Author Sylvia Vetta is urging families to complete a series of summer holiday walks, including one in the Radley Lakes area near Abingdon.

Friends of Radley Lakes is a community group which exists to care for the area between Abingdon and Radley.

It works closely with the Earth Trust, which is managing Thrupp Lake.

A significant milestone was reached on December 17, 2018 - the 10th anniversary of the day when energy company RWE npower announced it had dropped their plans to fill Thrupp Lake with ash.

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Ms Vetta, from Kennington, has been retracing her steps on some favourite walks, which she hopes families will try, to reconnect with nature following the lockdowns.

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As there are lots of birds living around the lake it’s a good idea to take a pair of binoculars.

The nearest bus stop for Thrupp lake is the 35 which goes through Radley village. While it is possible to walk along Thrupp Lane, Ms Vetta wouldn’t recommend it as there are no pavements and HGVs use it.

Drive up Thrupp Lane (OX14 3NG) The road meanders until you see the entrance to Tuckwells. Here the road bends right and after about 200 yards, you will come to an unmarked road on your left.

There is a reasonable amount of parking on the left hand side of that road and at the wide entrance to it. If parking on Thrupp Lane itself, park considerately as HGVs need access.

Oxford Mail:

Walk down that road for 200 yards and the entrance to the lake is on your right.

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Mrs Vetta said: “This is a common sense circular walk around the lake. The first half is close to the lake but, as you can see on the map, the final leg is down from the top of the road you have just walked on. Go through the entrance gate and take the footpath on the right. You will soon arrive at a sign for the circular walk. This could be a good opportunity to let the children lead the walk by following the signs.”

For half a mile the path runs close to the edge of the lake and there are lots of little places where you can stop and bird watch.

Mrs Vetta added: “There are plenty of noisy, unmissable wildfowl such as ducks, geese and gulls and quieter ones like swans and moorhens.

“Harder to see are birds like herons and swifts but they are not uncommon there.”

Oxford Mail:

She said: “The only place it is easy to make an error is at the top end of the lake.

“You will see a circular walk sign on the right pointing straight ahead.

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“After 50 yards you come to a place where paths cross. Make sure you go straight ahead. You’ll soon come to a gate. Go through it and go left down the long shady path which leads to Sustrans and the road back to the entrance to the lake.”

For more visit the website sylviavetta.co.uk.