Little Wittenham Wood loop from Appleford

Running trails & routes

Little Wittenham Wood loop from Appleford

Hard

runners

Little Wittenham Wood loop from Appleford

01:43

15.8km

70m

Running

Hard run. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

North Wessex Downs National Landscape

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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597 m

St Peter and St Paul Church, Appleford

Highlight • Religious Site

The Church of England parish church of SS Peter and Paul was originally a chapelry of Sutton Courtenay. The nave is 12th century Norman and the chancel was rebuilt early in the 13th century.

Surviving early features include a Norman door on the south side of the nave and an Early English Gothic door to the chancel. The east and north walls of the chancel have original Early English lancet windows and the south wall has a Perpendicular Gothic window that was added in the 16th century.

The building was altered in the 19th century. The nave was remodelled and extended to designs by the architect Ewan Christian, and in 1885–86 the tower was rebuilt to hang a ring of six bells and the spire was added to designs by the architect William Gilbee Scott.

The tower has a ring of six bells, and a plaque on the southwest wall in the church commemorates their being rung for the Millennium at noon on 1 January 2000. Currently they are unringable.
The fourth bell was cast at Wokingham, Berkshire late in the 14th century, and the fifth was cast by the same foundry late in the 15th century. John Warner & Sons of Cripplegate, London cast or recast the first, second, third and tenor bells in 1886, in time to be rung for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

Samuel Green built the organ in 1777 for Abbey House of Sutton Courtenay. It was moved to Appleford parish church at a later date.

SS Peter and Paul parish is now part of the Benefice of Sutton Courtenay with Appleford.

Cit. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appleford-on-Thames#Parish_church

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880 m

Path Between Appleford and Long Wittenham

Highlight • Viewpoint

Picturesque double/single track along the River Thames between Appleford and Long Whittenham

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4.21 km

View of Wittenham Clumps from the North

Highlight • Viewpoint

5.08 km

St Peter's Church, Little Wittenham

Highlight • Religious Site

Little Wittenham has a very pretty church. It is surprising to find that it is not terribly ancient, for it was almost entirely rebuilt in 1862. The original building was built for the monks of Abingdon Abbey who held a monastic grange next door.
The 14th century tower is original, as is its 'Ace of Spades' window - a reminder that this playing card paid for its erection when it brought a huge win to a local merchant! This may be a variant on the old story which suggests that the last of the Dunch family at the manor gambled away his home to King James II. The Dunches once had a family chapel on the south side of the chancel. Their fine monuments are now squeezed into the space under the tower. The great treasure of the church is the large monument to Sir William Dunch (1612) and his wife, Mary, the aunt of Oliver Cromwell. The Tudor brasses surrounding it include the first William Dunch (1597). There is a good collection of earlier brasses in the chancel: Geoffrey Kidwelly (1483) has an altar-style monument. His wife (1472) is on the floor with other members of this Lancastrian family from Wales who entered into the service of King Henry VI.

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6.09 km

Little Wittenham Wood

Highlight • Forest

Beautiful woodland below Wittenham clumps. Good paths and lovely nature.

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13.1 km

Northern Perimeter Road Underpass

Highlight • Structure

Seems pretty flooded in December, without an unusually high amount of rain. There are steps up to the road above where you can cross and go back down the other side.

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