River Evenlode

The River Evenlode is a tributary of the Thames in Oxfordshire. It rises near Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswold Hills and flows south-east for 45 miles to join the Thames. The valley it carves provides the route for part of the Cotswold Line railway. Until the late 19th century the river was known as the River Blade. The Ordnance Survey map of 1884 already shows the name Evenlode, though Bladon village sits on a tributary called the Glyme. The Evenlode passes through villages such as Evenlode, Bledington and Charlbury before reaching the Thames above King’s Lock. Between Cassington and Eynsham a canal fed by the river rejoins the Thames half a mile upstream of the Evenlode’s mouth. Much of the river is privately owned and used for fishing and leisure, with powered boats forbidden. The Environment Agency has restored sections since 2008 to undo damage from past dredging. Poet Hilaire Belloc wrote of the river in his verse. Visitors find quiet stretches of water winding through wooded valleys and open meadows. Anglers cast lines where trout and grayling hold in deeper pools. Walkers follow public paths along the banks, passing stone cottages and old packhorse bridges. The river’s clear water reflects the Cotswold stone of nearby villages. At dusk herons stand motionless on the banks while water voles dart between the reeds. The Evenlode offers a gentle landscape where time seems to move with the current.