Programme of Walks and Events

Saturday 2^nd June: 8 Mile Walk - Greenham and Crookham Commons (moderate)

Meeting Point: Greenham Common Control Tower car park, off Burys Bank Road, near Newbury
Post Code: RG19 8DB, Lat/Long: N51.3834°, W1.2847°, OS Map: SU498651

Meet for a 10:30am start at the Greenham Common Control Tower car park, off Burys Bank Road, just outside Newbury.

We will walk around Greenham Common, going past the nuclear silos (former rest spot of the Millennium Falcon), then coming out onto Crookham Common before heading to the Travellers' Friend pub for a "quick" refreshment. We will then return to the car park via the northern side of the Commons.

Lunch stop will be somewhere on the Common, before or after the pub depending on timing. Please bring a packed lunch and drink, as usual.

Leader: Jean-Paul 07887 710 396

Saturday 9^th June: 5½ Mile Walk - Twyford, Charvil, Hurst & Ruscombe plus Twyford Beer Festival (easy)
- joint walk and social event with the Loddon Valley Ramblers

Meeting Point: Twyford Railway Station, Station Road, Twyford
Post Code: RG10 9NA, Lat/Long: N51.4757°, W0.8636°, OS Map: SU790758

A short walk around Twyford, Charvil, Hurst and Ruscombe, either returning to the station or joining the leader at the Twyford Beer Festival, King George V Playing Field, Twyford, RG10 0AP. The walk is flat, with a couple of stiles and might be muddy in places. We expect to get to the Festival at approximately 1:15pm.

The Twyford Beer Festival is well established with beer, cider, soft drinks, food and music available from 12 noon to 10 pm, with all profits supporting Orchid - the men's cancer charity. This year entry to the Beer festival is £5 - including glass and programme.

Meet at Twyford station for an 11am start. The 10:52 from Maidenhead arrives 11:00, and the 10:48 from Reading arrives 10:54. (There are no engineering works planned for this weekend.) Please contact the walk leader (preferably by text) if coming by train so we can wait for you.

Parking at the station is £4 for the day. Car park in nearby Polehampton Close is £1.50 for 4 hours, which is plenty of time if you're doing the walk only.

Walk leader and organiser: Jo F 07979 595 043

Saturday 16^th June: 9 Mile Walk - Hook, Greywell and North Warnborough (easy/moderate)
- part of the National Young Ramblers Weekend

Meeting Point: Hook Railway Station, Hook, Hampshire
Post Code: RG27 9HS, Lat/Long: N51.2802°, W0.9618°, OS Map: SU725539

Meet in the car park at Hook Railway Station for a 10:40am start.

From Reading, take the 09:52 Bournemouth service from platform 15, which stops at Basingstoke at 10:09. Change here and take the 10:24 London Waterloo service from platform 1, which stops at Hook at 10:31. (Trains return to Reading by the same route every half an hour.) If coming by car, the station car park is on Station Road in the middle of Hook, RG27 9HS. The car park charges £2 for the day.

This walk includes farmland, heathland, ancient woodland, small sections of the Basingstoke canal, a tunnel that is now a nature reserve, an aqueduct, the remains of a castle, a ford and a pub!

Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of drinking water.

Leader: Rob C. 07786 116 988

To see what other walks are going on as part of the National Young Ramblers weekend, visit https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/nyr2018-walks-program/

Wednesday Evening 20^th June: 4 Mile Walk - Odiham and Basingstoke Canal (easy)

Meeting Point: Odiham Wharf car park, Colts Hill, Odiham
Post Code: RG29 1AL, Lat/Long: N51.2595°, W0.9294°, OS Map: SU748516

Meet at the (free) Odiham Wharf car park for a 7pm start. This is at the end of Colts Hill - from Odiham High Street, turn off down London Road (by the Hovis sign), pass The Waterwitch pub and keep going to the end of the road.

This flat and easy walk follows the canal towpath to Wilks Water, crosses the canal to woodland and farm paths back to Odiham and finally back down the High Street to the car park, optionally stopping at The Waterwitch pub by the canal. The walk should take about 1½ hours.

Leader: Denise 07748 766 371

Saturday 23^rd June: 8 Mile Walk - Down House, near Orpington, Kent (moderate)
- joint walk with the Pang Valley Ramblers

Meeting Point: Orpington Railway Station, Station Approach, Orpington, Kent
Post Code: BR6 0SX, Lat/Long: N51.3733°, E0.0896°, OS Map: TQ455658

Down House was the home of the famous naturalist Charles Darwin for most of his life. Peter Worsley, the walk leader, has a special interest in Darwin.

Assemble in the booking hall on the arrivals (east) side at Orpington railway station by 10:30am. The full walk is in three parts:-

First, 4 miles to Downe village via Farnborough, we will visit Darwinian sites in the village and then have a lunch break - either bring a picnic, or there is a CAMRA pub or a teashop.

Second, a 15 minute walk to Down House. This is an English Heritage property and admission to the house is about £11. About two hours will be allocated to visiting the house and grounds.

Third, a walk from Down House to Hayes (Kent) railway station via Keston Heath of about 4 miles with an arrival circa 17:00 hrs. This walk is an exact repeat of one undertaken in 1894 with arrival and departure from the same stations.

