Site Map
- Welcome to the Vale of White Horse
Lying between the Ridgeway and the River Thames, the Vale of White Horse stretches from the edge of Oxford to the threshold of the Cotswolds.
- Accessibility Statement
We have made every effort to make this web site accessible and easy to use for everyone, no matter what browser you choose to use, and whether or not you have any disabilities.
- Data Protection Policy
Data Protection Act 1998 The Council processes personal data and has notified the Information Commissioner of the purposes behind such processing in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Further details can be obtained from the Information Commissioner's website: www.informationcommissioner.gov.
- Accommodation in Vale of White Horse
The Vale of White Horse near Oxford offers accommodation to suit every taste. From international style hotels to the world famous English bed and breakfast.
- Advanced Search
Visit our Advanced Search page.
- Activities
The Vale of White Horse offers a variety of activities including walking, cycling, horse riding and boating on the River Thames.
- Cycling
National Cycle Network The Hanson Way (Route 5) runs from Reading through Didcot, Abingdon and Oxford on its route to Birmingham and on to Chester and the North Wales Coast.
- Fishing
Fishing in the Vale of White Horse If your passion is for river fishing then the River Thames is an angler's paradise. The river flows from the Cotswolds, through to Abingdon (the Vale's largest town) and beyond.
- Golf
There are various golf courses around the Vale of White Horse including the following.
- Horseriding
The Vale of White Horse is the ideal place for horse riding. There are a number of stables and riding schools that cater for beginners as well as more experienced riders.
- Swimming and Sports
All the swimming and sports facilities listed on this page are owned by the Vale of White Horse District Council and managed in partnership with Community Leisure Services Limited or SOLL (Vale) Leisure Limited.
- The River Thames
The River Thames The River Thames has been a very important trading route for hundreds of years and it is only during the latter part of the 20th Century that it has ceased to carry goods.
- Walking in the Vale
Walking in the Vale of White Horse Enjoy walking in the beautiful scenery of the Vale of White Horse. Wander through tranquil countryside to waterside pubs, pretty villages, elegant houses set in an atmosphere that belongs to another time.
- Attractions in White Horse Country
The Vale of White Horse offers a variety of attractions including museums, country houses and gardens as well as unique and historic landscapes. Abingdon has a museum, abbey ruins and splendid churches.
- Historic Sites and Monuments
Abingdon Abbey, Abingdon The great Benedictine abbey of St. Mary's at Abingdon was an Anglo-Saxon foundation of about 670AD. It was founded and rebuilt after 955 by St. Aethelwold and again in the 12th Century by Norman abbots.
- Houses and Gardens
Ardington House The house is a fine, beautifully symmetrical, brick house set close to the village of Ardington. It was built in 1719 by Edward Clarke whose family had been Lords of the manor since the 17th Century.
- Museums
Abingdon Museum Located in the 17th Century County Hall in the centre of the market town, described as probably the grandest of its type in England.
- Other Attractions
Bothy Vineyard The vineyard is open between Easter and Christmas: Saturdays 10.00 am - 5.00 pm, Sundays and Bank Holidays 11.00 am - 4.00 pm.
- Conferences
The Vale of White Horse is a place for business as well as leisure and it offers an excellent range of conference facilities. This page provides details of some of the conference venues in the Vale of White Horse.
- Food & Drink in Vale of White Horse
From traditional English fare to world cuisine the choice is yours. Farmers' Markets take place on a regular basis in Abingdon, Faringdon, Shrivenham and Wantage.These markets offer local produce and home made food. French markets are also increasingly common.
- Main Towns
Abingdon Abingdon, the principal town in the Vale is only six miles south-west of Oxford. The town has evidence of being the oldest Bronze Age settlement in England. It developed around the Abbey built in the 7th Century.
- Abingdon
The Vale of White Horse's largest town can be reached on foot from the Thames Path or by boat from the river. By road it is only 6 miles, 10 kilometres from Oxford.
- Faringdon
Faringdon has panoramic views from its pretty perch on a golden limestone ridge between two beautiful river valleys, the Ock and the Thames.
- Wantage
Wantage is the birthplace of one of England's most memorable kings, Alfred the Great in 849. Under his tenacious leadership warring tribes were united into the beginning of the English Nation.
- Shopping
Traditional shoppping with a difference Visitors to the picturesque town centres of Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage can enjoy a pleasant and relaxed shopping environment.
- Travel Information in the Vale of White Horse
Travelling in or through the Vale of White Horse? Click through to find all the information you need to make your journey easier.
- Bus Information
Stagecoach Telephone: 01865 772250 or visit the Stagecoach website . Oxford Bus Company Telephone: 01865 785400, visit the Oxford Bus Company website or send an e-mail . National Express Telephone: 0870 580 8080 or visit the National Express website .
- Road Information
Below you'll find links to information on temporary road closures, road maintenances/works and external websites for Road Safety and Roadside Recovery services.
- Train Information
Information relating to services in the Vale is provided by the various operating companies. please click through to their web sites to find out more. Chiltern Railways Telephone: 0845 6005 165 Mondays Fridays 8.30 am - 5.
- Villages in the Vale
Appleford For information on this village, please visit the Appleford Village website. Ardington and Lockinge These villages are classic Victorian estate villages.
- What's On in Vale of White Horse
From arts festivals to bun throwing and swan upping there are always lots of interesting things happening in the Vale of White Horse. To find out what's on use the search feature on this page.
- Terms & Conditions
Disclaimer The Vale of White Horse District Council ('the Vale') makes every effort to ensure that the information published on this web site is accurate.
- Where we are
The Vale of White Horse is near Oxford with good links to London and the rest of England. The Vale is near airports at London, Birmingham, Bristol and Southampton.
- Contact Us
Abingdon Information Point Abingdon Information Point is located in Abingdon Town Council's offices in Old Abbey House.