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Woodland Heath Acid grassland Scrubland

Woodland Wood and scrubland Wetland plants

Woodland Hay meadow Field

Bracken

Wetland pond

Pond

East

ern

Bypa

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North Way A

North Way A

Southern Bypass A

Southern Bypass A

Botley RoadW

oodstock RoadBanbury Road

Western Bypass A

Western Bypass A

Cowley Rd

Iffley Rd

London Rd

High St

Abingdon Road

Garsington Rd

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Oxford Rd Hollo

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fordLane Old Road

BarnsRdW

indmill Rd

TheSlade

Headington Rd

Henley AveRose

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London Road

Bays

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ad

Mar

ston

Road

Marston Ferry RdHeadley

Way

Northern Bypass

St GilesSt Aldate’s

Horspath Road

SUMMERTOWN

HEADINGTON

JERICHO

BOTLEY

BLACKBIRD LEYS

IFFLEY COWLEY

WOLVERCOTE

OLD MARSTON

MARSTON

TEMPLECOWLEY

OSNEY

KENNINGTON

BARTON

SANDHILLS

RISINGHURST

ROSE HILL

LITTLEMORE

SHOTOVERCOUNTRY PARK

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HHooww ttoo ggeett ttoo SShhoottoovveerrIt is easy to get to Shotover� which is located just to theeast of Oxford�

By car� follow the Old Road east from Headington overthe bypass and up a steep hill to the top where the roadends in the main car park�

By bus� the No��� Stagecoach service runs nearest toShotover� Get off at the Corner House pub at the end ofSlade Road� Walk down Horspath Driftway and cross theEastern Bypass at the pelican crossing to enter theCountry Park on the other side� For timetable and routeinformation contact Stagecoach Oxford� T: ��� �����www�stagecoachbus�com/oxfordshire

Starting point for Nature trails and Orienteering Course

Sandpit Walk �� mins

Northwood Trail � mins

Boundary Patrol �� mins

Bridleway and Cycle track

Permitted bridleway and Cycle track

Maintained pathsnot all paths are marked

Ancient Woodland Oaks

Deciduous Woods

Evergreen TreesSpruce� Pine

Poplar

Larch

Bushes

Heather

Grass

Bracken

Wetland

Ponds

Streams and Ditches

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Seats

Picnic Bench

View Point

Entry Points to Shotover

Orienteering Stations

Metalled Roads

Built up Areas

Buildings

7

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TThhiinnggss ttoo DDoo aannddFFaacciilliittiieessTTrraaiillssThere are three way marked trails to guide youthrough the Park� They all start in Mary Sadler’s Field�near the car park� Assuming a relaxed pace the red trailwill take half an hour� the yellow � minutes and thegreen about � hours�

BBrriiddllee rroouutteeFor horse riders and cyclists there are km of paths tofollow� The route starts from Shotover Plain near thecar park� Please follow the blue arrows�

OOrriieenntteeeerriinnggThere is a �� station orienteering course around thePark� Look out for the distinctive red and white markerposts� Orienteering maps can be obtained fromTouchwood Sports� �� Abingdon Road� Redbridge�Oxford�

SSaannddppiittFor children the most popular haunt is a naturalsandpit in which they may spend hours buildingcastles or damming the tiny stream� Follow the redtrail to get to it�

DDiissaabblleedd ppaatthhss aanndd aacccceessssThere is a network of paths around the lower parts ofthe Country Park accessible to wheelchair users�Access is from Brasenose Farm on Oxford’s EasternBypass� You may need a key to gain entry� Pleasephone ��� ����� for details�

OOtthheerr ppaatthhssThere is an extensive network of paths on Shotover�Those that are on the map are checked andmaintained by the rangers� There are also many otherpaths and desire lines� some only seasonal� that youcan discover for yourself�

EEvveennttssShotover Country Park is a popular venue for a rangeof different events including guided walks� cross country races� orienteering competitions� sponsoredwalks� and treasure hunts etc�

If you would like details of the events being run byOxford City Council at Shotover or elsewhere pleasephone ��� ����� or visit www�oxford�gov�uk�

