HLS RouteFinder

We often hear from people who are used to driving around Oxford that they don’t know how to get to the places they need or want to get to using active travel (cycling, walking and wheeling), or don’t feel safe using active travel options on the routes they know about.
In Oxford there are many short-cuts and pleasant routes to get to places using active travel that are not open or available to cars, which can often mean a journey to a given destination is shorter, quicker and quieter by cycling, walking or wheeling – and often generally just nicer, too! Sometimes the routes are a bit longer to avoid difficult or unpleasant roads and junctions, but still tend to be nicer and mean you can enjoy the journey as well as the destination…
With the new low traffic neighbourhoods in Cowley and East Oxford and protected cycle lanes on Warneford Lane, the active travel routes between Headington and destinations in East and South Oxford have significantly improved and increased. (We just need to get low traffic neighbourhoods in Headington now so that we can have the same benefit of good active travel routes throughout Headington..!)
So we thought we’d publish some routes that we know and use regularly to popular or useful destinations around Oxford.
All these routes are traffic-free or traffic-light as far as possible, and where main roads need to be crossed, we try to take a route incorporating a pedestrian/cycle crossing nearby.
Unfortunately, Oxford still has a long way to go to make active travel safe and enjoyable, particularly on the main roads and junctions, so there are imperfect elements in all these routes – but we’re not miracle workers!

If you know of any good active travel routes to destinations not featured on this page, or know an alternative/better active travel route to any of the destinations featured, please let us know at hello@headingtonliveablestreets.org.uk and we can share them here.

If you need a good active travel route to a destination not featured on this page, please contact us at hello@headingtonliveablestreets.org.uk and we’ll try to produce one and share it on this page.

*Some are places you need to go, rather than want to go!

Cherwell Boathouse, North Oxford

The Cherwell Boathouse.

Komoot Tour.

Cherwell Boat House is a lovely place to hire a punt or rowing boat to enjoy the river – you can head North up to the Victoria Arms in Old Marston or South through University Parks and further into town. There’s also a nice restaurant there.
The route starts at Green Road Roundabout and goes through Old Headington and Northway, through the wooded track behind OXRADS down to Marsh Lane, through Elms Drive, along the off-road cycle track on Cherwell Drive and Oxford’s best cycle track on Marston Ferry Road then follows part of Official Cycle Route 5 through quiet North Oxford residential streets.
Although the route crosses Marsh Lane and Cherwell Drive, there are pedestrian crossings near OXRADS on Marsh Lane and just before Marston Ferry Road on Cherwell Drive which you can use.
The bike parking at the boat house isn’t fantastic or extensive, although there is extra room on the fence to lock your bike to. However, there is a generally welcoming vibe for people arriving by bike and foot, and many people do.
This route would be even better and safer if we had the Old Headington low traffic neighbourhood we were promised and for which the Council received funding, as this would have removed all the cut-through motor traffic along Barton Lane and Dunstan Road.
(An alternative route is to go straight down Headley Way on the relatively new off-road cycle path. The cycle path is about 50% good and 50% bad but really fails for cyclists at the junctions – the John Radcliffe Hospital junction and the Marston Road/Marsh Lane/Copse Lane junction in particular– meaning it can be quite stressful and dangerous to navigate these, particularly with children. Unfortunately, this was a missed opportunity to create a really good active travel route because the Council ignored pleas of groups such as Cyclox to create continuous cycle lane and pavement across side road entrances and avoid shared pedestrian/cyclist space and instead spent the bulk of the available money building a huge supporting wall to enable free on-road parking spaces for 19 houses to be retained, creating quite a dangerous stretch there for pedestrians and cyclists as a result. They also failed to protect the cycle lane with bollards or kerbing, so you’ll often find it blocked by private cars, taxis and trade and delivery vans.)

