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Oxfordshire's VTN is
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Bladon



Buses and cars and HGVs, narrow pavements, residents and tourists!

Pedestrian Safety for routes within Bladon include:

Park Street Pinch-point

The A4095 is a busy route. It carries getting on for 14,000 vehicles per day and nearly 300 hgvs.  Parts of Park Street are so narrow that HGVs cannot pass without mounting the pavement, increasing danger for pedestrians. A priority passing system for vehicles would address this.   

Crossing at Lamb Lane

When using public transport, residents of Park Street, Lamb/Heath Lane and Manor Road currently have no safe way to cross the busy A4095 other than at the crossing by the White House Community pub. This requires a substantial detour, navigating the narrow pavements at the pinch-point. Cabling for a second pedestrian crossing by the former Lamb pub is already installed. It needs funding to be completed.

Crossing at Grove road

Bladon is a mile-long village. A crossing towards Bladon roundabout will enable safer access for pedestrian routes to and from Oxford and Woodstock.

Missing pavement outside Bladon Chains

Currently, pedestrians must either walk over thick, uneven grass or cross the busy A4095. The pavement must be completed to ensure a continuous safe route.

Off-road cycling routes for children to reach Marlborough school

An extension of Stonesfield’s successful pilot cycling scheme would allow Bladon’s school children to access safer school routes via Blenheim.

A new recreational pedestrain route is proposed

Click here to see a map showing a possible revived connection on foot between Bladon and the Hanboroughs.The green route was for stone from Bladon stone pits to the station in the 1960’s and includes a railway tunnel and river bridge. A right of way on foot along this route would restore Bladon’s only access to the Evenlode as well as a safe snd pleasant way to the station.

Safer access to Hanborough railway station.

Pictured left:  the only route for pedestrians and cyclists between Bladon and the popular commuter railway station at Hanborough.

Hanborough station is an important hub for commuters to Oxford and London. Access to it on the footway alongside the busy A4095 is difficult and dangerous. Years of turf creep has seen the route narrowed and it has a very poor surface.  It is not suitable as a shared use cycle footway. This needs major improvement to widen the path and to resurface it for it to be safe for pedestrians and cyclists alike.

Great News.  The VTN is delighted to announce that Oxfordshire County Council is now widening this dangerous footway to up to 2.4m so that it can become  shared cycle footway from Bladon to Hanborough Rail Station and beyond.  There will remain a couple of pinch points where the crash barriers extend over the River Evenlode and at the west end outside Blenheim's Hanborough Lodge.  The VTN is in discussion with Blenheim over a possible solution to this particular narrow section.  Nevertheless, this will immediately provide a safe alternative for cyclist commuting to Hanborough Station and others.  More images will follow soon of the completed scheme

Bike Racks

To encourage more active travel and use of public transport, Bladon needs secure bike racks at various points throughout the village.