Magdalen College and the Tolkien Seat

From Old Marston, head north, away from the B4495, to the junction with Mill Lane. The parish Church of St Nicholas is to the right. Follow Mill Lane, passing a stone house with a blue plaque on the right. Turn left at the sign for the Victoria Arms and follow the long drive to its car park. Make for the far corner and follow the woodland path beside the River Cherwell.

Cross the B4495 and continue on the footpath. On reaching three gates, side by side, go through the right gate and keep to the riverside path, passing Wolfson College. Continue along the path, briefly leave the riverbank to enter woodland, then sweep back to rejoin the Cherwell. Turn right at a path junction and go over the river bridge. Turn left on the opposite side and pass a seat in memory of J R R Tolkien. Walk through the University Parks, keep right at the fork and follow the path as it sweeps to the right, keeping left when it forks. Pass alongside a boundary and turn left to pass South Lodge.

Keep ahead by Linacre College and continue along St Cross Road. Pass the entrance to Holywell Cemetery on the left, cross Holywell Street and follow Longwall Street, passing the William Morris garage on the right. Walk along to the High Street, turn left and pass Magdalen College to cross Magdalen Bridge. Keep left at the traffic island to follow St Clements Street and branch left along Marston Road. On the right is Headington Hill Park. Follow the road, pass the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and turn immediately left at a footpath sign for University Parks.

Take the path down to the Cherwell and follow it between the river and a millstream. Turn left eventually, over a bridge, then swing right on the opposite bank to re-enter the University Parks. Turn left at a gate and follow a concrete path, crossing a bridge to turn right at a kissing gate. Fork right, keep alongside the Cherwell and make for the Tolkien seat. Cross the next bridge again and follow the path ahead, away from the river.

Turn left at the next path junction, in front of a sports pavilion and then right at the next junction. Cross a footbridge and stile, skirting a field to enter light woodland. Go through a kissing gate and eventually the path reaches the entrance to the Harlow Centre. Follow the drive and swing left just beyond a primary school. Turn right after a few paces, passing through the subway. Follow the walkway to the right and turn left at Oxford Road, back to the start.