Iffley Lock – Isis Bridge loop from Cowley

Bike touring routes & trails

Iffley Lock – Isis Bridge loop from Cowley

Easy

5.0

(1)

riders

Iffley Lock – Isis Bridge loop from Cowley

00:37

9.69km

50m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Mostly paved surfaces. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 23, 2026

Tips

Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route

After 52 m for 108 m

After 2.24 km for 51 m

After 5.92 km for 154 m

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

106 m

Iffley Yew

Highlight • Natural Monument

The ancient Iffley Yew is a Common yew (Taxus baccata) and one of the oldest trees in Oxfordshire. It is at least 700 years old and as old as the current church. However, it has been proposed the Iffley Yew could be much older; possibly planted between 686 and 886 A.D. as part of the original Saxon church.

Intriguingly, Alison Gopnik and Alvy Ray Smith have speculated that the Iffley Yew inspired Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) for one of the surreal scenes in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, where a door appears in the tree after Alice leaves the Mad Tea Party, and which leads her back to the hall. We know that Dodgson took Alice to Iffley and that at the time the tree would have had a child size doorway.

The plausibility of this theory is made stronger by the description in Dodgson's original version "Alice’s Adventures under Ground":

... “However, I’ve got to my right size again: the next thing is, to get into that beautiful garden - how is that to be done, I wonder?” Just as she said this, she noticed that one of the trees had a doorway leading right into it. “That’s very curious!” she thought, “but everything’s curious today: I may as well go in.” And in she went.

Tip by

2.27 km

Stone Bridge at Iffley Lock

Highlight • River

2.33 km

Iffley Lock

Highlight • River

Watch canal boats navigate up and down the river at the picturesque Iffley Lock.

Tip by

2.88 km

Isis Bridge

Highlight • Cycleway

Opened in 1965, the Isis Bridge is the modern road bridge over the Thames south of Oxford.

Tip by

3.14 km

Kennington to Oxford cycle route

Highlight (Segment) • Cycleway

Excellent cycle route from Kennington to Oxford

Tip by

5.47 km

Proof

Highlight • Cafe

Amazing baked goods and sweet treats, coffee is very nice too!

Tip by

5.94 km

The King's Arms, River Thames

Highlight • Pub

This perfect country pub is situated right on the banks of the River Thames and offers walkers a rest and refreshing drink or bite to eat in a cosy setting.

Tip by

9.69 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types