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Souldern
A stone village above the Cherwell between Banbury and Bicester, 7 miles from Banbury, with manor houses of the 1600s, a church rebuilt in part by Comper and Bodley, and the Fox Inn with rooms. Wordsworth stayed at the old rectory.
- Nearest station
- Kings Sutton, about 3.3 miles in a straight line, or Bicester North, about 6.5; then a taxi
- Parking
- We found no public car park. Park with care in the village street. The Fox Inn has rooms, and we could not confirm parking there
About Souldern
Souldern lies on the high ground west of the Cherwell, about halfway between Banbury and Bicester and just south of Aynho. The county history describes its stone as silver-grey, patched with yellow lichen, which is a different look from the brown ironstone villages north of Banbury. A main street runs east to west, with a green in front of the church. It is a short visit, best with a meal or a night at the Fox.
What to see in Souldern
St Mary's is listed Grade II*. Its tower and north nave wall are the oldest parts, from the second half of the twelfth century, and it keeps a plain twelfth-century font and a restored heart brass of about 1460. The rest shows two of the great Gothic revival names: the chancel was rebuilt in 1896 to 1897 to designs by Bucknall and J. N. Comper, and G. F. Bodley rebuilt the tower in 1906. We found no published opening hours.
Several houses of the seventeenth century stand out. Souldern Manor has a date of 1665 in one room and two gabled wings. Souldern House, long the Gough family's, is early seventeenth century, with a garden gazebo dated 'R. G. 1706'. The Court, probably of about 1600, has a garden gateway dated 1666, and The Hollies, of about 1600, was built with stone-mullioned windows. They are private homes, so see them from the street.
Wordsworth at Souldern
Robert Jones, the rector, repaired the old rectory in 1809. He called William Wordsworth 'one of my earliest and dearest friends', and the poet stayed with him there, probably in 1820. Wordsworth later wrote the sonnet A Parsonage in Oxfordshire. Do not go looking for the house: the old rectory was pulled down in 1890, and the present rectory stands on a new site.
An afternoon in Souldern
Walk the main street to the church and the green, then down the hill past the church. Wharf Lane links the village with the Oxford Canal on the far side of the Cherwell, and Aynho Wharf is a short drive north. Come back to the Fox for dinner.
Walks from Souldern
We found no council or parish leaflet for a walk from Souldern, so we suggest no route. The canal towpath below the village is level, and Chisnell Lift Bridge, listed Grade II, is one of the canal's crossings in the parish. Plan the way down to the towpath with an OS map.
Food and drink
The Fox Inn (opens in a new tab) on Fox Lane is the one pub left of the three the village had in the 1850s. Its own site gives lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday, with Mondays and Tuesdays closed, and four en-suite rooms. Dogs are welcome in the bar but not in the rooms. When we checked it had a Christmas 2026 menu, served from 9 to 24 December, but only a sample menu from 2024 for the rest of the year, so ring to check what is on.
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When to come
From Wednesday to Sunday, when the Fox serves. Souldern has no event of its own that we could confirm.
Last verified 11 November 2026 by our editors
Things to do in Souldern
Tours and experiences · Bicester
Everyman Driving Experiences at Bicester Heritage
Supercar and film-car driving days run by Everyman on Bicester Motion's experience track at the former RAF Bicester, on a few set dates a year, with weekday drives with a passenger ride from £59.
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Sky Wave Gin Distillery, Bicester Motion
Tours and experiences · Bicester
A small-batch gin and vodka distillery in the North Tanker Sheds at Bicester Motion, the former RAF Bicester, with 75-minute tours and tastings on Fridays and Saturdays, a weekday shop and an indoor bar at weekends.
Verified Nov 2026
Where to stay in Souldern
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The Fox Inn, Souldern
Pubs · Souldern
A village pub on Fox Lane in Souldern, licensed since 1784, with Timothy Taylor's Boltmaker and guest ales, home-cooked food from Wednesday to Sunday, dogs welcome in the bar and four en-suite rooms near junction 10 of the M40.
Dog-friendly · Walker-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
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The Great Western Arms, Aynho
Pubs · Aynho
A Hook Norton pub with four rooms between the Oxford Canal and the old Aynho station, about 15.5 miles by road from Silverstone. It sells itself as a base for the circuit, Bicester Village and Blenheim Palace. A small place, so rooms for a race weekend will not last.
Verified Nov 2026
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The Duke of Cumberland's Head, Clifton
Restaurants
A thatched, marlstone village pub at Clifton near Deddington, reopened under a new owner with a head chef from The Five Fields and Core, a menu that changes daily and three rooms.
Verified Nov 2026
Where to eat and drink in Souldern
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The Butchers Arms, Kings Sutton
Pubs · Kings Sutton
A village pub on Whittall Street in Kings Sutton, open every day from noon to 10pm, with a large garden, parking and main, Sunday, lunch and buffet menus all updated in autumn 2026. A plain local, handy for the spire and the station.
