After my early morning walk Lynnie and I discuss our plans for the day. Later we are heading to the Anchor Inn in Oldbury on Severn for our evening meal so decide a short walk will be in order. My definition of a short walk is around six miles, whereas Lynnie would say around three.
Leaving the site we turn left into the minor road Stoneyard Lane, and then at a junction in a hundred yards turn left into Shepperdine Road, signposted to Shepperdine and the River. We stay with Shepperdine Road until it turns to the right just after passing Knight’s Farm, the road bends to the right and we carry straight on. We are now on a lane heading towards Jobsgreen Farm.
Nearing the farmhouse we take a bridleway on the left and follow this to reach a gate.
We don’t go through the gate but turn left onto a bridleway running along the perimeter of Oldbury Nuclear Power Station.
On reaching a road we turn right and then almost immediately left to take a path that follows the high fence line of the Power Station.
This path leads to the River Severn besides Oldbury Power Station. This power station was commissioned in 1967 and the nuclear reactors created enough electricity each day to serve a city twice the size of Bristol. It has two nuclear reactors, the second was commissioned in 1968. The power station was decommissioned in 2012 and is now going through the decommissioning process. The defueling process will continue until 2027 and apparently the demolition of the reactor buildings and clearance of the site is scheduled for 2096 to 2101.
We now turn left to join the Severn Way and follow this footpath besides the River Severn.
In front of us are the two road bridges crossing the River Severn. The closest suspension bridge was opened in 1966 by Queen Elizabeth II, this originally carried the M4 linking England to Wales. The second, newer bridge, The Prince of Wales Bridge, opened in 1996 and now carries the rerouted M4, whilst the old bridge has been designated as the M48.
It is pleasant walking along the flood defence embankment and across the river we can see the Forest of Dean.
We stay with the path to Oldbury Pill with the Thornbury Sailing Club tucked into the inlet.
The path now goes inland and then besides the driveway to the Sailing Club and at a gate we go right to cross through a gates and over the pill to a second gate and now head down the other side of the pill still on the Severn Way heading towards the river.
We now follow the grass flood defence embankment heading towards the Severn Bridge.
After passing through a gate we continue along the embankment to reach a gate at Littleton Pill. Here we turn left and walk down off the embankment to another gate which leads to a lane besides Whale Wharf Business Centre. We follow the road to Littleton-upon-Severn at a junction in the village we follow the lane towards Kingston and Thornbury and keep heading in the same direction at the next junction.
We pass Lodge Farm and then Stock Farm before heading up Stock Hill. Where the road bends to the right we turn left into Stock Lane and follow this broad grassy track heading north.
When we reach a minor road we cross and stay with Stock Lane which continues to reach a minor road where we turn right to pass the village school and head downhill into Oldbury on Severn. In the village we pass the Anchor Inn and community shop and then on reaching the War Memorial continue straight on into Camp Road.
We stay with this lane as it leads through houses and then becomes a grass track.
There are a number of footpaths off this track which we ignore, then at a fork we go right and continue on to reach a minor road where we turn right and then at the crossroads turn left into The Naite and walk the short distance back to Golden Valley House CL.
Our walk has covered nine and a half miles, which is further than I originally planned but it has been pleasant afternoon and we still have plenty of time before we head off to walk to the Anchor Inn for our evening meal.
You can view this 9.5 mile walk on OS Maps and download the GPX File Here
To follow our walk you will need Ordnance Survey Outdoor Explorer OL167 Thornbury, Dursley & Yate
14th July 2021
© Two Dogs and an Awning (2021)
All information on this site is provided free of charge and in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of damage, loss or injury which might result from it. To the best of my knowledge the routes are entirely on public rights of way or within areas that are open for public access.
Walking can be hazardous and is done entirely at your own risk. It is your responsibility to check your route and navigate using a map and compass.