Our Scrapbook of Previous Walks

Walk 701 - Woolhampton, Beenham & Midgham

As well as being the first day of British Summer Time, Sunday the 30^th of March brought us some perfectly timed spring sunshine for the planned route around Woolhampton, Beenham and Midgham.

Eighteen of us set off from the car park beside The Rowbarge public house in Woolhampton (not to be confused with Wolverhampton, which is why the railway station is called Midgham) to head eastwards along the Kennet & Avon Canal towards Froud's Bridge Marina which, as well as having 160 moorings and 9000 feet of jetties, is one of the most biodiverse rural estates in England hosting 10 species of bat.

We then proceeded northwards in the direction of Beenham, stopping off at St Mary's church which is currently in its third incarnation after the original Saxon church was struck by lightning and burnt down in 1794 as did its successor some years later. The current church was constructed in 1859 and still stands today.

Onward to Beenham, we had a coffee stop at The Six Bells then turned westward towards Upper Woolhampton where we passed through St Peters Church and had a quick look at the west window which was donated by Lady Falmouth in 1861 and is regarded as one of the largest and best stained glass windows in any parish church.

Proceeding on the route brought us to our lunch stop at Douai Abbey. As the abbey was open, we were able to use the facilities inside and take a look around; the abbey contains two pipe organs and musical recitals have been recorded there due to very favourable acoustics.

Back onto the route we then headed in a westerly direction towards Midgham Green. At this point there was a stretch of road walking, since on the prewalk we had 'attracted the interest' of a bull in a field to the south of Midgham House. With the welfare of the group the top priority we decided that it was better not to rekindle that friendship and took a diversionary route. To circumvent our taurine chum the diversion by road was necessary and fortunately it was relatively quiet with traffic. We eventually reached the Kennet and Avon canal towpath and onto the last leg of our journey.

After a mile or so along the towpath we arrived back at The Rowbarge where some of the group who were able to stay had a small refreshment which was very welcome after such a nice days walking. Thanks to Karen for leading and to all of the walkers who came along to make it such an enjoyable walk.

Thanks go to Karen for leading this walk, and for Steve for writing it up.

Walk 700 - Basingstoke and Old Basing

On Sunday 23^rd March, twenty-five of us met up at Basingstoke railway station for a seven mile walk, mostly following the Basing Trail (a heritage trail published by Hampshire County Council). Outside the station, one of the large brick walls had been decorated with an impressive mural (see photo).

Our route started from outside the railway station, heading south and crossing Eastrop Roundabout, which is large enough for several footpaths, and many large trees in its centre island. Following Eastrop Way and London Road, we entered War Memorial Park, stopping to look at the aviary on our way in and the community orchard on our way out.

Crossing the A30 Ring Road, we then followed a path through woods to the pond at Black Dam Park, where we stopped to watch the Mallards, Moorhens and Coots. After our brief stop, we crossed under the M3 link road, into Crabtree Plantation and up our first (and more-or-less only) hill.

Next, we crossed Basingstoke Common into Old Basing. A walk through this old and picturesque village brought us to Old Basing and Lychpit Recreation Ground, where we stopped for lunch. As well as some useful picnic tables, benches, and a public toilet, the park was equipped for children of all ages.

Several of us made use of the swings and of the outdoor gym equipment. We don't confine ourselves just to walking, you know!

After lunch, we crossed Oliver's Battery earthworks, where once stood a motte and bailey castle. Then over the River Loddon and across Mill Field and Cowdrey's Down to Barton's Mill pub and restaurant. We sat in the pub garden by the river.

Next, we followed the River Loddon as far as Basing House, and then a quiet lane back onto Basingstoke Common. A footpath took us to the Amphitheatre near Basing Lime Pits and then we crossed a peat moor. A series of wooden boardwalks crossed the boggiest parts of the moor, but somehow I managed to lose my footing and slip off the board! One leg went into the wet peat. Yuk! Luckily, no one else came to any harm.

The remainder of the walk was through Eastrop Park, which was now full of families enjoying the outdoors. I was conscious of getting a few strange looks from the general public as I walked through this lovely park with one very muddy leg and dirty hands. Finally, it was a matter of retracing our outward steps back to the railway station. See our route on OS Maps. Some cleaning up was required before I could go home!

Thanks go to Emma and Rob for leading this walk, Rob for the write-up, plus Emma and Ian for photos.

Walk 698 - Cholsey and North Moreton

Saturday 15^th March was much colder than the previous weekend, reaching only 8°C by the end of the walk. Nine of us set off from Cholsey railway station, passing under the railway bridge, heading south-west towards Westfield Farm and then west through Lollingdon Farm towards the village of Aston Tirrold.

