Oxford to Didcot

Oxford to Radley Route 5 starts in Oxford from St Ebbes Street and heads south, crossing the river Thames by the footbridge near Grandpont. From Oxford railway station, cross the new footbridge to the car park and follow the marked cycle path to Osney Road then Speedwell St. Prepare to turn right at the pedestrian crossing on Speedwell Street into Gas St, rejoining Route 5.
South of the river the route takes you through quiet streets and through Hinksey park near the open-air swimming-pool to the end of Abingdon Road near Redbridge Park and Ride. From there you can either take the road through Kennington village (which has traffic calming), or follow the signed route to the Thames Path. This uses a cycle path that runs parallel to Oxford's Southern Bypass for a few hundred metres before zig-zagging down to the Thames path. Look out for a left turn just before the bypass crosses the river. The route follows the narrow river path for about half a mile before turning right through the meadow to a new cycle path alongside the railway. After about a mile, you reach Sandford Lane, at the southern edge of Kennington. Turn right under the railway bridge and left at the T-junction. From Kennington to Radley the route follows the road. A shared-use segregated path has been built alongside the road, but is not yet signposted as such.
Alternative link: Cyclists from Littlemore and Cowley can take a short-cut to this point by crossing the river at Sandford Lock, which brings you out onto Sandford Lane. (As shown in blue on the map.)	Map images produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Multi Media Mapping.
Radley to Abingdon and Sutton Courtenay On entering Radley the signed route turns left, following the quiet road through the village, passing the station, shops and a pub. Radley station is served by hourly trains to Oxford and Didcot, most of which continue to London. On leaving Radley the route turns left down Thrupp Lane, passing a farm and gravel works. Thrupp Lane bends sharply right, then the route turns left and leads to the course of the former railway line to Abingdon. A new surfaced path has now been built along the old railway (May 2001) which continues through Barton Fields which is a water meadow, and Abbey Meadow, an elegant riverside park with outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts. From the park the route follows the road past the Abingdon Guildhall under a medieval archway.
A more direct route from Radley to Abingdon is to continue straight along the road out of the village. Go straight over the roundabout and stay on the road (Radley Road). Keep going for two miles until you reach the centre of Abingdon, then turn left past the supermarket and bear right to the Guildhall and the medieval archway.	From the archway, which is the centre of Abingdon, follow the signs down East St Helen's Street. Turn left toward the river, go past the Old Anchor pub on your right, over a little bridge then turn left down Wilsham Street alongside the river. Keep going straight on until you reach a gap in a fence which leads to a marina and a sports ground. Take the metalled lane passing between the sports ground and the river. The lane is old concrete, then smooth tarmac, then old concrete again before it joins the Peep-o-Day Lane bridleway. Peep-o-Day lane is a narrow, pretty path. At the end of the bridleway turn left and follow the road into Sutton Courtenay. At the triangle junction turn right. Take care, visibility is poor. Some cyclists prefer to take the second fork of the triangle so as to turn where they can see oncoming traffic more easily
Sutton Courtenay to Didcot The NCN route leaves Sutton Courtenay via Hobbyhorse Lane, a left turn that is also signed for the Catholic Church. The lane leads to a byway and then a new cycle path across the landscaped meadows that cover the landfill site. This path goes around Didcot Power Station to Didcot's Northern Perimiter Road. Cross the perimiter road into Southmead industrial estate, turn left at the first T-junction, right at the second, and then cross the road to a shared-use path to the right of the road. If you reach the Asda warehouse you have gone too far! The cycle path becomes a lane that passes the sewage works and joins Basil Hill Road. An alternative route from Sutton Courtenay to Didcot is to follow the shared-use commuter route through Milton Park industrial estate. This uses a pavement through the site and then along Milton Road, next to the railway line. The path ends at a roundabout on the Perimiter Road: cross this to Basil Hill Road, directly opposite. Basil Hill Road passes the entrance to Didcot Parkway's long stay carpark and then joins Station Road at a roundabout. Turn left to reach the railway station main entrance and to continue along the NCN. To reach the town centre go straight across the roundabout and up Foxhall Road, then turn left at the next roundabout. To continue along Route 5 go past the station, then turn left under Cow Lane bridge (controlled by traffic lights). This is the start of the route to Long Wittenham and Wallingford.
Return to NCN index