Birding By Public Transport

All photos courtesy of Steve Heath

Birding in Oxfordshire by Public Transport
by Steve Heath

In the summer of 2022, I decided to go to Scilly by public transport. As it happens it was very straightforward: bus from Woodstock to Oxford Station, train from Oxford Station to Penzance via Reading. It was all very relaxing, lots of good scenery and no motorways to contend with. I stayed overnight in Penzance and caught the ferry the next morning, arriving on St Mary’s refreshed, and knowing my carbon footprint was approximately 70%* less than if I went by car and flew. The journey time to Penzance was approx.  6.00 hrs. I do realise this is somewhat longer than going by car but, how many times has it taken you nearly that amount of time to drive to Penzance. Obviously there will be a cost implication compared to say 4 people sharing a car but, not having to drive or go by car is worth the extra to me. *As calculated by Trainline.

With that in mind I decided to see how many birding sites in Oxfordshire could be accessed by public transport. What I found pleasantly surprised me. Below is a list of sites and places. I have listed them by district i.e., West Oxfordshire, Cherwell etc. Each area has a link to places within that area and each place has a link to bus timetables and, where possible, places of interest, for example Farmoor Reservoir. Where bus and train access are available it is indicated by a symbol. Links to bus and train operators are also included and, for any of you feeling more adventurous, a link to rail travel in Europe. Buying a rail card is a good investment and, if you qualify, get a senior bus pass for free travel within Oxfordshire. Currently as of January 2023 bus fares are capped at £2 until the end of March 2023. The list of sites and places is not exhaustive and I expect you will know of others.

Useful links.

Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets

 Buy Cheap Train Tickets | Great Western Railway | First Great Western

Our stations | Chiltern Railways

Train Tickets & fares | CrossCountry

The Man in Seat 61 | The train travel guide

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoach

Oxfordshire – bustimes.org   bustimes.org

https://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm

 

Districts and Sites

Cherwell

Banbury
BUS  TRAIN
Easily reached by train and bus from Oxford and als0 bus from Chipping Norton and surrounding villages. See timetables in links below.   Local sites include Grimsbury Reservoir and Spiceball Country Park. For other sites see BOS website. 

Banbury Ornithological Society - Home
Cherwell – bustimes.org  
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets
Spiceball Park & Grimsbury Reservoir Circular Walk  

Bicester. 
BUS  TRAIN
Easily reached by bus and train from Oxford and surrounding areas. Bicester Wetlands reserve is probably the main draw here. 

Banbury Ornithological Society - Home
http://www.banburyornithologicalsociety.org.uk/index.php/reserves/bicester-wetland-reserve
Cherwell – bustimes.org  
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets

Islip
BUS  TRAIN
Islip is the nearest place I could find to access Otmoor RSPB by public transport. It involves a bit of a hike to access from either Oddington or Beckley.

Cherwell – bustimes.org   
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets
https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/otmoor-reserve/

 

Kidlington, Stratfield Brake

BUS  TRAIN
This gem along with the canal-side walk is easily accessible from Oxford, Bicester, Banbury, and surrounding areas by public transport.

Cherwell – bustimes.org  
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets 
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/stratfield-brake/

 

Oxford City

Oxford. 

BUS  TRAIN
Possibly the easiest place to access by public transport from surrounding towns and villages. Oxford has many sites accessible by bus that include the following: Hinksey Lake and Park, Iffley Meadows, Port Meadow, Marston Meadows and University Parks as well as Shotover Country Park which requires a walk from Headington Quarry. Details of the sites and bus routes are given below.

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets
https://bustimes.org/districts/146
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory_record/913/hinksey_park
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/info/20003/parks_and_open_spaces/823/port_meadow
https://www.oxford.gov.uk/directory_record/907/shotover_country_park  
https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/iffley-meadows

South Oxfordshire.

Aston Rowant NR. Christmas Common

BUS

Regular coach services from Oxford to Lewknor give access to both these sites but, it does involve a bit of a hike.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
https://www.oxfordtube.com/Default.aspx
https://www.chilternsaonb.org/map_marker/aston-rowant-national-nature-reserve/

Bix for Wartburg reserve

BUS

This is one for the more adventurous. A regular bus service from Didcot or Wallingford, that goes to Henley, can drop you at Bix turn, a 2.8 km walk from here takes you to the reserve. Connecting services from Oxford are available in Didcot and Wallingford.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/warburg-nature-reserve

 

Cholsey Marsh

BUS  TRAIN

Buses to Cholsey leave from Wallingford with connections to Didcot and Oxford. Cholsey can also be accessed by train from Oxford and Didcot. Access to the ridgeway is also possible.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets
https://www.bbowt.org.uk/nature-reserves/cholsey-marsh

 

Dorchester

BUS

For access to Dorchester for pits, Days Lock and Wittenham Clumps. Buses leave Oxford and Wallingford with connections to Didcot and Abingdon.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel     
https://earthtrust.org.uk/app_locations/wittenham-clumps/        

Sandford on Thames

BUS

Regular buses to Sandford leave from Oxford, Wallingford, and Abingdon. Access to The Oxford Preservation Trust Sites is gained in Sandford, see website, as well as Kennington Meadows, which can also be accessed from Kennington, by bus, from Oxford and Abingdon.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
https://www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk/content/sandford-thames

Vale of White Horse.

