Car-free aventures aroundCharlburyThe Cotswolds
From a busy London station to the heart of the English countryside in an hour and ten minutes: the scenic train journey from Paddington to Charlbury makes this one of the easiest Cotswold destinations to reach without a car. Whether you prefer to explore by bike, bus or on foot, to play frisbee golf or go on a pub crawl, here are some ideas for enjoying Charlbury without a car.
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1. How to get to Charlbury without a car
Fast hourly trains from London Paddington reach Charlbury station in just over an hour. From Oxford, it’s just 17 minutes and the trains run from Reading, Worcester and Malvern too.
- Look out of the window beyond Reading to see the lovely tree-lined Thames Valley and the wide pony-grazed Port Meadow after Oxford. Don’t miss the steam trains near Didcot or the River Evenlode winding through Cornbury Park (home of the Wilderness festival) as you approach Charlbury.
- Arriving at Charlbury station, the little Café de la Gare is open until 11.30am on weekdays if you need refreshments. Follow the lane ahead from the station building and then left out of the station. Turn right, crossing the pretty River Evenlode, and keep on up towards the town. You’ll soon see a sign to the Town Centre on the right, directing you along quieter Church Lane, which leads to St Mary’s, a good place to start exploring.
- There are also buses from Oxford and several other places (see 5 below). Tickets are currently just £3 each way however far you travel. If you’re planning to make more than a couple of trips, a MyBus ticket costing £6.50 gives you unlimited bus travel all over Oxfordshire.
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2. A car-free day out in Charlbury
Charlbury has lots of interesting old buildings, best discovered on a stroll around the town. The church has Norman pillars and arches, carved faces on the ceiling, an impressive seventeenth-century spiral staircase to the tower, and lots more. The ornate drinking fountain on The Playing Close commemorates Queen Victoria’s visits and jubilees and late-Victorian improvements to Charlbury’s drinking water supply.
- To find out more about the area’s heritage, check out Charlbury Museum, crammed with farming stuff and old photos. It’s ten minutes’ stroll from the station.
- Peckish? There are some fabulous pubs (see 6 below) and other places for refreshments, including the Charlbury Deli and Cafe, a one-stop shop for sarnies, healthy snacks and gourmet picnics – just opposite the museum.
- From Nine Acres Lane, you can access the little Wigwell Nature reserve and follow permissive footpaths through pretty tree-lined fields with rolling views.
- Turn left at the far end of the nature reserve to follow a two-mile circular walk to Cotswold View for homemade soup, quiche, salads, cake and lots more, under the beams or in the garden of The Old Shed café. You could even have a game of disc golf! The way back, through woods and along leafy Hundley Way follows a leafy, traffic-free track.
- Time for supper? The Amarelo Bistro, close to the museum, serves tasty South American meals from chef Marcia’s native Brazil on Friday and Saturday evenings and weekend lunchtimes.
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3. Explore by bike
Cycling is a great way to get further afield without a car. Bainton Bikes have a shop in Oxford and self-service hire hubs through the Cotswolds. They even offer delivery to and collection from different places so you can have a linear cycle ride through the Cotswold countryside.
- You can drop into Bainton Bikes’ shop in Oxford, phone or send an email to hire a bike. They offer classic and e-bikes, kids’ bikes, hybrids – even tandems! And their specialist staff can adjust them to suit you when they drop off.
- Charlbury has several great cycle routes Circular routes from Charlbury include the 27-mile Wychwood Loop through ancient woodland and along the Evenlode valley.
- You could also make it a 16-mile ride and get the train back from Kingham. Other inear routes, using the railway to get back if you need to, include a choice of cycle rides to Oxford or Moreton-in-Marsh.
- Cycle eight miles to Blenheim Palace and you could get 20% off entry for arriving car-free.
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4. Explore on foot
Charlbury is a Walkers are Welcome town and is perfectly placed for exploring the Cotswold countryside on foot. One of the great things about car-free walks is that you don’t need to get back to a parked car. You can enjoy a drink in a country pub at the end too!