Skirting the edge of the village, we made the short but steep ascent onto Blewburton Hill, where we had a 360° view of the surrounding area, including Wittenham Clumps, Brightwell Barrow, and the remains of Didcot Power Station.

Descending the hill and heading north, we made our way to South Moreton, with Wittenham Clumps visible ahead of us for most of the time. We crossed a farm in South Moreton, where there were some young lambs.

Following the road from South Moreton into North Moreton, we stopped for a drink and lunch at The Bear pub. It was warm enough to sit in the pub garden.

After lunch, our route crossed farmland and many footbridges before following Mill Brook into Wallingford. Passing an industrial estate we came to the Wallingford station of the Cholsey & Wallingford Heritage Railway.

It was too early in the year for it to be running, so we walked along footpaths that followed the line into Cholsey. However, to get to the line, we had to take a long diversion to the original public footpath that used to cross a field, which was now being developed into a large housing estate.

We left the Cholsey & Wallingford railway line near the church and followed roads and alleyways back to where we'd started at Cholsey station. See our route on OS Maps. We did 14 miles in under 5 hours, which is a good pace. I felt it when I got home!

Thanks go to Ian for leading this walk and Rob for writing it up.

Walk 697 - Silchester and Calleva Atrebatum

Sunday 9^th March was a very warm day for the time of year, reaching 18°C by mid afternoon. This may have contributed to popularity of Joy's walk, which attracted thirty-four people, including several newcomers trying us out.

We met up in the large Silchester Roman Town car park, which is near the remains of the Roman town of Calleva Atrebatum, which was built on an even older Iron-Age settlement of the Atrebates tribe, who originated from Belgium.

Our route took us north toward Mortimer West End and then west to Benyon's Inclosure, where we stopped to admire the large pond before heading south to Silchester Common.

Reaching Silchester village, we followed the Brenda Parker Way into Pamber Forest. Joy had warned us about the extremely muddy state of the paths through the woodland, but the past week of dry weather had improved them a little.

We left the Pamber Forest to the south-east, crossing the main road and entering more woodland by Bridles Copse. We stopped for lunch where there we a number of fallen trees, which acted as long benches for us to sit on as we ate our packed lunches in the sun-dappled woodland. After lunch, we continued on our way, passing through Latchmere Green before rejoining the Brenda Parker Way.

The Brenda Parker Way is a 78 mile long-distance path from Andover to Aldershot, named after Brenda Parker, who worked as a volunteer for the Ramblers in a range of roles over many years, including writing walks books, representing Ramblers on rights of way and access matters.

This led us to the Church of St Mary the Virgin, just inside the 2000 year old stone walls of Calleva Atrebatum. Next we went to look at the Roman Amphitheatre before taking the path through the centre of the Roman Town and back to the car park. See our route on Google Maps. After the walk, some of the group met up in the Calleva Arms pub for a post-walk drink.

Thanks go to Joy for leading this walk and Rob for the write-up.

Walk 696 - Rotherfield Peppard, Stoke Row and Greys Court

On Sunday the 2^nd of March, sixteen of us gathered at The Red Lion public house in Rotherfield Peppard for a 12 mile walk around the Oxfordshire countryside in perfect Spring-like conditions. With sunshine and blue skies we set off in an easterly direction around the southern side of Crowsley Park woods not far from where the British Broadcasting Corporation monitoring facility lies where all broadcast media is monitored and analysed and international news breaks on a regular basis.

From there we turned north towards Rotherfield Greys and St Nicholas Church, a Norman church dating from around 1200 CE and continued on to Lambridge Wood, ancient beech woodland which is designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).

After passing through Lambridge Wood we arrived at Greys Court National Trust property where some of our complement had National Trust membership cards scanned and we stopped for our lunch break.

After a brief look at the main house and tower – meeting place of the notorious Hellfire Club in the 1740s – we had a quick stop for lunch at the tea room and partook in some very nice warm alfresco beverages. In the Croci there were bees hard at work gathering the first nectar and pollen of the year, surely a sign that Spring had sprung?

After our lunch stop we headed west toward Stoke Row and the Maharajah’s Well. Constructed in 1864 at a cost of £400 and paid for by the Maharaja of Benares, an acquaintance of the local squire Edward Reade, the well was welcomed by the locals as at that time drought conditions occurred on some parts of the Chilterns.

From Stoke Row we then started the return to our start point in a southeasterly direction passing the French Gothic styled Wyfold Court, built in the 1870s, where politician and cotton magnate Edward Hermon resided until his demise in 1881.

