wood edge - cross this and then take the path on the right which goes round the edge of a house and then into woods - it is marked. When you leave the woods go straight ahead at a track junction - the path now becomes a narrow tarmac road. Follow the road as it goes through woods, open hill-side (Cow Common) and then eventually drops down to a hunting lodge on the left. Follow the road round to the right and then go left now with another hunting lodge on the right. Cross a cattle grid and head uphill and then along (passing Well Barn on the right) to eventually arrive at a main road.


Cross the main road and take a small road opposite which goes between houses and farm buildings at Greenlands Farm - keep ahead and once past the buildings the track climbs and then levels out - with really good views to the left. The track then descends to the main road (A329) just on the edge of Moulsford. Turn left along the road and shortly turn right at the crossroads into Ferry Lane - go along this road now heading for the river. Stay left at a junction and then go through the car park belonging to the Beetle and Wedge public house to reach the river bank. Turn right and follow this lovely part of the River Thames, eventually passing Cleve Lock (there are shaded picnic tables), to arrive eventually at the outskirts of Streatley. The path does not continue along the river, instead you have to cross a wooden bridge on the right which then continues between fields and then becomes a raised footpath. This comes out on a small road by houses. Turn left and follow this road as it goes between the back of a large hotel on the left and also passes St. Mary's church on the right - to come to the main road. Turn left and walk back over the bridges to the car park.