Here are John, Mark and Tim.

We walked to a short stretch of the Ridgeway.

April 2005

GEOGRAPH

We stayed at the Talk House eating there and at The Star (a 17th century village inn with flagstone floors and a log fire). Both offered good food. Talk House is more a restaurant with accommodation - good service and reasonable rates.

From here we explored the Ridgeway, the Cherwell, Heyford and the Oxford Canal.

We saw 20 red kites while we are at Watlington and we note that sparrowhawks thrive in Wytham Woods

North Oxfordshire

At the Talk House, Stanton St John, we enjoyed comfortable thatched rooms off the courtyard and good service. Do visit the Star Inn too, which is a welcoming pub with good food.

This is a good area for canals - Oxford and Grand Union. The Ridgeway and related footpaths provide a good network of interesting trails.

The Rock of Gibraltar pub was a potentially pleasant spot but a charmless pub, with strangulated piped music destroying any canalside peace. Despite its claim to serve food, it wouldn't to us. Not even a sandwich. Now that's no way to run a business ....