Home : Local Walks : - Oxford to Aylesbury (or to Cambridge?!)
| Meet: | St Mary's (the University Church), on the north side next to Brasenose College and Radcliffe Square |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10:15 prompt (TBC) |
| Return: | late evening |
| Distance: | 23 miles (37 km), shorter options available |
| Lunch: | packed (and bring enough extra food and drink) |
| Fare: | Bus fare from Aylesbury to Oxford |
| Leader: | |
| Grid Ref: | SP 515 063 |
This 23-mile walk from Oxford to Aylesbury, along paths and minor roads, is the first section of a mammoth 81-mile walk from Oxford to Cambridge called the "Varsity March", which a group of people from the Cambridge University Rambling Club do every year.
Last year, several OUWC members joined this part of the walk, and one completed the entire walk to Cambridge. It would be great if again a number from OUWC can join in this first part of the walk, which should make for a longish but enjoyable day, and also be an encouragement to those who are aiming to do the whole 81-mile walk.
The provisional start meeting time this year is 10.15 from St Mary's (the University Church), on the north side next to Brasenose College and Radcliffe Square. Please aim to gather by then to ensure a prompt start, and please bring food and drinks for the walk.
The group aims to get to the centre of Aylesbury at about 7pm. The plan is for everyone to stop there for a pub supper, which you may wish to join before catching the bus back to Oxford. The Aylesbury to Oxford buses run regularly during the day, and also make many intermediate stops within about two miles of the route, so there are also many options for a shorter walk.
If you are intending to walk no further than Aylesbury then feel free to just turn up on the day, although please check do the website nearer the time in case the start time changes.
The above is probably plenty for most people, but you may possibly be interested in doing the entire walk to Cambridge, which is completed in a single walk, without sleep, aiming to arrive in Cambridge late on Sunday evening! If you are inspired to join our Cambridge friends in this rather mad challenge, they will no doubt make you feel very welcome. Be warned, however, that it is a tough physical and mental challenge, and that after Aylesbury there follows a long overnight section without convenient places to drop out.
N.B. The whole Varsity March is NOT an Oxford University Walking Club event. If you are interested in continuing beyond Aylesbury, you must contact Steven Smith (sgs30(a)cam.ac.uk) in advance for more details, rather than just turn up on the day. Further details can be found on the Cambridge University Rambling Club website.