The Roads Round Oxford
Contents
- Runs from Magdalen Bridge up the stiff ascent of Headington Hill and on through Wheatley, Thame and Stone into Aylesbury, with notes on bumpy and undulating surfaces and the streets of Aylesbury being badly paved.
- Follows Route 1 to Thame, then turns at the 'Cross Keys' and runs through Kingsey and Long Wick to Prince's Risborough, described as undulating with an excellent surface.
- Leaves Thame along Rycote Lane with one stiff rise to the 'Three Pigeons', then passes through Little Milton, Stadhampton, Newington and Warborough to Shillingford, over a fair but loose surface.
- Goes from Aylesbury via Walton, Stoke Mandeville and the Kimbles to Prince's Risborough, then on through Chinnor, Watlington and Britwell to Benson, with mostly fair to good surfaces.
- Takes the main road through Tetsworth and over Stokenchurch and Dashwood Hills to High Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Uxbridge into London at Marble Arch, noting the dangerous descent of Dashwood Hill and bad surfaces near Acton and Shepherd's Bush.
- Climbs the steep triple ascent of Dawes Hill out of High Wycombe, then descends to Marlow and runs by Danesfield Park, Medmenham and Hambledon Lock into Henley, over an excellent surface.
- Follows Route 5 to Stokenchurch then turns off through hilly country by Lane End to Marlow, with several steep descents and rises and a long winding dangerous hill near the bottom.
- Crosses the suspension bridge to Bisham, then climbs Rose Hill before the dangerous descent of White Hill down to Henley Bridge.
- Runs via Cowley and Horspath to Coombe Wood and Cuddesdon, over level but rather sandy and loose surfaces with a sharp ascent near the end.
- Goes by Cowley, Chiselhampton and Stadhampton past Hampden's Monument to Watlington, then over the steep unrideable Howe Hill and down a six-mile descent through Pishill and the Assentons into Henley.
- A short level route from Chiselhampton past the 'Golden Ball', crossing the Oxford and Henley road, into Clifton Hampden over a fair surface.
- Runs via Rose Hill, Sandford and Nuneham to Dorchester and Benson, climbs Gangsdown Hill to Nettlebed and descends Bix Hill into Henley, then continues over White Hill through Maidenhead and Hounslow into London at Hyde Park Corner.
- Follows Route 12 to Nuffield Heath, then takes a long descent to Crowmarsh Giffard and crosses the Thames into Wallingford at the Lamb Hotel.
- Leaves Henley by Duke Street on a level road to Shiplake, then climbs to the 'Flowing Spring' Inn before a gradual descent through Caversham and across the Thames into Reading, over a good surface.
- Turns off shortly after Henley Bridge and runs by Marsh Mills and Wargrave to Twyford, where it joins Route 16 into Reading, with an excellent surface to Twyford.
- Climbs out of Maidenhead and keeps left at Maidenhead Thicket, then runs hilly by Littlewick Green, Knowl Hill and Hare Hatch to Twyford and on to Reading, with the surface deteriorating towards Reading.
- Follows Route 12 to Benson then turns off through Crowmarsh Giffard, Woodcot, Cane End and Green Dean to the awkward descent of St. Peter's Hill in Caversham and across the Thames into Reading; noted as two miles shorter than the main road with rather better surface but inferior scenery.
- Runs via Shillingford and Wallingford, over Shillingford Hill, then by Moulsford and Streatley to Pangbourne and into Reading, following the famous riverside road with surfaces deteriorating near Reading.
- Leaves Dorchester Abbey through Burcot and Clifton Hampden, over Culham Railway Bridge and along the Causeway across the Thames into Abingdon, over fair to good surfaces.
- Runs from Wallingford past the railway terminus by 'New Farm' over Hadden Hill through Didcot and Harwell, then skirts East Hendred and Ardington into Wantage, with surfaces varying from good to rough and rather hilly past Hendred.
- Follows the Oxford road briefly from the 'Bull' then takes a succession of three long ascents and falls past Blewbury and Upton to West Hagbourne, joining Route 20 above Harwell into Wantage; the road is rough through Blewbury and furrowed by water courses.
- Runs down St. Aldate's over Folly Bridge on bad cobbles, then over the long stiff ascent of Hincksey Hill and through Bagley Wood to Abingdon, over a moderate, rather slippery surface.
- Follows the main road to the railway bridge then turns off by Kennington and Radley to Abingdon, with several awkward right-angled bends but less hilly than the main road, the surface moderate and slippery when wet.
- Goes from Osney Bridge up Cumnor Hill, then takes a gentle downward slope nearly all the way through Wootton into Abingdon, over a generally rough surface.
- Runs via Abingdon, Drayton and Steventon, over Steventon Hill to East Ilsley, then climbs Ashridge and Beedon Hills before an all-downhill run into Newbury, with a generally good surface.
- Leaves Abingdon by Ock Street and the 'Rising Sun' through Shippon and Gosford, crossing the Oxford-Wantage road, to join the Oxford-Faringdon road just before Fyfield, over a not very good surface.
- Runs along Ock Street and past the racecourse to Marcham, then skirts Frilford and crosses the Oxford-Wantage road into Kingston Bagpuize, over a poor surface.
- Goes from Osney Bridge by Botley up Cumnor Hill, then by Besselsleigh, Frilford and East Hanney to Wantage, climbs the nearly unrideable Red House Hill and falls to Shefford before an all-downhill run into Hungerford, with a dangerous tram-line crossing at Wantage.
