The area from the railway bridge to the River Thames is known as Lower Radley. Many of the older houses in the village are found here. Lower Radley forms a circular loop of scattered houses. The old houses were timber-framed with thatched roofs, although in some cases the thatch has been replaced by tiles. As you walk round the loop, you pass the village green and the way down to Radley College Boathouse and the River Thames.

Large amounts of gravel have been removed from Lower Radley. Most of the larger pits have been filled with pulverised fuel ash (PFA) from Didcot Power Station. Other pits have filled naturally with water. A campaign by a local group, Save Radley Lakes, between 2005 and 2008 helped to stop two more lakes (Thrupp Lake and Bullfield Lake) being filled with PFA. The area including Thrupp Lake is now managed by the Earth Trust and is being developed for nature conservation and quiet recreation. Over the years the Radley Lakes area has become an attractive haven for many species of wildlife. The Radley Lakes Masterplan for the area’s future will be implemented by a charity, The Radley Lakes Trust.

Map of Radley’s lakes and gravel pits

Photos of the lakes (photographs by Basil Crowley)