After making our way through Peppard Hill we then tackled the last ‘slight incline’ back to Peppard Common and a welcome post walk drink at The Red Lion. Thanks to all who came along on what was a thoroughly enjoyable walk in some very promising spring like weather conditions, hope you enjoyed it. (Thanks also to Karen for co-leading and Bo for some of the photos)

Thanks go to Steve for leading this walk and for writing it up.

Social Event - Ten-Pin Bowling in Bracknell

On Friday evening 28^th February, seventeen of us meet up at the Hollywood Bowl! No, not the amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, but the ten-pin bowling alley in Bracknell. (But you knew that!)

Richard had booked three lanes for us, so after a drink at the bar we headed down to the lanes and split into three teams; two of six and one of five. We are all have different levels of skill in this game, but the averages for each team were fairly similar.

After we finished the first game, we all swapped lanes and formed new teams. Richard put slips of paper with lane numbers on into a metaphorical hat (his hand) and we each picked out a slip and joined that lane's team.

The second game was just as enjoyable as the first - an entertaining way to spend a wintery Friday evening.

Thanks go to Richard for organising this social event. Rob wrote it up.

Walk 694 - Goring, Streatley and Ashampstead

On Sunday 23^rd February, seventeen hardy souls braved potentially stormy conditions to undertake our 9 and 12 mile walk. Eight completed the longer walk and nine walkers joined us at the Streatley Hill car park for the shorter walk.

Weather conditions were generally fine until we encountered a short spell of light drizzle near the end of the walk.

We had a little bit of mud for short periods, and our biggest challenge was encountering a section of the walk that the Forestry Department had been working in, which resulted in us having to find our way through a length of very deep ruts and felled timber.

Lunch was taken at the Ashampstead farm shop and then we had a quick visit to the The Bell Inn pub at Aldworth, where a few of the walkers had a quiet drink.

Overall the walk was challenging for both the shorter and longer versions of the walk.

The "12 mile" walk was measured at 13.6 miles, making the shorter walk approximately 10.6 miles. Total ascent of 1300 feet. Well done everyone!

Thanks go to Ian for leading this walk and writing-up, and to Stephen for the photos.

Walk 693 - Whitchurch, Laverstoke and Freefolk

On Sunday 16^th February a lovely group of 12 people met opposite the White Hart Hotel in the centre of Whitchurch, Hampshire, ready for a fun filled ramble around this historic town. 9 regular Berkshire Weekend Walkers were joined by 1 new rambler who hopefully has been convinced to join our merry group and 2 other walkers from more youthful groups. Initially the weather looked fairly bleak and the temperature was typical for a mid February walk, i.e. cold!

We set off out of Whitchurch through the estate named after the author of Watership Down, Richard Adams. With the disused railway line on our left, we exited the estate and entered the Whitchurch cemetery, which has the headstone for the famous author. We were able to enjoy a beautiful carpet of snowdrops as we walked through the older part of the cemetery.

Passing under the A34 we entered our first muddy section of the walk which fortunately didn't cause too many slips. Very soon the noise of the dual carriageway was replaced by a peaceful walk through fields and over little tributaries of the River Test.

We reached the main River Test after walking under a viaduct section of the disused railway line and then crossed the first of many bridges. Once everyone had glimpsed the camouflaged brown trout we continued over a hill on the edge of a field before doing some easy walking on a small lane to the hamlet, or small village of Tufton. There is a lovely 13^th century church here which has the remains of an 800 year old painting of St Christopher on the wall.

Our next point of interest, about half a mile further on, was the privately owned Whitchurch Fulling Mill, which was once home to the famous actor James Robertson Justice. He played opposite Gregory Peck in The Guns of Navarone, amongst other films. We had a group photo on the bridge kindly taken by Hazel whilst we continued to spot the lovely trout.

Walking back into Whitchurch along the river Test to complete the first loop of our figure of eight, we passed several recently uprooted trees along the bank of the river and All Hallows church (originally a white church giving Whitchurch its name from the old English, Witcerce, meaning white church).

We exited Whitchurch along the London road and then onto the Mill Trail, passing the Town Mill which is now residential but used to mill flour. Then into the beautiful countryside before reaching Laverstock for a short lunch break in the Millennium Gardens (it's really just a playground with a couple of picnic benches). Across the road is the Bombay Sapphire Distillery which is situated in the building which was previously the Laverstock Paper Mill. This mill was responsible for producing the paper used for the Bank of England notes from the 1720s until the 1960s.

