Easy hikes and walks around Middleton Cheney

Run through the quintessential English village of Chacombe, situated on the border between Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. The village features a wealth of picturesque thatched cottages as well as pubs and a beautiful church.

Lovely old lift-bridge spanning across the Oxford Canal. These unique bridges built along the canal are not common in the UK. The only other similiar set are in North Wales along the Llangollen Canal.

This stone bridge spans over the famous Oxford Canal and offers up some wonderful views down the waterway. You may be lucky enough to spot some narrow canal boats as you pass by.

Beautiful large green area situated on the western side of Banbury. The park features a children's playground, public toilets, and playing fields.

Chacombe is a pretty Northamptonshire village with many characterful old buildings, including its 14th-century parish church and Chacombe Priory. Walkers can seek refreshment at the traditional George and Dragon pub, which also serves good food. The Jurassic Way long-distance footpath passes through the village.

[The canal going through Banbury is part of] the Oxford Canal, a 78-mile (126 km) narrow canal in central England linking Oxford with Bedworth (between Coventry and Nuneaton on the Coventry Canal) via Banbury and Rugby. Completed in 1790, it connects to the River Thames at Oxford and is integrated with the Grand Union Canal [...]. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Canal

The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of Saints Peter and Paul is the Norman font. The current building is essentially Decorated Gothic from the early part of the 14th century, including the three-bay arcades either side of the nave. The north aisle has a 14th-century wall painting of Saint Peter being crucified upside-down. It is one of only two wall paintings of Saint Peter's crucifixion known in England, the other being in the parish church at Ickleton in Cambridgeshire. The church is a Grade I listed building. The bell tower has a ring of six bells. William Bagley of Chacombe cast four of them including the treble bell in 1694. John Briant of Hertford cast the present fifth bell in 1790; the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the present tenor bell in 2009. The parish is a member of the Chenderit Benefice, which also covers the parishes of Greatworth, Marston St. Lawrence, Middleton Cheney, Thenford and Warkworth.

Managed by the Banbury Ornithological Society, the Grimsbury Plantation Reserve is a 3.5-acre (1.4 ha) area of Scots pine and alder woodland. Look out for the Eurasian siskin wintering during the colder months, whilst summer is a good time to spot warblers. The nearby reservoir is popular with dog walkers, whilst the Oxford Canal runs adjacent to the reserve. If you bring your dog, ensure it is kept on a short lead on the reserve so as to not disturb the birds.