Ascott Park Historical Trail sets off from the Wild Pig Farm Shop (previously called Crazy Bear Farm Shop in Stadhampton for a lovely amble through the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s an easy going walk which and you can shorten it if you have toddlers by following the dotted line alternative route on the trail map. Download Ascott Park Historical Trail map.
The farm shop is open Tuesday to Sundays and sells food and hot drinks which you can eat outside as well as an amazing array of farm produce. This would be a great way to finish a family walk with a treat at the end.
When I visited, the fields opposite the farm shop were full of animals. Lots of little noisy piglets snuffling in the mud, goats lazily munching while their kids leaped around, a couple of alpacas and a some inquisitive sheep too. They’re the first farm and shop in the world to be awarded TSG status – for their traditional farming methods, pure-bred stock.
Carry on down past the farm shop along the bridleway and if you use the map it’s relatively straightforward to make your way around as they have numbered points which correspond to information boards along the way.
While the bridleway is wide and flat and would be easy to take a pushchair, there are styles and muddy paths along the way so I’d say it’s not really suitable beyond this point for wheels.
With trees, and a little stream, there’s plenty of great exploring opportunities for children. I spotted lots of birds and a few squirrels along the way.
A little further along is the start of the historical trail within Ascott Park. This was once the location of the old Ascott manor house which was occupied by the Dormer family for 250 years until 1780. There was an ornamental gate which was removed in the 1920s to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and now re-erected in the public entrance hall to the new Weston Library on Broad Street in Oxford.
The walk opens out across a grassy field and it’s easy to know which was to go as you’re next heading to the dovecote which dates back to the 16th or early 17th century.
You can carry on further at this point or follow the path back to short cut to the fairy door trail. The paths are well trodden so along with the map it’s easy to keep to the trail and see where to go.
Once over the style, turn left and this leads you through a tree lined pathway and back to the bridleway that leads to the farm shop. I spotted lots of fairy doors along the way which is a great way to keep kids motived on a walk.
With a mix of streams, woodland, open grassy areas, fairy doors and farm animals, this is a great little family walk.
