Local Walks

We are blessed with some lovely walks in this area, many only a short distance from the centre of Oakley. The ones in the pages under 'Local Walks'  are especially recommended for seeing some great Bluebell shows in the Spring, but of course will also be enjoyable all year round.

Here is a link to Google Maps showing the starting points of some of the walks

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1nzJ9mxvDTmyTQKlbINC4NSjLoOsjQNAc&usp=sharin

The start points are ‘pinned’ for each of these walks and listed on the LHS is the list of walks. Click on the walk you are interested in for start point location & journey directions. For these further afield walks, no specific route is given so do take an OS map with you to ensure you stick to the footpaths and don’t get lost! Details below, section 3 which will help you decide how far and which footpath you want to take.

Finding your start point for Oakley and Local Bluebell Walks:

For households who are new to the area, or unfamiliar with these woods we have provided a ‘what3words’ description for each start point, so anyone can find their location using GPS.

1. Open the what3words App on a mobile device or website

2. Type in the 3 word code (3 words separated by a dot, ".")

3. Press "Navigate" to navigate to the precise location through either the in-app compass, or through your mobile's map app (Google Maps or Apple Maps).

example: Great Deane Wood start location has the 3 words: ‘seagull.clerk.tracker’

Important Notes:

Parking: should you wish to drive to any of these start locations, please always park considerately as the space available is often limited. Make sure you do not block any field, driveway or track access routes.

Where are the bluebells? Most of these woods have either bluebell carpets or a lovely mixture of bluebells intermingled with many other wildflowers and other woodland plants. However, don’t expect many bluebells outside the woods - though there are some along the hedgerows.

Footwear: depending on the weather some pathways could be muddy so do ensure you wear nonslip footwear if wet.

Marked pathways: please remain on the marked pathways at all times and do NOT pick or trample on the bluebells.

Dog control: wherever there are woods, there will be wildlife. And at this time of year the ground birds will be nesting, and some of the bluebell woods you are passing by, or walking through, are active pheasant shoot woods under gamekeeper control. In addition, there is a high wild deer population [woods and woodland edges] and, in the open fields, there are also many hares [with young leverage nests] as well as groups of wild partridges. So please, for each walk, do keep a watchful eye on your dog, and not get too distracted by the bluebell sights! If he / she is a hunt type breed, we recommend you put him / her on the lead near the wood edge or when walking through the wood. In the note section for each walk there will be more information where there is an especially high wildlife presence.