- Leaves Wantage by the 'Bell' down a hill to East Challow, then runs over the canal and Great Western Railway through Stanford-in-the-Vale to Faringdon, over a good surface with a careful descent into the town.
- Runs from Wantage past Childrey, Sparsholt and Kingston Lisle near the Blowing Stone and White Horse Hill, with the dangerous descent of Winslow Hill, then through Ashbury, Bishopstone and Wanborough to Liddington and on to Swindon.
- Follows the Wantage road to Besselsleigh then runs through Fyfield and Kingston Bagpuize, skirting Buckland, with a long descent into Faringdon, then by Beckett Park to Shrivenham and across Hackron Bridge into Swindon, the surface excellent beyond Shrivenham.
- Follows Route 29 to Faringdon, then runs by Eaton Wood and Buscot Park to Buscot, crossing the Thames at St. John's Bridge to a perfectly level run into Lechlade over a good surface.
- Runs from Kingston Bagpuize down a sharp descent to Newbridge over the Thames, then level through Standlake and Brighthampton to Ducklington and across the railway by the station into Witney, the surface rather loose and poor.
- Runs from Faringdon through Littleworth and over Tadpole Bridge to Bampton, then undulating by Lew and across the Great Western Railway through Curbridge to Witney, over fair to bad surfaces.
- Leaves Faringdon down a hill to Radcot Bridge, then by Clanfield and Black Bourton, crossing the railway and joining the Oxford telegraph wires before a dangerous descent into Burford, over a poor and slippery surface.
- Runs from Carfax by Botley and over Swinford Bridge (toll 2d.) through Eynsham, then more hilly to Witney down Cogges Hill into Newland, and uphill most of the way to Burford over a bad surface.
- Leaves Witney up a stiff hill after a butcher's shop, then a tolerably level road with a long easy descent to Handborough and on by Bladon skirting Blenheim Park to the Woodstock road, over a fair surface.
- Runs from Witney by Hailey, Whiteoak Green and Finstock, then descends over the Evenlode and climbs to Charlbury, before the stiff ascent of Banbury Hill and chiefly downhill to Enstone, over a fair surface.
- Leaves Charlbury at the toll-gate with a stiff ascent and long descent, then joins the main road and follows Route 39 into Woodstock, over a poor surface for about four miles.
- Follows Route 34 to Botley then turns off through several gates to Wytham along the Wytham Stream, crossing the bridge at Godstow by the 'Trout' Inn and on through Wolvercote, the surface becoming rough after Wytham.
- Runs from St. Giles' Church up the Corn-Market through Summertown and Begbroke to Woodstock, then by Over Kiddington to Enstone and on to Chipping Norton, the road becoming rough and dangerously slippery when wet.
- Runs from Enstone by Over Kiddington and Glympton, over the long winding Wootton Hill and Milford Bridge Hill, past Bletchington Station, Islip and Stanton St. John to Forest Hill, joining the London road into Wheatley, with bad rutted and slippery surfaces.
- Goes from Enstone by Church Enstone with a very stiff descent to Westcot Barton, then an uphill-tending road with several sharp rises to Hopcroft's Holt.
- Runs from Carfax up the Banbury Road through Summertown and Kidlington, past Sturdy's Castle Inn to Hopcroft's Holt, then by Deddington and Adderbury, over steep drops and rises, into Banbury, with telegraph wires the whole way and an excellent surface near Banbury.
- Runs from Hopcroft's Holt down a winding descent to the Cherwell, crossing the railway by Heyford Station and through Lower Heyford and Middleton Stoney to Bicester, with surfaces from poor to good.
- Runs from Bletchington Station to Kirtlington, then skirts Middleton Park and crosses the Brackley road through Chesterton into Bicester, over rough then good surfaces.
- Follows Route 4 to Gosford, crosses the Cherwell and the old London-Worcester road by Weston-on-the-Green, then a straight nearly level road past Middleton Park and Ardley with a long easy descent into Brackley, the surface rough and slippery when wet but improving towards Brackley.
- Follows Route 45 then runs by Wendlebury into Bicester, and on through Fringford, Newton Purcell, Finmere and Tingewick to Buckingham, the surface rough and slippery near Bicester and becoming rather hilly past Fringford.
- Runs from Bicester by Blackthorn Hill and Piddington to Brill, then down a long descent and up and down to Long Crendon and a fine broad road into Thame, with a note on a direct route through Oakley avoiding the steep hills of Brill.
- Follows Route 10 then turns off to Woodeaton and on to Islip, then through Oddington to Charlton-on-Otmoor, over rough and bumpy surfaces, with Otmoor itself crossed only by rough grass roads.
- Leaves Magdalen Bridge by St. Clement's and the 'Plasterer's Arms', then by Marston with a stiff ascent into Elsfield and on past Stow Wood to Beckley, with a note that Otmoor is traversed only by practically unrideable grass tracks.
- Runs along the London road for two miles then turns off past Woodperry House, with a long descent to Studley and through several gates by Boarstall, before a very steep hill into Brill.
- Follows the former route to the fork at three miles then bears right to Stanton St. John, on by Menmarsh Guide Post to Oakley and a steep ascent of over a mile into Brill, over a moderate surface.
- Describes the railways serving the district, almost entirely the Great Western, detailing the main lines and branches through Slough, Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Oxford and Banbury, with notes on Sunday services and the London and North Western lines in eastern Buckinghamshire.
- An alphabetical index listing the places mentioned in the road-book with their page references.