Abingdon

BUS

Excellent bus services go to Abingdon from Oxford, Didcot, Wallingford, and surrounding villages. Abingdon Sewage Works, see website, and surrounding pits and the Thames path are a short walk from the town centre. 

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel
https://mapcarta.com/W38912680
https://bustimes.org/districts/213

 

Appleton common

BUS

 A regular bus service serves Appleton from Oxford. A short walk from the village will give you access to footpaths to Appleton lower common and also The Thames Path.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel  
https://bustimes.org/localities/appleton

Blewbury

BUS

 A regular bus service linking Harwell Campus and Didcot goes via Blewbury giving access to the Ridgeway and Juniper Valley, albeit a bit of a trek.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel 
https://bustimes.org/localities/blewbury

Boars Hill and Bagley Wood

BUS

Several regular bus services from Oxford, Abingdon and Wantage allow access  via either Kennington or Hinksey Hill.              

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel          
https://bustimes.org/localities/bagley-wood                              
https://www.alltrails.com/en-gb/trail/england/oxfordshire/bagley-wood-circular

 

Farmoor Reservoir and Pinkhill

BUS

A regular bus from Oxford to Carterton via Witney and surrounding villages gives easy access to these well known sites , there is also access to the Thames Footpath and further along the route access to Pinkhill lock meadows and views up to Wytham woods.  

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org
https://bustimes.org/localities/farmoor-oxon  
https://www.thameswater.co.uk/about-us/responsibility/days-out/farmoor-reservoir

 

Radley Lakes

BUS TRAIN

An irregular train service is available from Didcot and Oxford to Radley with, a more regular bus service to Radley from Abingdon and Oxford. A short walk will take you to the Radley lakes complex. 

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel     
https://bustimes.org/localities/radley-oxon    
Trainline : Search, Compare & Buy Cheap Train Tickets    

 

Sutton Courtney

BUS

The many lakes and pools in the Sutton Courtney area are easily reached by a regular bus service linking Oxford, Abingdon, Didcot and Wallingford and surrounding villages.  

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel    
https://bustimes.org/localities/sutton-courtenay
https://bustimes.org/districts/213

 

Wytham Woods

BUS 

An hourly bus service runs from The JR to Wytham field station Monday to Friday via Oxford City Centre, see timetable attached. Wytham Woods walking permits are available online from the University of Oxford and are free! 

Times & maps - Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel    
https://bustimes.org/localities/wytham 
https://www.wythamwoods.ox.ac.uk/home

 

 

West Oxfordshire.

Chipping Norton

BUS

Regular bus services link Chipping Norton to Banbury, Oxford, Witney, and surrounding villages. Good birding walks can be had from the town centre to Over Norton Park and Salford along the many footpaths. 

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org
https://bustimes.org/localities/chipping-norton

North Leigh Common

BUS

The excellent North Leigh Common is accessible by a regular bus service between Woodstock and Burford via Witney. See timetable below.  

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org   
https://bustimes.org/localities/north-leigh-oxon       

               

Standlake and Stanton Harcourt

BUS

A bus service linking both for access to Dix pit and surrounding pits and Standlake Common Nature Reserve and surrounding lakes, runs from Eynsham, Monday to Friday. Buses to Eynsham run between Oxford and Carterton via Witney. See timetables below.  

 Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org
https://bustimes.org/services/418-standlake-stanton-harcourt-eynsham
https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/countrysid/StandlakeCommonNatureReserveleaflet.pdf
https://www.oos.org.uk/Sites/Dix.php

Witney

BUS

Witney is well served by buses from Oxford, Burford, Chipping Norton and surrounding towns and villages on the bus routes. Witney Lake and water meadows have easy access from the town centre, the River Windrush is also within walking distance .

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoach bustimes.org
https://www.witney-tc.gov.uk/services/lake-country-park/

 

 

Woodstock

BUS

Woodstock is easily accessed from Oxford, Witney ,Chipping Norton and Kidlington and surrounding villages on the bus routes. Sites accessible from Woodstock include the juggernaut that is Blenheim, The Old Woodstock Line (OWL) nature reserve, Woodstock Water Meadows and also  Community Woodland and Orchard in Old Woodstock. There are numerous footpaths giving access to the surrounding countryside.   

Oxford Buses - Bus Routes, Tickets & Times | Stagecoachbustimes.org
https://bustimes.org/districts/228
https://woodstock-tc.gov.uk/natural-habitats/

I hope you found something in the above to interest you and also help you to reduce your carbon footprint. I have done several of the journeys and I hope to do more this coming year. Give it a go, you might just enjoy the experience.

 

Steve Heath January 2023