If you would like to book Shotover as a venue for yourpublic event� no matter how small� please phone���� �� ���

In August the heath in Mary Sadler’s Field is suffusedwith pink by the flowers of Ling Heather� Bareground within the heaths and grasslands is wheremany species of solitary bees and wasps dig theirburrows and where lizards bask�

Because Shotover is a nationally important wildlifesite� most of the Country Park is designated a Site ofSpecial Scientific Interest (SSSI)�

AA PPootttteedd HHiissttoorryy ooffSShhoottoovveerrThe landscape of Shotover has changed throughoutits history� From Saxon times until the Civil War(���s) Shotover was part of a Royal Forest providinga hunting ground for noblemen� fuel and grazing forlocal people and timber for many of Oxford’s historicbuildings�

In �� Shotover ceased to be a Royal Forest andbecame open farmland� which was grazed orcultivated�

Until the end of the ��th Century� the main road toLondon passed across Shotover Plain� Travellers oftenfell victim to highwaymen here�

From the late ����s Oxford City Council started tomanage Shotover as a park and two wardens wereemployed to look after it�

During the first half of the ��th Century� farmingceased at Shotover and woodland started to establish�

During World War II� Slade Camp was part of CowleyBarracks and provided a temporary home for soldierswho took part in the D Day landings� At the sametime Shotover Hill was used for military training andtanks built at Cowley were tested there�

From the late ����s work started to clear woodlandto restore heath� grassland and marsh habitats�

PPaarrkk OOppeenniinngg TTiimmeessOpen all day every day� free of charge� Organisedgroup activities need permission and a fee may becharged�

Leisure & Cultural Services Leisure & Cultural Services

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LLooookkiinngg aafftteerrOOxxffoorrdd’’ss CCoouunnttrryyssiiddeeA small team of rangers based at Brasenose Farmmanages ���� acres of natural open space in andaround Oxford including Shotover Country Park�We aim to provide a safe� accessible and attractivesetting for enjoyment of the countryside and anenvironment rich in wildlife�

YYoouu ccaann hheellpp uuss ttoo llooookk aafftteerr SShhoottoovveerr bbyy::� Taking your litter home� Not lighting fires� By only riding your horse or bicycle on the

bridleway� Not using motorbikes anywhere in the park� Respecting other park users by not playing

amplified music� Not using a metal detector� Leaving wildflowers and fungi for others to enjoy� By becoming a volunteer� Contact us for details�

If you have any comments about the park� or wishto report anything please contact us�

Chrysomela populi

Common Lizard

Ox-eye daisy

Golden saxafrage

Spotted Orchid Cerceris arenaria

Bloody-nose beetle

Green Woodpecker

Common Toad

Fly Argaric

Grass snake Heath Bedstraw

Heather

Noctule bat

Orange-tip butterfly

WWiillddlliiffeeWhether you are a serious naturalist or simply lovebeing in the countryside there is so much to see atShotover� Ancient woods� flowery meadows� marshes�heaths� ponds and bracken covered slopes support awealth of wildlife�

In spring and summer Shotover’s woods are carpetedwith wild flowers� Celandines and Wood Anemonesare first� then Bluebells� As spring turns to summerCommon Spotted Orchids� and later Bettony and SawWort bloom along woodland rides where WhiteAdmiral butterflies soar�

In these woods you can also hear the naturalsymphony of birdsong provided by summer visitors:Black Cap� Garden and Willow Warbler which join ourresident choristers; Blackbird� Wren and Song Thrush�

In Summer the meadows at the bottom of Shotoverare rich with the Knapweed� Oxyeye Daisy and otherwild flowers� Visit them before they are cut in July�

In the valleys at the foot of the hill are springs whichfeed marshes and pools fringed with aromatic WaterMint�

Further up the slopes in the dry grasslands the delicatewhite flowers of Heath Bedstraw mingle with the redof Sheep’s Sorrel� These grasslands are also popularwith Green Woodpeckers� which plunder the manyant nests�

Much of the hill is cloaked in dense stands of Bracken�It gives a special character to Shotover and offerscover to large mammals like Foxes� Muntjac andRoe Deer�

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