- Footpaths lead out of Charlbury in almost every direction and the town sits on the beautiful Oxfordshire Way, a 67-mile long-distance path around the county. The 37-mile Wychwood Way, exploring the ancient forest of Wychwood, also runs nearby.
- There are several shorter circular routes, which help you sample the countryside near Charlbury. You’ll find pilgrimage leaflets in St Mary’s church too.
- And there are longer, linear routes that can help you roam further. Follow the well-signed Oxfordshire Way eight miles to Hanborough. Woodland paths and flowery tracks link the towns and villages along this station-to-station walk, which follows the pretty Evenlode valley and loops through the green fringes of the Blenheim estate with bluebells and wild garlic in spring. You could detour slightly to visit the free remains of the North Leigh Roman Villa. Inside a windowed building at one end of the Roman Villa site, you can see an intricate mosaic floor. And end with a trip to the Oxford Bus Museum at Hanborough – arriving car-free gets you £1 off entry.
- Follow the Oxfordshire Way and Wychwood Way five miles to Ascot-under-Wychwood. This is another lovely stretch of the Evenlode Valley, but trains don’t stop in Ascot very often so plan ahead. It might make sense to start by getting a train to Ascot and walk from there to Charlbury.
- Have a pub crawl to Ramsden (see 6 below) and catch bus X9 back to Charlbury.
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5. Explore by bus
Regular buses link Charlbury with several other towns and villages in the area. Here are some day trips by bus that you can currently enjoy for just £3 each way. A map of the bus stops shows you where in Charlbury to hop on.
- Hourly bus X9 (every two hours on Sunday) heads to the town of Chipping Norton. There are lots of car-free things to do nearby like a visit to Fairytale Farm with 20% off entry.
- Dozens of independent shops, a lively history of blanket-making and a picturesque historic farm: there’s plenty to see heading in the other direction on bus X9 to Witney. On the way, look out for Cornbury deer park and pretty villages like Finstock. The bus takes 25 minutes and can drop you in the Market Square right in the middle of the town. Check out our guide to car-free days out in Witney.
- Woodstock is another lovely town packed with brilliant shops and cafés. Bus S3 runs there from Charlbury.
- And, beyond Woodstock, the bus runs on into Oxford. It’s a lot slower by bus than the train, but only costs £3 and gives you views of thatched Oxfordshire villages along the way. There are plenty of great car-free things to do around Oxford with its world-class museums and colleges.
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6. Pub crawl around Charlbury
Charlbury has some seriously great pubs: stylish former coaching inns, creeper-clad country taverns, heated beer gardens and beamed bars with real log fires. Follow the walking directions from the station into town (see 1 above) to reach the church and walk through the churchyard.
- Turn left up Church Street to The Bell. Inglenooks, bay windows, high-backed wooden settles and an orchard garden mean this recently-revamped pub has plenty of cosy spaces for a gourmet lunch. The bar is made of ash from the nearby Daylesford estate and the menu might feature heritage vegetables, Daylesford’s own award-winning cheeses and fruit from the organic market garden.
- At the top of the hill, you’ll find The Bull, another welcoming pub with fires blazing in winter by the low-beamed bar. Pies, chops, fish and venison are served in the candlelit restaurant and the bar serves local beer and classic cocktails.
- For a longer pub crawl to another rewarding destination, follow this map to reach The Royal Oak in the idyllic village of Ramsden. You can also get there by bus (see below). On the way, you’ll pass through Cornbury deer park, the fringes of ancient Wychwood Forest, and the village of Finstock with The Plough Inn.
- The Royal Oak is a beautifully peaceful place for an afternoon pint or supper before catching bus X9 back to Charlbury from the end of the road. To reach the bus stop, stand outside the pub, facing the war memorial and turn right for about fifteen minutes along High Street to reach Witney Road. There are lots of lovely cottages along the way.
- Keep on along the grass verge of a country lane. The bus goes from the “Ramsden Turn” junction outside Charlbury Garden Centre. There’s no bus stop, but stick your arm out and the bus will stop and take you back to The Bell in Charlbury. The last bus from Ramsden to Charlbury leaves at 6.40pm Monday to Saturday (4.25pm on Sundays) and there are trains back to London until nearly midnight.
