Dog Walking in Oxfordshire #5 Horspath Village to Shotover Meadow
If you’re looking for a pleasant, relatively easy dog walk around the eastern edge of Oxford, this walk from Horspath to the foot of Shotover Hill is well worth discovering.
At just 1.9 miles, and taking us around 40 minutes at a leisurely pace, it’s not a challenging walk. Instead, it is the sort of route that is perfect when you want to give your dog a good outing without committing to a long hike.
We walked with Nellie Noodle, and the route turned out to be particularly enjoyable because it combines open fields, small areas of woodland, footbridges, views towards Shotover and, most importantly for Nellie, a lovely large meadow where she could have some freedom to run.
Starting at Horspath Village Hall
We started at Horspath Village Hall, which has a large car park and is also home to two cricket pitches.
There is some additional hardstanding beside the open field which provides overspill parking when the main car park is busy.
To begin the walk, we took the route across the cricket pitch to the left of the village hall, heading away from the hall towards the line of trees running parallel with the Oxford Road.
This soon brings you into an area known locally as the Bowley Field.
Through The Bowley Field
Bowley Field is a relatively narrow open area with several informal earth tracks running through it. It is difficult to get lost here, as the area is fairly contained, and we headed towards the far corner, away from the Oxford Road.
One of the pleasures of this section is the wildlife. We often see deer in Bowley Field, although, as always with wildlife, there is no guarantee that you’ll see them on your own visit.
At the far end, the route continues through a narrow wooded section before crossing a small wooden footbridge.
From here, you follow a narrow path flanked by brambles before emerging into a much larger open field.
The future Oxford burial ground
This large field is currently being developed as an Oxford burial ground. At the time of our walk, it was still very much a work in progress, with the ground being prepared and little visible infrastructure in place.
There is a fenced-off pedestrian route across the field, so you simply follow this towards the far side.
To your left, the hedgerow runs alongside the Oxford Road, while to your right you have views towards the wooded slopes at the foot of Shotover Hill.
It’s a surprisingly pleasant stretch, particularly on a good day when the trees on Shotover are looking their best.
Towards the large Shotover meadow
At the far side of the field, there is a small opening through the hedgerow and another narrow wooden footbridge.
Once across, you’ll see the Oxford athletics track ahead and slightly to the left.
The route then turns immediately right through a metal gate. The gate itself was open when we visited, although there is normally a narrower pedestrian route beside it.
Follow the fairly wide maintenance track, which is approximately tractor width, before passing through another gate.
And this is where the walk really opens up.
You emerge into a large meadow surrounded by trees, with the wooded slopes of Shotover beyond.
A lovely place for dogs
For us, this was the highlight of the walk.
The meadow is large and open, with excellent visibility in every direction. That makes it a particularly useful place for exercising a dog off lead, assuming your dog is comfortable around other walkers and dogs and local conditions allow it.
Today, the meadow was wonderfully quiet, so Nellie was able to have a good run.
There is an informal track around the perimeter, created largely by people walking across the grass. It isn’t always clearly defined, but you don’t really need a formal path because you can simply follow the edge of the field.
It’s also a good place for a game of fetch, and a ball launcher would be particularly useful here.
The grass can become quite long during the growing season. It is eventually cut and harvested for hay, and on our visit it had recently been cut, making walking considerably easier.
Brasenose Woods and Shotover Woods
The meadow also gives you a choice of how far you want to take the walk.
Brasenose Woods
lie to one side and can be incorporated if you’d like to make the walk longer.
Alternatively, you can continue towards Shotover Woods, approaching Shotover from a different direction.
For today’s walk, we simply followed the perimeter of the meadow before beginning our return journey.
There is some barbed-wire fencing along sections of the hedgerow beside Brasenose Woods, so this is one place where I’d be inclined to keep a dog on the lead if they are prone to investigating hedgerows.
There are also a couple of points where you can gain access into the woods.
Views towards Shotover
One of the nicest aspects of the meadow is the changing perspective as you walk around it.
Looking back across the field towards Shotover, the wooded slopes of the hill make a particularly attractive backdrop.
Through the trees in places, you can also catch glimpses of the BMW plant, and there is occasional distant industrial noise. We didn’t find it intrusive, though, and the overall feeling of the meadow is surprisingly peaceful.
Once you’ve completed the circuit of the meadow, you retrace your route through the gate and back towards Horspath.
Our walk in brief
This is a 1.9-mile lollipop-shaped walk which took us approximately 40 minutes, walking at a comfortable, leisurely pace.
It is mostly level and undemanding, making it a good option when you want something gentler than some of the steeper routes around Shotover.
The large meadow is the real attraction for us. It gives dogs somewhere to stretch their legs, while the surrounding trees and views towards Shotover make it enjoyable for their owners too.
There is also the flexibility to extend the walk into Brasenose Woods or Shotover Woods if you want something longer.
Practical Information
Distance: 1.9 miles
Walking time: Approximately 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Terrain: Mostly level, with grass, earth tracks, woodland paths and small wooden footbridges
Dog-friendly: Yes
Parking: Horsepath Village Hall car park, with additional overspill parking nearby when available
Alternative parking: Oxford Athletics car park provides access much closer to the large meadow
Facilities: Dog waste bins at the village hall car park; no toilets or refreshments on the route
Wildlife: Deer are sometimes seen in Bowley Field
As with any countryside walk, conditions and access can change, particularly around the developing burial ground, so it is worth keeping this in mind when visiting.
For us, though, this is a lovely little local walk. Not a hike, not a challenge, just a pleasant 40 minutes out with the dog, with enough variety to make it interesting.
Photography
Shotover Meadow is also a wonderful location for dog photography, if you'd like to find out what I can offer please follow this link
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