Contact Peter at peter.worsley01@gmail.com

Sunday 24^th June: 11½ Mile Walk - Shakespeares's Way and Thames Path (moderate)

Meeting Point: Free Car Park on Skirmett Road, Mill End, Henley-on-Thames
Post Code: RG9 6TL, Lat/Long: N51.5626°, W0.8683°, OS Map: SU785854

This varied walk starts at 10:30am from the free car park on Skirmett Road, near Mill End. (The car park is on the left as you head from Mill End toward Hambledon). There are toilet facilities at the car park.

We will follow a route through attractive Chiltern countryside and woodland along parts of Shakespeare's Way to the outskirts of Marlow. We then head down to the Thames Path at Temple Lock, continuing past Hurley Lock and finishing at the impressive Hambledon Lock and Weir. There are a couple of fairly steep inclines at the start of the walk, after which it is mostly level.

There will be the opportunity for a pub stop at The Flower Pot at Aston before completing the last leg of the walk. Please bring a packed lunch, snacks and a drink as usual.

Leader: Julia C 07804 797 071

Sunday 1^st July: 8 Mile Walk - Cholsey and South Moreton (moderate)
- joint walk with the Pang Valley Ramblers

Meeting Point: Car park outside St Mary’s Church, Cholsey
Post Code: OX10 9PS, Lat/Long: N51.5789°, W1.1577°, OS Map: SU584870

If arriving by car, head north west out of Cholsey on Church Road. Park in the car park off Church Road, in the apron before St Mary's Church. (Do not park in the field on the left.) If arriving by train, the church is around a 15 minute walk from Cholsey Station. (Head into Cholsey on Station Road and then out on Church Road.)

This relatively flat circular walk takes us to Aston Tirrold, then Blewburton Hill to Moreton and back to Cholsey. Please bring a packed lunch and drink as usual.

Leaders: Pauline and Alistair 07989 289 099

Sunday 8^th July: 9 Mile Walk - Knowl Hill and Waltham St Lawrence (easy/moderate)

Meeting Point: The centre of Waltham St Lawrence village.
Post Code: RG10 0JN, Lat/Long: N51.4851°, W0.8068°, OS Map: SU829769

Park considerably around the vicinity of the church and The Bell Inn, ready for a 10:30am start.

This relatively flat walk heads through farm land to West End, taking in parts of the Knowl Hill bridleway circuit on the way, to Shottesbrooke Park where we will have lunch. Afterwards heading to Knowl Hill Common, back along the bridleway and farm land returning to Waltham St Lawrence and a pub-stop at The Bell Inn.

There will be some overgrowth and nettles during the walk. Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of drinking water.

Leaders: Ann and Kathy 07800 728 667 or 07794 406 438

Saturday 14^th July: 5½ Mile Walk - Hannington and Wayfarer's Walk (easy)

Meeting Point: The Village Green, Hannington
Post Code: RG26 5TZ, Lat/Long: N51.2956°, W1.2279°, OS Map: SU539554

The walk starts at 10:30am in the picturesque village of Hannington by the church and green. Park by but not on the green, or considerately on nearby roads.

Being a short walk this could be ideal for new walkers but also I think it will be liked by others due to the fine extensive views. The route will take us south from the village of Hannington besides some copses which earlier were seen with blue bells, a small stretch of quiet lane walking and a return to Hannington on a mixture of the Wayfarer's Walk and a regular footpath with good extensive views to the west and north.

After the walk there is an option for a drink or if you wish for a meal at the nearby Vine pub. If you wish to eat and book a table I would suggest not booking it earlier than 13:00.

Please bring a drink and if you wish a small snack for a brief stop, being only a short walk, I am not intending to have the usual longer lunch stop.

Leader: Mike D 07938 843 660

Saturday 4^th August: 10½ Mile Walk - Crondall and Doras Green, Figure-of-8 (moderate)

Meeting Point: Outside All Saints Church, Croft Lane, Crondall (nr. Fleet/Farnham)
Post Code: GU10 5QR, Lat/Long: N51.2306°, W0.8635°, OS Map: SU794485

This is really two walks, in a figure of 8 pattern, giving a choice of a long or shorter walk.

Part 1 starts at 10:30am from outside the church in Crondall, heading to Montgomery's farm and Swanthorpe farm with great views. Part 2 leads us through the golf course, and across woodland to Doras green and Wimble Hill.

Pub-stop half way round (TBA due times of opening). Bring a packed lunch, water, strong shoes/boots and waterproofs.

Leader: Mark B. 07949 633 477

Sunday 12^th August: 6 Mile Walk - Aldermaston Wharf, Padworth Lock and Mill (easy)

Details to follow...

Leaders: Jane and Alexis

Saturday 18^th August: 8½ Mile Walk - Eversley, Bramshill Forest and Hazeley Heath (moderate)

Meeting Point: Car park at St Marys Church, Eversley
Post Code: RG27 0PX, Lat/Long: N51.3424°, W0.8811°, OS Map: SU780609

Meet at the car park outside St Mary's Church, Eversley, for a 10:30am start.

Walking through tracks and Fox ride to Bramshill Forest and Hazeley Heath and Police college. Pub-stop half way round at The Shoulder of Mutton.

Bring packed lunch, water, strong shoes/boots and waterproofs.

Leader: Julie B. 07762 825 121