A walk along the Oxford Canal and across Port Meadow

The walk takes in a stretch of the Oxford Canal Heritage Trail, the ancient green space of Port Meadow and a section of the River Thames towpath.

Your stroll starts and ends at the southern terminus of the Oxford Canal on Hythe Bridge Street in the city centre.

The route takes between just over an hour to an hour and a half of actual walking depending on your pace, but you may wish to linger at a number of locations along the way.

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Points of interest along the route include:

•Colourful residential narrow boats at the start of the canal walk

•The Italianate St Barnabas Church to the right just after Isis Lock, with its attractive, distinctive chimes

•Rows of large Victorian houses and their canal-side gardens

•Port Meadow, with its sweeping views, cattle and horses and birdlife

•A now redundant railway track swing-bridge, and a Great Western Railway iron footbridge preserved in the company’s livery, found close together towards the end of the walk just before you re-join the canal.

The route has been devised by the city council.

It said; “Join the Oxford Canal at Hythe Bridge Street and head north along the towpath until you reach Isis Lock.

"Go over the humpback footbridge at the lock and continue straight ahead. Stay on the towpath and pass under the next two bridges (a metal footbridge and the first brick bridge) and continue until you come to the third bridge (also brick), but don’t pass under it, leave the canal just before and join the footpath to the left along the front edge of Aristotle Lane Recreation Ground.

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“When you reach the corner of the Rec where the path meets the road look up towards the left and you will see a large green metal footbridge over the railway line.

“Walk towards and over the bridge and just a little further on the other side you will reach Port Meadow.

To continue the walk take the trackway to the left until you reach the gates and road entrance and then staying on the meadow take the rough track to the right until you reach a wooden bailey footbridge. Cross this bridge and then go over the second footbridge immediately to your left.”

The city council guide to the route adds: “Continue along the towpath until you reach a humpback footbridge, but stay on the towpath and pass under the low railway bridge.

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"Just after this point the towpath reaches a side road; cross this and re-join the towpath the other side and continue until you come to, and then and cross an old iron footbridge painted in the colours of the Great Western Railway. You are now back at Isis Lock; turn right over the humpback footbridge and re-join the canal towpath for the short walk back to the start point.”