We then made our way to the Watership Down Inn via the little church of St Nicholas in Freefolk, the longest thatched terrace of 18 cottages built in 1939, and then past yet another Church, St Mary's Church. The pub has a couple of lovely wall murals of Watership Down rabbits and a very nice coffee machine. On leaving the pub we experienced a rare event...the sun came out and we were able to complete our walk with the weak February sun.

We passed through a field full of sheep before reaching Bere Mill, which was the site of the first paper mill before it relocated to Laverstock. The historic mill completely burnt down in 2018 but was totally rebuilt again in 2021. We passed a strange sculpture made from the burnt timbers of the old mill which serve to reminder of the tragedy. Re-entering Whitchurch we passed the old workhouse, built in the early 1830s, but has now been converted into beautiful flint and stone terrace cottages. Instead of walking down the London Road we took the high footpath. We were rewarded with lovely views over Whitchurch and the fish farm, which glistened in the sun.

We finally concluded our walk at the entrance to the working Silk Mill. It is a magnificent building which still produces beautiful silk cloth used in many of our period dramas, and is open to the public to view the making of silk.

It was such a pleasure to lead this walk with Hazel, and maybe one day, we'll have another trip to this hugely interesting area.

Thanks go to Anne and Hazel for leading this walk, and to Anne for the write-up.

Walk 692 - Windsor Great Park

A group of eighteen gathered for a walk on Sunday 9^th February, which was generally flat and mostly tarmac paths - a bonus in winter. Although cold and dull, we avoided the forecast of light drizzle enjoying a dry day.

From Bishopsgate we walked past the pink Royal Lodge and onto the Royal School. These were commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1843 to educate the families of those working within her majesty’s service of the park and opened in 1845.

Further along the road, were the new Mezel Hill Barns housing the Royal Collections.

At the junction we turned into Duke’s Lane part of the Three Castles Path down to Prince Consort’s Gate. A bridle path took us through Buckhurst Park woodland and alongside Virginia Water up to High Bridge.

We then followed main paths, over Johnson’s Pond bridge and edge of the Valley Gardens (a walk here for spring/summer maybe) to the Polo Fields. From here we headed up the flat expanse of Smith’s Lawn past the Prince Consort’s statue to Obelisk Ride, a wide picturesque grassy track leading to Lower Obelisk Pond bridge and the Cumberland Obelisk monument.

Close by, we reached our welcome lunch stop and facilities at the visitors centre of Savill Gardens. Commissioned by George V and created by Eric Savill in 1932, the gardens encompasses 35 acres and visited by an entry fee. Suitably refreshed, we walked the mile long straight path from the gardens past the enclosed Chapel Wood and Cow Pond, back to Bishops Gate and the end of our walk.

Thanks go to Kathy for leading this walk and for writing it up.

Walk 691 - Cholsey and Wallingford

On Saturday 8^th February, eight BWW members and one visitor from Chiltern walkers, undertook the walk, which ended up being just over 12 miles. A pretty good result for a notoriously inaccurate judge of distances.

Conditions were cool but largely wind-free, with only a short spell of light drizzle. A touch more mud compared to the pre-walk but we arrived back at Cholsey with largely mud free boots.

The walk took in the new developments in Wallingford and brought back memories of child birth at the maternity wing to one walker. We encountered next to no one else on the walk and a couple of stiles tested our flexibility.

Lunch was had under cover at South Moreton pub before we headed to Blewburton fort, which we circumvented due to the slippery surface on the descent. We then moved through the Astons before arriving back at Cholsey in time to catch the 4:14pm train to Reading.

All in all a good walk. Next walk from Cholsey will target North Moreton, a touch longer walk.

Thanks go to Ian for leading this walk and for the write-up.

Walk 690 - Crowthorne Circular

The weather on Sunday 2^nd February was unusually good for February, with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. This enticed twenty-two Ramblers and a very well behaved dog, to join our 7.5 mile "Crowthorne Circular" walk and it was lovely to welcome three people from other Ramblers groups and one who was trying out the BWWs.

Leaving Crowthorne station, we followed a footpath that runs parallel with the railway track and this took us directly to Edgbarrow Woods and Nature Reserve. From here, we crossed over to Wildmoor Heath Nature Reserve and followed the Three Castles Path past the back of Broadmoor Hospital.

Arriving at Crowthorne Woods, we crossed the Devil’s Highway, a Roman road, connecting Londinium (London) to Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) and the principal route to the west of Britain during the Roman period.

From here, we took a narrow path uphill, as a shortcut to another main track through the woods, leading to Round Hill where we paused briefly for a drinks stop. From here, the leader decided to make a small diversion to avoid a very waterlogged path, which resulted in a short section of road walking to get to the woodland at Brookers Corner. On leaving the woodland, we walked past the new Bucklers Park development, named after the Bucklers sports cars that used to be built in Crowthorne from the 1947 to 1965.

