Bucks &amp; Oxon

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It&#8217;s a bumper blackberry year! Time for inky fingers and cracking crumbles&#8230; here are some of our favourite blackberry picking spots in Oxon and Bucks. 



If you park at the Icknield Plantation (very limited parking) between Ewelme and Swyncombe just off Chiltern Way, then head west along the Chiltern Way footpath back towards the village of Ewelme you&#8217;ll find hedgerows groaning with blackberries (as well as sloes) all the way on 3km stretch back towards the village. You&#8217;ll also pass some adorable piggies along the way.



To the north, near Watlington, at Christmas Common, there&#8217;s a bounty of blackberries near Queen Wood. Stop in at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Fox &amp; Hounds (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/muddy-eats-the-fox-and-hounds-christmas-common/" target="_blank">The Fox &amp; Hounds</a> for a well-earned refreshment while you&#8217;re at it. 



At Port Meadow, very close to Oxford centre, there are hedgerows aplenty to fill your crumble dish. If it&#8217;s hot you could even cool off with a river dip, or should the weather be a little more autumnal, there&#8217;s always <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Jacob's Inn (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/jacobs-inn-port-meadow-oxfordshire/" target="_blank">Jacob&#8217;s Inn</a> at Wolvercote.



Out to the east of Oxford, Shotover Park is a vast swathe of wild woodland in squinting distance of the city. Aside from hidden paths, mossy logs and fairy doors, you&#8217;ll probably also find a fair few blackberries. 



We also love Boars Hill and Foxcombe Hill for a spot of blackberrying. And while you&#8217;re there you could pop in at <a href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/fox-inn-boars-hill/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Fox Inn (opens in a new tab)">The Fox Inn</a>.



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Word has it that close to the rather fab gastro pub <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Mole (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/pubs-inns/review-mole-inn-toot-baldon/" target="_blank">The Mole</a> in Toot Baldon, is also a good start for a blackberry picking walk heading directly south on the footpath. You might even catch a game of cricket on the green.



Over in Bucks, you&#8217;ll want to head over to the big field behind Haddenham church, a frequent local dog-walking spot, for berries aplenty. It&#8217;s a bit ditchy in places, and you might want to wear wellies for manoeuvring the nettles, but you’ll get a great haul. The perfect opportunity to reward yourself with a big coffee (and a cheeky rootle through beautiful homeware) at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="NORSK (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/norsk/" target="_blank">NORSK</a>.



Or, hot-foot it to Kimbers Copse in Marlow Bottom for a big crop of the good stuff along the path into the woods. And while you&#8217;re there, don&#8217;t miss the excellent coffee and home-baked goods at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Tin Town Coffee (opens in a new tab)" href="https://tintowncoffee.com/" target="_blank">Tin Town Coffee</a> (so named because when Marlow Bottom was established all the houses had tin roofs). You&#8217;re gonna want to order a bacon roll — promise. 



Word on the street is there&#8217;s also some seriously hefty hedgerows between Long Crendon and Notley Abbey. If you wander down the side of the Long Crendon Church, it&#8217;ll take you on a lovely walk towards the delightfully bijou <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Notley Abbey (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/notley-abbey/" target="_blank">Notley Abbey</a>, former home of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, and now a swanky wedding venue. Work up an appetite, then circle back for a bit of fine-dining at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The Angel (opens in a new tab)" href="https://theangeldiningrooms.co.uk/home/" target="_blank">The Angel</a> on Bicester Road. Or, if it&#8217;s your whistle that needs whetting, grab yourself a locally-brewed pint from the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="XT Brewery (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.xtbrewing.com/" target="_blank">XT Brewery</a>.



If you want a guaranteed harvest, but still the fun of picking, there&#8217;s always blackberries at the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="PYO farms (opens in a new tab)" href="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/where-pick-your-own-strawberries-cherries-near-london-buckinghamshire-oxfordshire/" target="_blank">PYO farms in Bucks and Oxon</a> &#8211; usually Millets, Peterley Manor and Rectory Farm all have blackberries available from August, but sadly this year, all three have finished for the season. Fear not &#8211; there&#8217;s still some to be had at <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Home Cottage Farm (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.homecottagefarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Home Cottage Farm</a> in Iver, along with raspberries, plums, pears and apples. Fill your boots! 



Know a secret spot we&#8217;ve missed? Let us know in the comments and we&#8217;ll add in to the list. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The best crumble recipe ever&nbsp;from Oxfordshire&#8217;s chef supremo, Raymond Blanc</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="913" src="https://bucksoxon.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38.png" alt="" class="wp-image-120386" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38.png 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38-329x300.png 329w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38-548x500.png 548w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38-150x137.png 150w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/bucksoxon/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/09/Screen-Shot-2021-09-09-at-13.51.38-575x525.png 575w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Through trial and a lot of error, I’ve discovered the best crumble recipe ever. I’ve tried so many different recipes over the years (crunchy toppings kids hate, gooey crumbles adults don’t like) but this is the one all ages seem to love:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/apple-blackberry-crumble" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Raymond Blanc’s classic apple and blackberry crumble</a>.



Ingredients



For the crumble topping



<ul><li>120g plain flour</li><li>60g caster sugar</li><li>60g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces</li></ul>



For the fruit compote



<ul><li>300g Braeburn apple</li><li>30g unsalted butter</li><li>30g demerara sugar</li><li>115g blackberries</li><li>¼ tsp ground cinnamon</li><li>vanilla ice cream, to serve</li></ul>



Method



<ul><li>Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip 120g plain flour and 60g caster sugar into a large bowl. </li><li>Add 60g unsalted butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy. </li><li>Sprinkle the mixture evenly over a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins or until lightly coloured. </li><li>Meanwhile, for the compote, peel, core and cut 300g Braeburn apples into 2cm dice. </li><li>Put 30g unsalted butter and 30g demerara sugar in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium heat. Cook for 3 mins until the mixture turns to a light caramel. </li><li>Stir in the apples and cook for 3 mins. Add 115g blackberries and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, and cook for 3 mins more. </li><li>Cover, remove from the heat, then leave for 2-3 mins to continue cooking in the warmth of the pan. </li><li>To serve, spoon the warm fruit into an ovenproof gratin dish, top with the crumble mix, then reheat in the oven for 5-10 mins. Serve with vanilla ice cream.</li></ul>

Where to pick blackberries in Bucks and Oxon

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