There’s nothing like a bracing winter walk through the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside to get you into the festive spirit. And here HELEN PEACOCK brings us her top five favourite trails to try out this Christmas.

WALK ONE * Thrupp is a pretty little hamlet a couple of miles north of the centre of Kidlington. You reach it by turning right off the A4200 which leads to Deddington. It’s a great starting place for a brisk two mile river walk and a cheering drink afterwards at the Boat Inn.

Having reached the pub, park your car alongside the canal and follow the line of attractive little cottages facing the canal. This leads to a small bridge spanning the canal, under a railway bridge and on to a path that takes you into the Thrupp Community Woodlands.

After passing under the railway bridge you will come to a wooden gate and a large map displaying the many footpaths that criss-cross the Woodlands and follow the River Cherwell which gently flows through this unspoiled place towards Hampton Poyle. A small footpath leading to Old Kidlington can extend this walk.

WALK TWO * Wittenham Clumps, Little Wittenham, look down on the Earth Trust’s 250 acre nature reserve, north east of Didcot, which is designated an Area of Outstanding Beauty. The two clumps can be spotted for miles around as these ancient hill forts, topped with trees that stand so tall and proud, can be viewed from many vantage points.

An information board which details the many walks that can be taken in this area stands by the entrance gate next to the free car park. These walks offer many choices, including woodland and river walks.

If you begin by climbing to the top of the clump named Castle Hill, you will be able to start your explorations with a stunning panoramic view that takes in the historic town of Dorchester, the Berkshire Downs and Didcot Power Station chimneys – and all the while buzzards and red kites will soar above you adding their own flash of colour to the day.

WALK THREE * The entrance to Seacourt Nature Reserve is directly opposite to the Seacourt Park and Ride, Botley. The fascinating thing about exploring this area is that you can enjoy walking out of a busy built up area clogged with cars, and straight into deep countryside, that comes complete with wild flowers and birdsong. Although industrial buildings are intermittently visible through gaps in the hedge, they don’t spoil the walk, nor do the giant pylons that stride majestically across the many meadows you are now free to roam.

You won’t need a map, just walk at whim until you reach Willow Walk, which is a medieval causeway for foot traffic only. This links Oxford with Hinksey and abuts a series of water meadows owned by Oxford Preservation Trust that were purchased to prevent development in this lovely area and for us to enjoy.

WALK FOUR * This two mile walk starts and finishes at the Victoria Arms, Old Marston, which stands on the site of the old Marston Rope Ferry, once the only way of getting to North Oxford and Summertown until the Marston Ferry link road was built.

On leaving the Victoria Arms, head for a gap in the hedge by the car park, and on through a coppice which leads to the B4495. Having crossed the road, all you have to do is follow the River Cherwell as it meanders towards the centre of Oxford. You can’t get lost as there are way markers all the way as you pass ancient unspoiled meadows, past the back of Oxford colleges and on to the University Parks. A beautifully designed 1920’s curved footbridge in the shape of a rainbow, built as a project for the unemployed, signifies your arrival at the parks. Should you wish you can explore this 70 acres of parkland before returning home.

WALK FIVE * The Phoenix Trail, Thame, is a seven-mile linear walk that runs along the old railway route between Thame and Princes Risborough. This traffic-free trail, interspersed with little footpaths, caters for cyclists, walkers and horse riders, dogs too, but they have to be kept on their leads.

You can reach the trail by entering the Cuttle Brook Reserve, a 27 acre award-winning nature reserve just five-minutes walk from the town centre, yet full of wildlife and birds. The brook after which this reserve is named threads its way through the Reserve.

It’s the sculptures built by furniture students from the nearby Rycotewood College that makes the Pheonix Trail so special. They are strategically placed all along the way. As many are weird and wacky carved seats, designed to reflect the trail’s railway heritage and provide walkers with a place to rest, they add much to this walk.

* Helen and her dog Pythius have written three books on dog-friendly pubs and walks in Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds. Paws Under the Table, Paws for History and Paws Along the Way (Wychwood Press £9.99) Available from all good book shops.