The Oxford Green Belt Way is a long distance path in Oxfordshire, England. It follows a circular route of 84 kilometres (52 mi) through the green belt surrounding the city of Oxford.
In the east the path follows the East Oxford Limestone Heights, passing Shotover, Horspath and Garsington. It then passes through the park of Nuneham House and to the north of Culham, to reach the River Thames at Abingdon. It uses the Thames Path to reach Radley, then heads in a northwesterly direction to Boars Hill and Cumnor. It reaches the Thames again by Farmoor Reservoir and Swinford, then heads east to Godstow and Wolvercote on the northern edge of Oxford. It uses the Oxford Canal Walk for 4 miles north to Shipton-on-Cherwell, then heads south east across the water meadows of the River Cherwell to Hampton Poyle and Gosford. The path then crosses the corallian limestone hills of Elsfield and Beckley to return to Shotover.
The route was devised in 2007 by the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.
Famous quotes containing the words oxford, green and/or belt:
“The logical English train a scholar as they train an engineer. Oxford is Greek factory, as Wilton mills weave carpet, and Sheffield grinds steel. They know the use of a tutor, as they know the use of a horse; and they draw the greatest amount of benefit from both. The reading men are kept by hard walking, hard riding, and measured eating and drinking, at the top of their condition, and two days before the examination, do not work but lounge, ride, or run, to be fresh on the college doomsday.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The old priest Peter Gilligan
Was weary night and day;
For half his flock were in their beds,
Or under green sods lay.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“The watchers in their leopard suits
Waited till it was time,
And aimed between the belt and boot
And let the barrel climb.”
—Louis Simpson (b. 1923)