Verified Nov 2026
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Quince and Clover On The Square, Deddington
Cafes and tearooms · Deddington
A small artisan café on the market square in Deddington, open seven days from 8am on weekdays, for açai bowls, grilled ciabatta, soups, fish stew and homemade cakes, mostly to take away, with a terrace.
Verified Nov 2026
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The Unicorn Inn, Deddington
Pubs · Deddington
A Grade II listed inn of the mid 17th century on Deddington Market Place, with open fires, a garden behind, British classics and seven rooms, four of which take dogs.
Dog-friendly · Family-friendly
Verified Nov 2026
Walks in and around Souldern
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North Aston, the Causeway and Somerton Mill
Walk · Starts in Steeple Aston · 3 hrs · Circular
A 5.2-mile (8.4km) moderate circular walk from North Aston Green, about three hours. It crosses the Cherwell meadows on an old causeway by Somerton Mill, follows the Oxford Canal north and climbs home past Bestmoor and North Aston church. It floods after rain.
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Kings Sutton Railway Walk from the Station
Walk · Starts in Kings Sutton · 2 hrs · Circular
A 4.4-mile (7.1km) circular walk from Kings Sutton station on the parish's own Railway route, easy to moderate and about two hours. It climbs through the village past the spire, crosses fields north, and returns over the railway line on foot by the old Bog Spring.
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Adderbury and Bloxham Grove
Walk · Starts in Adderbury · 1 hr, 30 mins · Circular
A 3.1-mile (5.1km) circular walk from the Methodist church in East Adderbury, about an hour and a half of easy walking with stiles. Field paths lead to Bloxham Grove and its small windmill, down to Lower Grove Mill on the Sor Brook, and back to The Green.
Sights in and around Souldern
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Aynho Wharf
Sight · Historic building · Aynho
A canal wharf of 1788 on the Oxford Canal below Aynho, with a warehouse whose roof hangs over the water and a listed stone bridge, and a walk north to the odd diamond-shaped Weir Lock where the Cherwell crosses the canal.
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Rainsborough Camp
Sight · Hill fort or barrow · Aynho
An Iron Age hillfort with double ramparts on the plateau above the Cherwell near Aynho and Charlton, burnt in the fourth century BC and reused by the Romans. Scheduled, under pasture, on private land; a bridleway passes close by.
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Deddington Castle
Sight · Castle or ruin · Deddington
Grassy ramparts up to 15m high are what is left of Deddington's Norman castle, which belonged to William the Conqueror's half-brother. Now the village park and sports field, free in daylight, with English Heritage caring for the inner bailey. Earthworks only.
Stories about Souldern
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Villages between Banbury and Bicester
Story · Guides · 8 minute read
The villages between Banbury and Bicester, group by group: the Cherwell valley from Somerton to Kirtlington, the plateau villages of Souldern, Fritwell and Middleton Stoney, and the quiet country north-east of Bicester. Which are worth a stop, what each has, which have no pub.
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Where to stay in Bicester: hotels, pubs with rooms and a boat
Story · Guides · 5 minute read
Where to stay in Bicester: a family hotel and a Travelodge in town, a Premier Inn on its edge, rooms at Bicester Heritage, a Travelodge at the M40, a hotel on the Banbury road, rooms over a pub at Souldern, a narrowboat at Lower Heyford, and why Banbury is often the better base.
Getting to Souldern
- By bus
- The 81, run by Z & S Transport, links Souldern with Bicester a few times a day, Monday to Saturday (November 2026). There is no bus to Banbury.
- By train
- Kings Sutton, on the Banbury to Oxford line, is about 3.3 miles away in a straight line; Bicester North about 6.5. Then a taxi.
- By car
- About 9 miles from Banbury Cross, 19 minutes, by the A4260 and Aynho.
- Parking
- No public car park that we found. Park considerately in the village.
- Access
- The village sits on a slope above the valley: the road past the church runs down the hill to Ockley Brook.
Places near Souldern
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AynhoAn estate village of stone houses with apricot trees on their walls, a mile above the Oxford Canal and the old wharf. No pub in the village itself just now, so plan to eat in Deddington or Kings Sutton.
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Kings SuttonA large stone village in the Cherwell valley with its own railway station, one stop from Banbury, and one of the finest spires in Northamptonshire. Come by train, walk 10 minutes to The Square, and pick one of six parish walks.
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Steeple AstonA Cherwell valley village 9 miles south of Banbury, built on both sides of a steep little valley, with a church holding a grand 1730 monument by Henry Scheemakers, a school founded in 1640 and the Chequers, reopened in 2026. On the S4 bus and a mile from Heyford station.
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DeddingtonA large ironstone village south of Banbury that was once a borough, with a big market square, a monthly farmers' market, castle earthworks you can walk free of charge and a church whose tower fell in 1634. Parking is free.