I have always wanted to visit Wittenham Clumps, mainly because of the name! Clumps. It just sounds funny in my head. I see them every time I drive to work. They’re so distinctive and can be seen from miles away. Wittenham Clumps is made up of two hills; Round Hill (the one of the left when you’re in the car park) and Castle Hill (the one on the right).
A brief history of Wittenham Clumps
There’s historical evidence from the Roman, Bronze and Iron ages. Castle Hill is so-called because there used to be a fort on it.
Apparently the hazel trees on top of the Clumps are now in trouble so you can no longer walk through them because of the risk of falling branches. Some of the trees are 300 years old, including the now fallen Poem Tree which was on Castle Hill. Some time around 1844 a poet called Joseph Tubb carved a poem into one of the trees and it became famous. Eventually the tree grew (as they tend to do), the poem became illegible but then the tree fell down anyway. In it’s place there’s a plaque and a copy of the poem. The site used to be known as Mother Dunch’s Buttocks but it’s now owned by the Earth Trust.
Family Walks at Wittenham Clumps
When we visited Wittenham Clumps we didn’t do a particularly long walk as we really were just there to stretch our legs on the way through. There are various footpaths you can follow, although most of them are just grass tracks and not necessarily that well sign posted. The Earth Trust website has a map with some of the routes on it. Apparently the walk down to Day’s Lock is quite nice.
Although it was a pleasant family walk, with some stunning views, there isn’t really much to do at Wittenham Clumps. We do quite a lot of hill walks, including places like Ivinghoe Beacon, but somehow we all just thought it was a bit “meh”. That said, there were plenty of people there so others must enjoy it.
Our Wittenham Clumps Review
A decent, albeit uphill walk with some stunning views across Oxfordshire and beyond. Not exactly a captivating walk and I’m not sure it’s worth driving far to visit. Worth popping in if you’re passing.
Admission cost
Free
Parking / How to get there
Parking – There are two car parks off the unnamed road. Just follow the signs for The Earth Trust and you should find it. Free parking
Address – Little Wittenham, Wallingford, OX14 4QZ
Toilets
At the Earth Trust Visitor Centre (which is one of the two car parks for Wittenham Clumps). This has been closed since March 2020 because of covid. As of August 2021 it hadn’t reopened yet.
Food
Nothing on-site. Own picnics welcome
What else is there to do nearby?
Island Farm Donkey Sanctuary is just down the road and is free to visit. Oxford is full of family days out such as the natural history museum or the Ashmolean museum. There are also Treasure Map Trails for Oxford (well two actually) and Abingdon. You can save 10% on all maps using this affilaite link and the code FFREETIMEWITHTHEKIDS
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
