The best walks in the Thames Valley to beat the lockdown blues
There are waterside meanders, brisk hikes amid flint cottages and strolls to long barrows, Iron Age hill forts and white horses
The meandering river at Medmenham
Credit: Getty
A motorway is not the obvious place from which to spy the perfect walk – one of our few remaining freedoms as another lockdown begins. They funnel through monotonous scenery, lined with concrete and metal, giving nothing away to what lies beyond the tarmac strip of snaking headlights in our rearview mirrors. Yet, to find a stroll in the Thames Valley, veined by the M25, M40, M4 and the M3, it’s one of the best places to start looking.
Aston-rowant
Oxfordshire
United-kingdom
Winter-hill
Blackburn-with-darwen
Cookham
Windsor-and-maidenhead
Moulsford
Uffington
Lincolnshire
Pishill
Ribstone
Traders at Oxford’s Covered Market have had to work extra hard this year to serve customers during the coronavirus pandemic. During the first lockdown, staff at Bonners fruit and veg stall provided a lifeline to customers who were self-isolating during the coronavirus crisis. They linked up with other traders in the historic market to offer to deliver their goods alongside the fresh produce. The market remained open during the second lockdown, with fresh food sales, deliveries, takeaways and click-and-collect from non-essential retail all still taking place. Last month traders at the market owned by the city council showed they were counting down to Christmas by setting up the Christmas tree inside.
Paul-birtles
Market-street
Covered-market
Greenfield-farm
Christmas-common
சந்தை-தெரு
மூடப்பட்ட-சந்தை
கிரீன்ஃபீல்ட்-பண்ணை
கிறிஸ்துமஸ்-பொதுவானது