Aynho

Aynho Wharf and the Oxford Canal

Aynho Wharf lies about a mile west of the village, on the Oxford Canal by Bridge 190, on the road to Deddington. It was open and landing coal by 1787, and it is now a working boatyard with a small shop, so it is the natural place to stop by road or by water.

The Northamptonshire historic environment record says the wharf brought in coal, stone and salt, and shipped out hay, straw and corn. One much-altered warehouse survives, with its roof overhanging the canal, and the wharf sits inside the Oxford Canal conservation area. The Canal & River Trust's mooring listing says water, pump-out, diesel, bottled gas and refuse disposal may be available by arrangement with the wharf, along with boat repairs, and that the small shop stocks provisions and chandlery. We found no current opening hours, so ring ahead if you are relying on any of it.

North of the wharf, the towpath passes Belchers Lift Bridge (No 189) in under half a mile and reaches Aynho Weir Lock (No 33) in about a mile. The lock is unusual: octagonal, with a fall of about 30cm, directly below the point where the River Cherwell crosses the canal on the level. The Canal & River Trust (opens in a new tab) posts closures and notices online.

What to see in Aynho village

The village itself is the sight. Its layout has changed little since the seventeenth century, says the village's own history, and many houses date from then to the early eighteenth. Walk The Square and the lanes around it, look for the apricot trees, then see the church. Allow about half an hour.

The village website says the apricots may have been a planting scheme by Thomas Cartwright, a keen horticulturist, in the late nineteenth century, and that some houses still pick them. You may also hear that villagers once paid part of their rent in fruit. We have found that only as a legend in an estate agent's brochure, with no record behind it.

St Michael's looks like two buildings because it is. The medieval tower survives, and the rest was rebuilt in classical style from 1723 to 1725 to a design by the local craftsman Edward Wing. The church is listed Grade I, with its Georgian pulpit, box pews and west gallery still inside. We could not confirm opening hours. The almshouses on Bowman's Lea were built in 1822 from the bequest of John Baker, an Oxford glazier.

Aynho Park

Aynho Park, the Cartwrights' house, is now RH England, a furniture and homewares gallery, and not a historic house open for tours. It has been owned by RH, the American brand, since 2020, and it opened to the public as a gallery with restaurants in June 2023.

The house is listed Grade I, remodelled from 1707, probably by Thomas Archer, and by Sir John Soane from 1800 to 1805, says the list entry. RH's own pages list the gallery as open daily, from 11am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, but they differ on Sunday hours and on the hours of the Orangery restaurant. Valet parking is offered. Ring 01295 585700 before planning a meal around it.

A morning in Aynho

Start at the top, with a slow walk round The Square and the church. Then drive or walk the mile down to the wharf, walk the towpath north to the lift bridge or the weir lock and back, and go on to lunch in Deddington or Kings Sutton. With no car, come by train and use the parish walk below.

Walks from Aynho

Kings Sutton parish publishes the only official route we found: Walton Grounds and Aynho (opens in a new tab), 4.8 miles (7.7km) in about two hours from Kings Sutton, which has the station. It crosses fields with stiles, enters Aynho by the Charlton Road and Butts Close, and returns by Walton Grounds. The parish warns of mud. Take OS Explorer 191.

Food and drink in Aynho

The village has no pub or shop at present, and we do not name a place to eat at the wharf, so plan lunch elsewhere.

The Cartwright Hotel, which older guides still list, closed for good in May 2024, the hotel said. The building has been on the market, and in 2026 the village has been considering a community bid. People in the village run a pop-up pub in the village hall, usually on the last Friday of the month in 2026 (6pm on 27 November), mainly for those who live here. The nearest pubs we cover are in Deddington and Kings Sutton.

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When to come to Aynho

Come in summer for the apricots, and on any fine day for the towpath. The Cherwell and the canal share a stretch north of the wharf, so look at the Trust's notices after heavy rain before planning a boat trip. Dry weather matters too: after the drought of 2026 the Trust asked boaters to make only essential journeys between Little Bourton Lock 27 and Aynho Weir Lock 33 (its notice of 3 November 2026). Nothing we found suggests crowds, so there is no time of day to avoid.