Easy hikes and walks around Overthorpe

Run through the quintessential English village of Chacombe, situated on the border between Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. The village features a wealth of picturesque thatched cottages as well as pubs and a beautiful church.

Spiceball Country Park in the heart of Banbury is a great place for a run. You'll follow a mixture of paved and woodland paths through a spacious green space that features shady wooded areas and river views.

Make sure to pass by when in the area - the storefront alone is worth a visit.

This church stands out with its rather unique styles - quite unlike most churches in the country the byzantic influence is obvious. It is clearly visible that the tower was added a bit later.

Chacombe is a pretty Northamptonshire village with many characterful old buildings, including its 14th-century parish church and Chacombe Priory. Walkers can seek refreshment at the traditional George and Dragon pub, which also serves good food. The Jurassic Way long-distance footpath passes through the village.

This building, designed by Edward George Bruton in the Gothic Revival style and built by Chesterman Brothers of Abingdon, was completed in October 1854 and is the fourth town hall building built in Banbury town from 1590 onwards. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing the junction of the High Street and Market Place; the central section, which projected forward, featured an arched doorway on the ground floor and a balcony with an ogee headed window on the first floor. A clock tower and spire were added in 1860. The principal room was an assembly hall on the first floor. The building was extended to the south west to create a council chamber in 1891. The town hall was the headquarters of Banbury Borough Council until the council moved its administration to the mechanics' institute in Marlborough Road in 1930. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banbury_Town_Hall

The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of Saints Peter and Paul is the Norman font. The current building is essentially Decorated Gothic from the early part of the 14th century, including the three-bay arcades either side of the nave. The north aisle has a 14th-century wall painting of Saint Peter being crucified upside-down. It is one of only two wall paintings of Saint Peter's crucifixion known in England, the other being in the parish church at Ickleton in Cambridgeshire. The church is a Grade I listed building. The bell tower has a ring of six bells. William Bagley of Chacombe cast four of them including the treble bell in 1694. John Briant of Hertford cast the present fifth bell in 1790; the Whitechapel Bell Foundry cast the present tenor bell in 2009. The parish is a member of the Chenderit Benefice, which also covers the parishes of Greatworth, Marston St. Lawrence, Middleton Cheney, Thenford and Warkworth.

Sandwiched between the Oxford Canal and River Cherwell, Spiceball Country Park is a great place to stop for a picnic. There are lots of green open spaces, interesting trees, art sculptures, a children's play area, a skate park, and toilets. Little information exists online regarding the origins of the park's curious name, but it's nonetheless a great place to chill out after a long day in the saddle.