Entrance to Marston Ferry Road cycle track. Also shows the cycle lane crossing the Oxford Road entrance and the pedestrian crossing on Cherwell Drive which leads onto the cycle track.
Start of the Marston Ferry Road cycle track. The sense of safety and tranquillity on this track cannot be overstated!
About half way down the Marston Ferry Road cycle track – no worrying about your kids going ahead and having a chat/racing each other because you know they’re safe!
Turn off at Cherwell School (North site) to get to the OCR 5 through North Oxford towards the boathouse.
Cycle route on the road past Cherwell School.
Turn off onto the cycle path. The OCR 5 route is signposted with the blue signs you can see on the lamp post.
This is the start of the North Oxford residential streets section of this route.
Left turn from Charlbury Road onto Linton Road.
Right turn from Linton Road onto Chadlington Road (Cherwell Boathouse signposted).
Entrance to Cherwell Boathouse from Chadlington Road/Bardwell Road.

Isis Farmhouse and Iffley Lock

The Isis Farmhouse

The Isis Farmhouse.

Iffley Lock
komoot.com tour

Komoot Tour to Isis Farmhouse.

The Isis Farmhouse is a lovely riverside pub located between Donnington Bridge Road and Iffley Lock. Once you’re at the Isis Farmhouse, Iffley Lock is a 1-2 min walk away. Neither is accessible by car, so they are really peaceful, relaxing places to be.
The route starts at Green Road Roundabout, goes through the residential streets of Quarry and Margaret Road, across Windmill Road and through the residential streets of New Headington, down Old Road (using the zebra crossing near Stapleton Road if needed to cross Old Road), across to the fantastic new protected cycle lanes on Warneford Lane, through the new trial Divinity Road low traffic neighbourhood, through the historic low traffic neighbourhood of Southfield Park, Bartlemas Close and Kenilworth Road, the Barracks Lane cycle path, across Cowley Road to Howard Street – now part of the currently-trialled St Marys low traffic neighbourhood and 2-way for cyclists, across Iffley Road to the historic Iffley Fields low traffic neighbourhood down Fairacres Road, along Meadow Lane, onto the protected cycle lane on Donnington Bridge Road and down onto the towpath from there. (You don’t need to cross Donnington Bridge Road – you can use the path on the same side as the protected cycle lane to get to the towpath.)
Crossing Cowley Road is the worst part of this journey, as there is no crossing nearby, but Howard Street is so much better now that cars can’t drive through it, and now that cycling is allowed both ways, it means you can take the same route back (previously you had to wiggle through various St Marys streets to Magdalen Road and cross Cowley Road onto Southfield Road on the way back).
This route would also be even better and safer if we had the Quarry and New Headington low traffic neighbourhoods we were promised and the Council received funding for, as this would have removed all the cut-through motor traffic along Quarry High Street, Quarry Road, Margaret Road, All Saints Road and Bickerton Road. It would also be improved if we had the Warneford Lane bus filter that the Council received funding for, as this would have removed the motor through-traffic that uses Old Road and Morrell Avenue to get to Marston, the City Centre and Cowley.

Some scenes from the route

Warneford Lane
Top of Divinity Road
Active travel cut-through from Hill Top Road to Southfield Park
Entrance to Barracks Lane cycle track (OCR 57) from Bartlemas Close
Turn off from Barracks Lane cycle track onto Kenilworth Avenue
The Cowley Road crossing between Kenilworth Avenue and Howard Street (there are pedestrian islands to the left and right which can be used to cross the road).
Howard Street modal filter and blue cycling sign showing 2-way cycling.
Iffley Road pedestrian crossing between Howard Street and Fairacres Road
The modal filter on Meadow Lane at the bottom of Fairacres Road
Getting onto the Donnington Bridge Road protected cycle lane from Meadow Lane.
View from the Donnington Bridge Road protected cycle path. (Note this is 2-way so you may meet people cycling in the other direction!).
Entrance from Donnington Bridge Road to the path leading down to the towpath along the river.

Hinksey outdoor pool

Hinksey Outdoor Pool

Hinksey Outdoor Pool - Swimming and Group Exercise - Fusion Lifestyle.

