Programme of Walks and Events

Sunday 4^th June: 10 Mile Walk - Watlington Hill and the Ridgeway (moderate/hilly)

Meeting Point: Watlington Hill car park, Hill Road, Christmas Common
Post Code: OX49 5HS, Lat/Long: N51.6365°, W0.9757°, OS Map: SU709935

Please meet at the Watlington Hill (National Trust) free car park on Hill Road, near Christmas Common for a 10:30am start.

This hilly walk covers areas of The Ridgeway and passes through the villages of Swyncombe, Russell's Water, with pub stop at The Crown pub, Pishill. Please bring plenty of water and a packed lunch as usual.

Leaders: Julie A and Wellington the spaniel 07392 121 768

Wednesday Evening 7^th June: 4 Mile Walk - Mortimer and Wokefield Common (easy)

Meeting Point: Fairground car park, The Street, Mortimer Common
Post Code: RG7 3RD, Lat/Long: N51.3766°, W1.0598°, OS Map: SU655645

Meet at the (free) 'Fairground' car park opposite the Horse and Groom pub on The Street, Mortimer Common, for a 7pm start. If this car park is full, there is another free car park in front of the church a short distance away.

This easy walk will pass through Startvale Woods, Wokefield Common and return via Pullen's Pond and Mann's Farm. After the walk there is an option to have a drink at the Horse and Groom pub before we head home.

Leader: Rob C. 07786 116 988

Sunday 11^th June: 10 Mile Walk - Wayfarer's Walk and Hannington (moderate)
- Joint walk with the Pang Valley and Loddon Valley Ramblers groups

Meeting Point: Free Car Park on White Hill, Kingsclere, near Newbury
Post Code: RG20 5PX, Lat/Long: N51.3054°, W1.2608°, OS Map: SU516565

Meet at the car park at the top of White Hill, on the B3051 about a mile south of Kingsclere village. Please note that the postcode is for the stables between Kingsclere and the car park. The car park is further on and up the hill from there.

Starting at 10:30am from the car park on White Hill, we will follow the Wayfarer's Walk past North Oakley and further south before heading back via Hannington and Cottington's Hill. The walk involves some muddy footpaths and gentle hills.

There will be the opportunity for a pub stop at The Vine before before completing the last leg of the walk. Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of drinking water.

Leader: Rob C. 07786 116 988

Thursday Evening 15^th June: 5 Mile Walk - Twyford and Loddon Nature Reserve (easy)

Meeting Point: Burattas at the Royal Oak car park, Ruscombe Lane, Twyford
Post Code: RG10 9JR, Lat/Long: N51.4802°, W0.8574°, OS Map: SU794763

Please meet at the pub car park on Ruscombe Lane, for a 7pm start. We will stop for a drink at the end, food is served until 9pm, ordering in advance is an option.

For those of you coming by train, the 18:48 from Reading stops at Twyford at 18:54. There is no need to walk to the pub as the route will go past the station. Please text/phone the leaders if you are going to wait at the station.

This is a walk following the river Loddon through a beautifull nature reserve of lakes returning to Twyford across fields. The route is relatively flat with a mixture of pavement, riverside, lakeside and field paths, which can be muddy after wet weather so suitable footwear advisable. There are several kissing gates and stiles, you will also be sharing some fields with horses so take care if dogs are present.

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

Sunday 18^th June: 7½ Mile Walk - Pangbourne Mystery Walk (moderate)
- Joint walk with the Berkshire Walkers 20s & 30s group

Meeting Point: Pangbourne Railway Station
Post Code: RG8 7DY, Lat/Long: N51.4853°, W1.0905°, OS Map: SU632766

This is one of Lee's mystery walks, so we can't tell you where it goes, but there'll be woods, fields, country lanes and the occasional hill. The walk will start at 11am from the northern side of Pangbourne station. If coming by train, the 10:45am from Reading arrives at Pangbourne at 10:54am.

The group will be split into smaller groups whose task it is to find and walk the route in a set of mixed up instructions and other clues. There'll be a pub stop just after lunch, and an optional one at the end (whilst the last group is catching up). Come along to help find the way, or just to walk - it's up to you!

Along with your usual walking stuff and packed lunch, if you have them please bring: an OS map with Pangbourne on, a compass and a bit of string. A pencil and paper may also be handy. You can also download the Pathwatch app to your phone, if you don't have it installed already. To use the Pathwatch app, you'll need to login using your username/password for the main Rambler's website if you already have an account there. If not, you can register for a new account by using your Ramblers membership number.

Leader: Lee (BWs) 07780 683 521

Thursday Evening 22^nd June: 4½ Mile Walk - Ecchinswell (easy)

Meeting Point: Ecchinswell Village Hall, Ecchinswell Road, Hampshire
Post Code: RG20 4UB, Lat/Long: N51.3347°, W1.2832°, OS Map: SU500597

Meet and park at the Ecchinswell village hall for a prompt 7:00pm departure.

A short circular evening walk visiting the edge of the Sydmonton Court estate with it's views of Watership Down and surrounding countryside.

We should arrive back around 8:30pm in time for a visit to the Royal Oak pub at Ecchinswell, which is about 200 metres from the village hall car park.

