The Oxford Green Belt Way is a long distance path in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....

, England. It follows a circular route of 84 kilometres (52.2 mi) through the green belt

Green Belt (UK)

In United Kingdom town planning, the green belt is a policy for controlling urban growth. The idea is for a ring of countryside where urbanisation will be resisted for the foreseeable future, maintaining an area where agriculture, forestry and outdoor leisure can be expected to prevail...

 surrounding the city of Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

.

In the east the path follows the East Oxford Limestone Heights, passing Shotover

Shotover

Shotover is a hill and forest in Oxfordshire, England.Shotover Hill is east of Oxford. Its highest point is above sea level.-Early history:The toponym may be derived from the Old English scoet ofer, meaning "steep slope"...

, Horspath

Horspath

Horspath is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire about east of the centre of Oxford, England.-Archaeology:The parish's western boundary largely follows the course of a Roman road that linked Dorchester on Thames and Alchester Roman Town. In the Romano-British period there were pottery...

 and Garsington

Garsington

Garsington is a village and civil parish about southeast of Oxford in Oxfordshire.-Notable Garsington buildings:The earliest part of the Church of England parish church of Saint Mary is the Norman tower, built towards the end of the 12th century. The Gothic Revival architect Joseph Clarke restored...

. It then passes through the park of Nuneham House

Nuneham House

Nuneham House is a Palladian villa, at Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire England. It was built for Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt in 1756. It is owned by Oxford University and is currently used as a retreat centre by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University...

 and to the north of Culham

Culham

Culham is a village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Thames, just over south of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.-Manor:The toponym comes from the Old English Cula's hamm, referring to the village's position in a bend of the Thames...

, to reach the River Thames

River Thames

The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...

 at Abingdon

Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...

. It uses the Thames Path

Thames Path

The Thames Path is a National Trail, opened in 1996, following the length of the River Thames from its source near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier at Charlton. It is about long....

 to reach Radley

Radley

Radley is a village and civil parish about northwest of the centre of Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Lower Radley on the River Thames. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire....

, then heads in a northwesterly direction to Boars Hill

Boars Hill

Boars Hill is a hill hamlet southwest of Oxford, straddling the boundariy between the civil parishes of Sunningwell and Wootton. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-History:...

 and Cumnor

Cumnor

Cumnor is a village and civil parish west of the centre of Oxford, England. The parish of Cumnor includes Cumnor Hill, , Chawley , the Dean Court area on the edge of Botley and the outlying settlements of Chilswell, Farmoor and Swinford...

. It reaches the Thames again by Farmoor Reservoir

Farmoor Reservoir

Farmoor Reservoir is a reservoir at Farmoor, Oxfordshire, England, about 8 km west of the city of Oxford. It is close to the left bank of the River Thames. Like most of the reservoirs in the Thames Valley, it was not formed by damming a valley...

 and Swinford

Swinford

Swinford, historically called Swineford , is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is surrounded by the settlements of Midfield, Meelick, Culmore, Cloonaghboy, Killasser and other villages. It is on the N5 road, located 18 km from Ireland West Airport Knock...

, then heads east to Godstow

Godstow

Godstow is a hamlet on the River Thames about northwest of the centre of Oxford. The ruins of Godstow Abbey, or Godstow Nunnery, are here.-The Abbey:...

 and Wolvercote

Wolvercote

Wolvercote is a village that is part of the City of Oxford, England, though still retaining its own identity. It is about northwest of the centre of Oxford, on the northern edge of Wolvercote Common, which is itself north of Port Meadow.-History:The village is listed in the Domesday Book as...

 on the northern edge of Oxford. It uses the Oxford Canal Walk for 4 miles north to Shipton-on-Cherwell

Shipton-on-Cherwell

Shipton-on-Cherwell is a village on the River Cherwell north of Kidlington in Oxfordshire, England. The village is part of the civil parish of Shipton-on-Cherwell and Thrupp.-Manor:...

, then heads south east across the water meadows of the River Cherwell

River Cherwell

The River Cherwell is a river which flows through the Midlands of England. It is a major tributary of the River Thames.The general course of the River Cherwell is north to south and the 'straight-line' distance from its source to the Thames is about...

 to Hampton Poyle

Hampton Poyle

Hampton Poyle is a village beside the River Cherwell, about northeast of Kidlington in Oxfordshire.-History:In the 13th century Hampton Poyle was granted to Walter de la Poyle. Its toponym combines his surname with the Old English for a village or farm....

 and Gosford

Gosford, Oxfordshire

Gosford is a hamlet immediately southeast of Kidlington, Oxfordshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Gosford and Water Eaton.-History:...

. The path then crosses the corallian limestone

Corallian Limestone

Corallian Limestone is a coralliferous sedimentary rock, laid down in Jurassic times. It is a hard variety of "coral rag". Building stones from this geological structure tend to be irregular in shape. It is often found close to seams of Portland Limestone...

 hills of Elsfield

Elsfield

Elsfield is a village and civil parish about northeast of the centre of Oxford.-Parish church:The chancel arch of the Church of England parish church dates from at least the latter part of the 12th century. The church formerly had a north aisle that may also have dated from this period. In about...

 and Beckley

Beckley, Oxfordshire

Beckley is a village in the civil parish of Beckley and Stowood, overlooking Otmoor to the north. The village is about northeast of the centre of Oxford. It is noted for its towering TV mast.-Archaeology:...

 to return to Shotover.

The route was devised in 2007 by the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.