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This is not intended to a complete step by step guide to the walk that leads you by the hand, but rather to enhance your walk by highlighting local history, views and curios. Some of these items may indeed tempt you to stray off your route so keep a good map at hand!!
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Start: County Hall Abingdon Market Square
All walks start here, please imagine the Great Abbey that once towered behind St Nicolas Church.
Pass through the arches of the Guildhall to East St Helens which wends down to the river.
Abingdon has several quality coffee shops and every type of restaurant.
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East St Helens view towards St Helens
There is a Specialist Walkers Shop here in East St Helens for Boots and Clothing
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East St Helens view towards St Helens
East St Helen's is steeped in history and has its own walk so today we shall just ask you to admire it's beauty
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Start of Ock Valley Walk (easy to miss!)
50 metres or so in front of the entrance to St Helens Church, actually the start is in West St Helens.
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First Bridge over River OCK
The Ock (which means Salmon)
The Ock had two Celtic names, Cern and Eog or Ehoc (cf. the Welsh and Cornish for salmon), of which only the latter survived, the Old English word for salmon being almost the same, and the modern German word is Lachs. The Ock was used by the Romans to navigate to their "Temple" Complex at Frilford.
When you cross the bridge you are on an island between the original Ock itself and a flood-relief channel
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Ock Island (but no official name)
The Ock used to regularly flood across to Ock Street, causing great distress to the poor families and many damp related illnesses for the children
The Cut was dug to prevent flooding. But the Ock closed Tesco's and caused much concern in the Caldecott in 2000
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Leave Ock Island
Turning right would have taken you to Ock Street
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Interesting multi-arch floodplain bridge
Best viewed in Winter (no Nettles!)
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Ock Side Park (across the Drayton Rd)
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Across the OCK again
Tesco can be seen through the trees (as a point of bearing)
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Anti-Tank Dragons Teeth
A defensive line including a ditch, blockhouses and gun positions ran through here
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New Cut Bridge
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Former Canal Bank
Bank of the former raised bank canal (Berks & Wilts Canal) to Bristol
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New Cut Mill House
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Towards the A34 (you can hear it's roar)
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More Anti-Tank Blocks
You are walking alongside the busy A34 to the footbridge
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Footbridge over the A34
On a clear day you can south to the Berkshire Downs (Ridgeway), and north to Boars Hill, and West across
the flat plain of the White Horse Vale.
Now follow the concrete track for a mile or so
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White Horse Vale
Following line of the former canal.
You might already feel the melancholy of very flat country
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Towards Marcham Mill
Follow the footpath which cuts across the field to the Willow Trees
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Marcham Mill
and farm
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Marcham Green
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The Crown Pub
Open All Day Saturday
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Marcham General Stores and Post Office
Closed from 12am Sundays (Drat!)
Essential resupply point!
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Marcham Lions
Marcham "Place in the Marshes" is also home to New Denham College the WI Training Centre
There is no obvious round trip return to Abingdon, so best to return the same way.
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