From Green Road Roundabout to Hinskey Outdoor Pool

Hinskey outdoor pool is open in the warmer months and is great swimming pool suitable for children and adults, with facilities including loos, changing rooms, showers and a café and plenty of grassy space to sit and relax. It is very popular as Oxford’s only outdoor pool, and it’s worth booking ahead via the Fusion website linked above to make sure you can get a space at your preferred time.
Situated in Hinksey Park, the pool is very close to the other Hinksey Park amenities including a splash park, children’s play area, tennis courts and lake (see more information here:

Parks in Oxford - Hinksey Park | Oxford City Council.

Lake
Hinksey Park play area
Hinksey Splash Park

The route starts at Green Road Roundabout, goes through the residential streets of Quarry and Margaret Road, across Windmill Road and through the residential streets of New Headington, down Old Road (using the zebra crossing near Stapleton Road if needed to cross Old Road), across to the fantastic new protected cycle lanes on Warneford Lane, through the new trial Divinity Road low traffic neighbourhood, through the historic low traffic neighbourhood of Southfield Park, Bartlemas Close and Kenilworth Road, the Barracks Lane cycle path, across Cowley Road to Howard Street – now part of the currently-trialled St Marys low traffic neighbourhood and 2-way for cyclists, across Iffley Road to the historic Iffley Fields low traffic neighbourhood down Fairacres Road, along Meadow Lane, onto the protected cycle lane on Donnington Bridge Road, through the historic Fox Cresent and Chatham Road low traffic neighbourhood, across Abingdon Road to Oswestry Road (using the nearby pedestrian crossing if required), along the historic low traffic residential street Wytham Street, then onto the lakeside cycle path to Lake Street and turn down a pedestrian and cyclist-only entrance to Hinksey Park.
Crossing Cowley Road is the worst part of this journey, as there is no crossing nearby, but Howard Street is so much better now that cars can’t drive through it, and now that cycling is allowed both ways, it means you can take the same route back (previously you had to wiggle through various St Marys streets to Magdalen Road and cross Cowley Road onto Southfield Road on the way back).
This route would also be even better and safer if we had the Quarry and New Headington low traffic neighbourhoods we were promised and for which the Council received funding, as this would have removed all the cut-through motor traffic along Quarry High Street, Quarry Road, Margaret Road, All Saints Road and Bickerton Road. It would also be improved if we had the Warneford Lane bus filter that the Council received funding for, as this would have removed the motor through-traffic that uses Old Road and Morrell Avenue to get to Marston, St Clements, the City Centre and Cowley.

Some scenes from the route

Warneford Lane
Top of Divinity Road
Active travel cut-through from Hill Top Road to Southfield Park
Entrance to Barracks Lane cycle track (OCR 57) from Bartlemas Close
Turn off from Barracks Lane cycle track onto Kenilworth Avenue
The Cowley Road crossing between Kenilworth Avenue and Howard Street (there are pedestrian islands to the left and right which can be used to cross the road).
Howard Street modal filter and blue cycling sign showing 2-way cycling.
Iffley Road pedestrian crossing between Howard Street and Fairacres Road
The modal filter on Meadow Lane at the bottom of Fairacres Road
Getting onto the Donnington Bridge Road protected cycle lane from Meadow Lane.
View from the Donnington Bridge Road protected cycle path. (Note this is 2-way so you may meet people cycling in the other direction!).
Right turn onto Fox Crescent from Donnington Bridge Road cycle path.
The Abingdon Road crossing between Chatham Road and Oswestry Road. The pedestrian crossing is just to the right of this photo.
Pedestrian crossing on Abingdon Road between Chatham Road and Oswestry Road.
Right turn onto Wytham Street at the end of Oswestry Road.
Wytham Street
Wytham Street
Turn onto cycle path at the end of Wytham Street
Turn the corner on the cycle path
Cycle path running along Hinksey Lake
On the cycle path heading towards Hinksey Park
Emerging onto the bottom of Lake Street from the cycle path
ntrance to Hinksey Park past Lake Street Community Centre
Entrance to Hinskey Pool
The fence that serves as bike parking outside the entrance to the pool

Kassam Stadium and Ozone Leisure Park

The Kassam Stadium | Conference & Events Centre

The Kassam Stadium Conference and Events Centre.