Leaders: Mike and Alison 07938 843 660 or 07929 149 636

Sunday 25^th June: 10 Mile Walk - Dragonflies and a Church-on-the-Hill, Blackheath (moderate)

Meeting Point: Blackheath Common car park, Blackheath Lane, Blackheath
Post Code: GU4 8RB, Lat/Long: N51.2057°, W0.5184°, OS Map: TQ036462

Starting at 10:30am from Blackheath Common car park, we will go through the heath and head to Chilworth. (A short diversion could be made to the Chilworth gunpowder mills.) With a view of several ponds and tall beeches above we head uphill to St Martha's Hill car park. Joining the North Downs Way taking you up to St Martha's church on the hill. Keeping to the main track the walk re-joins the national trail going deep into the woods of beech and pine trees. Heading through to exit the woods to the Chantries where there are scotts pines, larches and various cedars, the area where we will have our lunch stop.

Staying on the main path you can see Guildford Cathedral in the distance. Taking a path through the nature reserve to Chantry lodge and heading over a floral meadow to Shalford Mill and the Seahorse pub where a stop for refreshments could take place. Passing the river Wey soon reaching the weir we head up one side of the Wey canal and cross to walk the other side and eventually reaching the national trust path, part of the Wey navigation. Heading through woods and joining the Downs Link path and passing Tangley Manor which is worth a look. After a path through fine woodland you enter Blackheath, a wonderful ancient area of woodland home to rare species and a site of special scientific interest which exits close to Blackheath village and the car park where the walk started.

Please bring packed lunch and a drink.

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

Saturday 1^st July: 8½ Mile Walk - Goring and Whitchurch-on-Thames (moderate)

Meeting Point: Car park off Station Road by the Catherine Wheel pub, Goring
Post Code: RG8 9HB, Lat/Long: N51.5218°, W1.1369°, OS Map: SU599806

The walk will start at 10:30am from the car park off Station Road by the Catherine Wheel pub. Park in this car park for £2 for up to 5 hours or alternatively try free on-street parking onthe B4009 High Street of Streatley near St. Mary's church and the bridge over the Thames noting the parking restrictions on some sections or Whitehills Green cul-de-sac (N51.52226, W1.13201) or the Railway station car park (Gatehampton Road, N51.52178, W1.13365) for which there is a £2.90 daily charge. The walk will pass both the Railway station and Whitehills Green. Each alternative parking location is about a 10 minutes maximum walk to the start of the walk.

For those using the train, a train is due to leave Reading at 09:54 arriving at Goring at 10:07 but you will need to check for engineering works nearer the time.

Our walk climbs out of Goring joining the Chiltern Way national route through typical Chilterncountryside of woods and rolling fields before descending back to the River Thames at Whitchurch-on-Thames. From here we follow the Thames initially from a height back to Goring with at one point a short but step down some steps and up without steps. For railway historians we pass Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 1830's Gatehampton railway bridge. I will leave it for walkers to decide if they like the electrification pylons now mounted in the Goring gap and bridge!

A few hundred metres from the end of the walk we will pass Mill Cottage, the home of and where George Michael died on Christmas day last year. We will not have a group pause at the spot but for those that wish, please do stop and take in the poignant scene. The walk ends soon afterwards via the church graveyard and turn right back to the car park off Station Road.

A lunch stop will be had (perhaps later than usual) by the River Thames near the end of the walk and there is an opportunity at the end of the walk for a drink in the Catherine Wheel pub.

Please bring the usual lunch and plenty of drink.

Leaders: Mike and Alison 07938 843 660 or 07929 149 636

Sunday 23^rd July: 10 Mile Walk - Wooburn, Little Marlow and Bourne End (moderate)

Meeting Point: Free car park at Wooburn, Wash Hill / Wooburn Town
Post Code: HP10 0JA, Lat/Long: N51.5819°, W0.6874°, OS Map: SU910878

Please meet at 10:30am at the free car park on the south side of Wooburn Park. The entrance is at the bottom end of Wash Hill. (Please note this is in Wooburn not Wooburn Green.)

Our walk ascends into the edge of the Chiltern Hills passing briefly through Flackwell Heath before undulating across to Bloom Wood with views over the Thames and then down through picturesque Little Marlow reaching the Thames at Spade Oak. We then follow the Thames Path through Bourne End towards Cookham before ascending again along Shakespeare's Way towards Hedsor and back to Wooburn.

Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water. There will be an opportunity for a pub stop at the 17th Century Chequers Inn towards the very end of the walk.

Leaders: Sue J and Colin R 07931 291 552 or 07738 911 507

Thursday Evening 3^rd August: Walk - Monks Alley and Orange Hill, Binfield

Details to follow...

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

Saturday 5^th August: 9 Mile Walk - Streatley and The Ridgeway (moderate)

Meeting Point: Car park at the end of Rectory Road, Streatley,
Post Code: RG8 9QE, Lat/Long: N51.5272°, W1.1842°, OS Map: SU566812

Meet at the car park adjacent to the Ridgeway, at the end of Rectory Road, which is a no through road off the A417, north of Streatley village. Car parking is limited so please car share if possible as there is no other car parking nearby.

This is a circular walk starting at 10:30am along the Ridgeway for part of the walk, a few hills, valleys and beautiful panoramic views. We will return to the car park and for those who want to, we can have a pub stop at the Catherine Wheel pub in Goring on Thames, which is on Station Road, RG8 9HB. There is a public car park next door which is free on Sundays, so people could always meet there to car share as an option.

Please bring plenty to drink and a packed lunch as usual.

Leader: Jo S 07821 415 161

Sunday 13^th August: 8¼ Mile Walk - Holyport Loop, Stud Green, Blackbird Lane and Fifield (easy/moderate)

Details to follow...

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