The Leach Vally

About trip

The River Leach is a tributary of the Thames but in the early part of its course it is seasonal, running above ground only when there is sufficient rainfall. This walk follows a winding valley where the elusive river disappears underground and emerges again beneath deep, weed-covered pools. The countryside here is quiet, offering a chance to escape the crowds and traffic. Directions: a Park in Eastleach Turville and walk through the village past the church to the crossroads. b Turn left along the road to Holwell and continue past the windpump to an iron bargate on the left. c Pass through the gate and take the path through the meadows close to the river. Go through a gate and follow the river bank to the edge of the woodland ahead, crossing a stile along the way. d Pass through the smaller, lower gate into the wood and follow a path close to the wall and river on the left. Where the river bears sharp left, carry straight on along the waymarked path. e With the field on your right continue ahead and through woodland until the path is crossed by a well-defined track. f Turn left on to the track and continue along the left-hand edge of the fields to the road. Turn left and walk a short way almost to the road junction. g Turn left into the bottom field and follow the valley bottom round to a gate. Pass through the gate and follow the track to another gate by a bridge. h Pass though the gate and follow the right-hand field boundaries. At the last field before the houses, bear half-left across the field to a gate and follow the lane back into the village. Places of Interest: 1 This simple stone clapper footbridge is the photographic focal point of the village. It is particularly attractive in spring amid banks of daffodils. It is called Keble's Bridge after the famous local rector, John Keble, who became leader of the Oxford Movement in the Church of England in the early 19th century. The two villages: Eastleach Turville and Eastleach Martin sit either side of the pretty River Leach with the parish churches of each village only a couple of hundred yards apart linked by the clapper footbridge.