Our lunch stop was at Heath Lake and a large fallen tree provided the perfect place for all of us to sit, while enjoying the lovely view of the lake with an abundance of bird life including several swans. After lunch, we took a quiet lane past Ravenswood Village, before crossing the East Berks golf course to Ravenswood Avenue which led us directly back to the station where the walk ended. (See our route on the OS Maps App.)

Everyone agreed that we had been extremely lucky with the weather and about half the group decided to make the most of the sunshine, enjoying tea, coffee, cakes and yummy chocolate chip cookies outside the U. bakery.

Thanks go to Sue for leading this walk and for the write-up.

Walk 686 - Blackwaterside: Minley Woods via Hawley Common

As we stepped into the new year, I had the pleasure of leading my very first walk with the Berkshire Weekend Walkers. On a crisp, overcast Sunday morning, 31 enthusiastic walkers joined me at Blackwater train station car park. The air was chilly, with the temperature hovering just above freezing, but that didn't deter us.

Our journey began by navigating the busy main roads before entering Hawley Common, where the sound of gunfire or soldiers' drills are common, as this area is predominantly Ministry of Defence (MOD) land. Fortunately, we were spared of any military activities on this day and it was quiet in that regard. Our route led us towards Minley Woods, with a brief detour via the rather mysterious Hawley airstrip. Not much is known about its history.

Along the trail, we encountered a delightful surprise: what we initially thought was a dog curiously staring us down turned out to be a fox, confident and unbothered by our presence. The day prior, I had scouted the path and noted the ground was quite icy, but fortunately, on our walk, the weather was mild enough to thaw most puddles. Crossing the various footpaths was easy, allowing us to enjoy the journey without clinging to the fences for support.

About a mile into Minley Woods, I led the group to a favourite lunch spot reminiscent of my own pandemic escape. During the lockdown, this secluded area became my go to place to escape the increasingly crowded Hawley Common. After lunch, we continued our path, passing Minley Manor. I took great pride in sharing my knowledge of the manor’s history with the group which I managed to remember!

Next, we made a stop at the Crown and Cushion pub for a quick drink. It was an opportunity to connect with everyone, from seasoned regulars to newcomers and I was especially grateful to see several friends from the Berkshire Walkers, who came out to show their support.

We began our return leg towards Hawley Lake. Hawley Lake, although small, is picturesque and has served as a backdrop for many films. The area is primarily utilised by the British Army, complemented by a private sailing club and water sports facility, along with a quaint beach that was part of our route. On this day, the lake was beautifully frozen over, creating a stunning contrast against the muted winter sky.

To wrap up our adventure, we only circumnavigated about a quarter of the lake before veering back into the woods on our way to the station.

Thanks go to Jen for leading this walk and writing it up, and to Emma for the photos.

Walk 685 - Winchfield, Dogmersfield and the Basingstoke Canal

Our first walk of the year was on Saturday 4^th January and was a walk that we should have done at Christmas time last year, as it involved mince pies, stollen cake and mulled wine! However, it was postponed twice due to family commitments and then illness. Anyway, we still had the mulled wine and mince pies, so we led the walk on a crisp, cold January day instead, where the festive treats were just as well appreciated.

Twelve of us set off from the free car park at Barley Mow bridge in Winchfield. We briefly followed the Basingstoke Canal before branching off into Round Copse, crunching our way along a frosted footpath through Hellet's Copse and back on to the canal at Stacey's Bridge. Further along the towpath, at Sprat's Hatch Bridge, we crossed the canal to follow a high footpath overlooking the canal.

At Sandy Hill Bridge, we stopped for mulled wine and mince pies! I had a 1.5 litre thermos flask of mulled wine in my rucksack and Emma had a smaller flask of mulled fruit juice for those not wanting a wine-based drink. We also had a dozen mince pies - exactly one each, which was lucky!

Suitably warmed by our festive treats, we left the canal again, following a woodland path and then crossing frosty fields to Odiham Common. We stopped for a look at Odiham Hunting Lodge and the partly frozen Wilk's Water. Crossing the canal at Broad Oak Bridge, we headed into Dogmersfield Park, stopping at Tundry Pond for lunch. We also finished off the mulled wine and shared some Stollen cake.

After lunch, we re-joined the canal towpath at Blacksmith's Bridge and followed it back to Barley Mow Bridge and the car park. See our route on Google Maps.

Thanks go to Emma and Rob for leading this walk and Rob for the write-up.