Oxford Cinema | Oxford Cinema Film Listings & Times | Vue (myvue.com)

Oxford Cinema | Oxford Cinema Film Listings & Times | Vue (myvue.com).

From Green Rd Rdbt to Kassam Stadium and Ozone Leisure Park 

From Green Rd Rdbt to Kassam Stadium and Ozone Leisure Park (komoot.com).

As Kassam Stadium is the nearest Covid vaccination centre to Headington, this is a place many of us have visited or will need to visit. Ozone Leisure Park is also home to Vue Cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Frankie & Benny’s, Laser Kombat and other venues popular with families.
This route follows the Ring Road cycle path from Green Road Roundabout until it becomes Long Lane in Littlemore, then turns off left under the ring road into Littlemore, following an official cycle route through Littlemore using Champion Way, Giles Road, St Nicholas Road, Minchery Road and Priory Road. The turn off Long Lane is signposted with a blue cycling route sign to Oxford Academy, then with blue cycling route signs to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park.
This route comes with a warning though: the bike parking at Kassam Stadium and Ozone Leisure Park is absolutely appalling/non-existent. (When we went there we left our bikes directly outside the doors of the vaccine centre and asked the people at the door to watch them for us.)

If you’d rather avoid the Ring Road, there is an alternative route through Wood Farm you can try: https://www.komoot.com/tour/895540306?ref=wtd.

Some scenes from the route

On the Ring Road cycle track between Green Road Roundabout and Horspath Driftway
Approaching the crossing at Horspath Driftway
1st stage of the crossing at Horspath Driftway
2nd stage of the crossing at Horspath Driftway
3rd stage of the crossing at Horspath Driftway
On the Ring Road cycle track crossing Horspath Road. (Note this used to be an exit to the Ring Road which was closed to create a low traffic neigbourhood for all the roads to the East of Hollow Way!)
On the Ring Road cycle track approaching Oliver Road and Fernhill Road
On the Ring Road cycle track going past the Audi showroom/David Lloyd/Oxford Business Park North
The crossing at the top of Oxford Road/Cowley flyover
On the Ring Road cycle track going past Oxford Business Park South
On the Ring Road cycle track between Oxford Business Park South and Barns Road
On the Ring Road cycle track passing under Barns Road
On the Ring Road cycle track going past Barns Road Playground and BMX Track
On the Ring Road cycle track where it becomes Long Lane
Approaching the road section of Long Lane
On Long Lane approaching the turn off to the Littlemore cycle track. Follow the blue cycling route sign to “Oxford Academy”.
Turn off from Long Lane onto Littlemore cycle track.
Littlemore cycle track passing under the Ring Road
Exiting the underpass – turn right here
On the Littlemore cycle track approaching Champion Way
On Champion Way
Left turn from Champion Way onto Giles Road – follow the blue cycling route sign to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park
Left turn from Giles Road onto St Nicholas Road – follow the blue cycling route sign to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park
Left turn from St Nicholas Road onto Minchery Road – follow the blue cycling route sign to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park
Right turn from Minchery Road onto Priory Road – follow the blue cycling route sign to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park
On Priory Road – follow the blue cycling route sign to Kassam Stadium/Oxford Science Park
On Priory Road approaching the railway bridge
On Priory Road approach Ozone Leisure Park
Turn left off the cycle track into Ozone Leisure Park ‘back’ car park
Entering the car park at Ozone Leisure Park
On the road on the Ozone Leisure Park site
On the road on the Ozone Leisure Park site
Cycling through the main car park in Ozone Leisure Park
Approaching Kassam Stadium entrance