At 8.5 miles, this was one of my shorter walks. The first half can be described as pretty rural but from Godstow onwards, the proximity to Oxford becomes quite apparent.

 

In April 2021 we were still in Lockdown 3. Hotels were closed and as I didn’t really fancy using public transport, I chose to walk this section as it was one of the closest for me to reach by car from home. I parked my car in a free car park in Eynsham and walked to the start of the walk at Swinford Bridge. I set off towards Oxford around midday. It was a lovely sunny day but not desperately warm. Unlike later in the year, the river was unbelievably quiet.

 

My walk can best be summarised by – goslings! A wonderful time of year to see these little bundles of fluff, possibly no older than a couple of weeks. I was also pleased to see the resident heron in situ under Osney Bridge surveying all before him.

 

Having reached Iffley Lock I had to get back to my car in Eynsham. For this I first walked back into the centre of Oxford. As it was still quite early and such a beautiful afternoon, I decided to do a little bit of sightseeing. I then caught a bus back to Eynsham. This had been a thoroughly enjoyable day.

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