Sandford-on-Thames

Sandford-on-Thames is a village in Oxfordshire, just south of Oxford. It combines the charming peace of a small old-English village with easy access to the nearby city centre, making it a pleasant base from where to explore both Oxford and the surrounding English landscapes.



Understand
This village and Parish Council is just off the A4074, which bypasses the village, beside the River Thames in Oxfordshire. Grown from just 18 families in the Doomsday Book to just 200 people at the start of the 17th century to a population of 1,000 today.

The village was described as "a very good place to drown yourself in" in the book Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (based on a boat trip on the River Thames), probably referring to the "Big Lasher", a weir behind the lock keepers cottage that creates strong currents and eddies and is particularly dangerous having claimed quite a few lives. The site includes an obelisk commemorating 6 students who died here in 3 separate incidents.

Get in
Being south of Oxford centre, many of the same transport links for Oxford can also be used to get into Sandford-on-Thames.

By road
From Oxford city centre take the Iffley Rd south, A4158 to the Southern Bypass, continue heading south through Littlemore on Oxford Rd which becomes Sandford Rd, then Henley Rd.

By train
Sandford-on-Thames has no station. Take the train to Oxford and walk or taxi to Sandford-on-Thames.

By bus
Service 3/3A operated by Oxford Bus and Stagecoach Oxford runs Rose Hill, Iffley Road and Oxford City Centre. Also serving Littlemore, Sandford-on-Thames, Oxford Science Park and Kassam Stadium.

Get around
The village is small enough to see on foot.

Go next

 * Oxford City Centre 4 miles to N
 * Abingdon 8½ miles to SW
 * Didcot 10 miles S of village
 * Wallingford 9½ miles to SE
 * Thame 16 miles to E
 * Woodstock 13 miles to NW
 * Bicester 18 miles N