Aynho Walk

For the first time in several weeks we have been able to stay on a mooring for the full weekend.  This provided an opportunity to go on a walk around the local area.  Unfortunately the OS website no longer provides free access to their maps which prevented me from examining differences between the OS and OSM maps.  Consequentially no new footpaths were added to the OSM.

The planned route took me south of Aynho Wharf and then west before turning north.  This part of the walk took me across fields and a few small villages and on to the outskirts of Banbury before turning south and heading back to Aynho.  There was nothing fast about the walk and I took just over four hours to complete the 21 kilometres. 

The bottom arrow is the start and finish point whilst to top arrow points to Kings Sutton (more on that later).

Before I write more about the walk I must mention the email I received from blog reader Bill regarding the barn in yesterday’s post.  I’ll quote him verbatim.

Originally the holes and more commonly slits were put in for better ventilation when animals were kept inside, the principle is hot air rises and escapes high up thus drawing in fresher air at the bottom, i should point out half the barn would have been full of feed, wheat  and other stuff to help the land owner survive the winter, which according to records were much harsher than now days, also live stock were an important asset so they did not want to lose them,

As time has proved these holes have become ways owls [and other birds] have found safe nesting and roosting sites, and as you said in the 14th most visited waterways site, they did kill vermin, and were a useful aid to the owner of the barn.

I should also say some of the holes may have had wood beams going across to the other side to carry a floor, hay would have been put up here so they just had to drop it down to the cattle, it`s unlikely sheep would be kept inside as they are prone to get breathing problems and pneumonia, these beams would have been knocked down once they became unsafe.

Well that all sounds very plausible to me!

The thing I liked about today’s walk was the rural nature of much of the route.  Jan’s camera has the panoramic setting which I experimented with during the walk.

The grain in the fields was ready to be harvested and a header was working behind me in the adjacent field.  I did notice a number of the farmers around here have taken the heads of and left the stalks standing in the fields.  I’m not sure if they intend to return and crop the stalks for animal feed or plough it back into the ground.  I’ve not seen them leave the stalks this high in Australia.

Looking in the other direction (north east) I could see the steeple of a church in the far distance.

Continuing north I reached the village of Adderbury.  I was rather amused to see the small village had three pubs.

The Plough

The Horse & Jockey

Of even more interest was this small brick structure tucked into the hedge on a road junction in the middle of the village.

It’s not possible to see the words on the plaque in the photo above but they state……..

GIVE ME ALSO SPRINGS OF WATER

FEBRUARY 1888

I assume this was the village water supply at that time?

The next village was Bodcote where there were a number of attractive stone cottages tucked down narrow lanes.

On the northern side of the village is Canal Lane.  As you would expect, the lane leads down to the canal. Actually it’s not much of a lane; more a footpath.  There were some good views north from the high ground before the lane dropped down to the canal.

Banbury Business Park

From the canal it was a return to Waiouru via the towpath.  That church steeple appeared again.  This time on the skyline to the south of me.

It’s the steeple of the CE church St Peter & St Paul in King’s Sutton.  The oldest part of the church is the Norman Chancel.  The imposing steeple was added to the original tower in the late 14th century.  The church is Grade 1 listed.