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This Week's Walks - Archive

Please see the Saturday Walker's Club This Week's Walks page.

This is an archive of walks done by the Saturday Walker's Club. You should only need to use this page if the SWC website is down.

Monday 1 January 2018

New Year's Day Walk, West: Cookham Circular

Book 1, Walk 24 - Cookham Circular

Cookham Dean, Winter Hill, return to Cookham via the Thames, option to continue in the dark to Maidenhead on the Thames path

Length - Cookham Circular: 11.3 km (7 miles)   Cookham to Maidenheasd: 17 km (10.6 miles)
Toughness (both): 3 out of 10  (more if muddy)

A short walk with a late start and a late lunch - to see in the New Year in a relaxing way.

London Paddington: 10-37 hrs   Didcot Parkway service.  Ealing Broadway 10-45 hrs
Arrive Maidenhead: 11-24 hrs
Leave Maidenhead: 11-38 hrs   Marlow service
Arrive  Cookham: 11-45 hrs

Return: Cookham to Paddington:  21 mins past the hour
              Maidenhead to Paddington: 15 and 47 mins past the hour

Setting out from Cookham railway station we head through residential streets then over fields to Cookham Dean. Onwards then to Bisham Woods where we head uphill through the woods,  then along a ridge path to Winter Hill, to enjoy a fine view of the Thames Valley below. During the morning, as is customary on our NY Day walks, we will stop to toast in the New Year with some bubbles: if I bring the shampoo perhaps one of you could bring along some savoury nibbles to enjoy with our liquid refreshment.
We then have a lengthy descent to Cock Marsh for a walk alongside the Thames all the way back to the centre of Cookham, for a late, unhurried lunch at the Kings Arms.  I have made a booking for a number of our usual NY Day regulars.
Lunch over, it will be dark, so those happy with just the morning's exertions should head through the town for the railway station for a return journey to London.  If you don't hurry lunch your likely train will be the 17-21 hrs service.
The adventurous can embark on a 3.6 mile moonlight walk to Maidenhead. Once on the Thames path your way should be perfectly safe and straightforward in the dark. A torch might be handy for the short woodland section before you reach this path.

Our New Year's Days Walks, North or West are usually enjoyable occasions.
T=1.24
The Walk Directions are here:  L=1.24


1 comment:

Walker said...


Never mind fireworks over the London Eye, the best way to see in the New Year is always on Marcus’ New Year’s Day Walk, and so it proved once again this year. After the excitement of an electric train ride out of Paddington (“GWR Electrostar” - goodbye to noisy three car diesels!) we set off in cloud and occasional slight rain, but w=the-skies-brightened-around-lunchtime as we had our champagne on Winter Hill and thereafter we had at least some sun. Our festivities were fuelled, as per usual, by two bottles of bubbly manfully carried our walk poster, who thus earns triple brownie points with gold bars, and we also shared some nice nibbles and a fine view. There was then the pleasant walk down to and along the river to Cookham, only slightly marred by some slippery mud on the riverbank.

The idea of having a late lunch to give us time for the champers was a good one. Luckily the booking at the King’s Arms had been made for n=12, the exact number on the walk. Very tasty food - including an all-vegan nut roast - and friendly and attentive service made for a convivial end to the day.

Most then took the train home but four of us set to walk in the moonlight to Cookham. It was a big bright full moon but unfortunately was still low enough in the sky to be hidden by the wooded ridge on the far side of the river. Having failed to persuade my companions to dawdle and wait for it to rise higher, I hung back and was rewarded by it peeping over the ridge about 20 minutes later. Another walker then joined me and we had more nice moonlight before sadly surrendering to the glaring lights of civilisation.