Book 2 Walk 6 Henley-on-Thames Circular (via Stonor)
Length: 21.7 km (13.5 mi)
Ascent/Descent:
458m; Net Walking Time: 5 hours
Toughness: 6/10
[to
shorten: two options, cutting out Pishill, for details see the webpage and
the pdf]
Take
the 09.50 stopping service from Paddington to Reading (10.00 Ealing B’way), change at Twyford
(you have 8 minutes for doing that), arrives Henley-on-Thames 11.02.
There
are hourly return trains on xx.24 (change at Twyford, 68 mins
journey time, shave off a whopping 3 mins by changing again at Slough).
Henley is normally thought of as a
riverside town but, as this walk amply demonstrates, it is also on the southern edge
of the Chiltern Hills, a charming area of hidden valleys, mixed wood and
farmland, and largely gentle slopes (the main walk has one substantial steep
hill after lunch, however). The walk takes you up one side and down the other
of the long valley leading up to Stonor, with plenty of charming views over
hills en route. Lunch is at a pretty and quiet pub in the village of Pishill,
and the return is past hidden farms and through ancient woods into Henley, with
its excellent tea rooms.
Lunch is in Pishill at the Crown
Inn
(10.6 km/6.6 mi, food to 14.30). As more than half the ascent is dealt with
before lunch, you should not get there much before 13.30 hours.
For
tea, there are a plethora of options
in Henley, you will all have your favourites (see the webpage for details).
T=2.6
1 comment:
n=15 walkers on this today in initially w=sunny-weather, later turning a bit overcast. We got to the Crown Inn for 13.15, then dawdled to make sure that we all left together, incl. the slower eaters (and drinkers). The sandwichers had moved on by then and made the 16.24, we heard, after a stop at the Chocolate Cafe/Anchor Inn. Us lot comfortably made the 17.24 departure, w/o further stops.
CLOG were on the same train out in the morning (a smaller group than ours, but incl. one SWC occasional), but they were doing a different, shorter Henley walk, and returned on the same train in the afternoon.
3 guys then explored the two refreshment options in P'ton station: The Beerhouse by platform 10 (Greene King, and quite average), and the Mad Bishop & Bear on level 2 (Fuller's, and the better option).
Good day out, with very fine views, some beautiful woods, and a nice pub (although some of the food today was judged to be a bit average), with a bit too much tarmac, maybe.
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