Ascent/Descent:
383m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ¼ hours
Toughness:
5 out of 10
Take the 10.15 Didcot Parkway train from Paddington (Ealing B’way 10.23, then stations to Slough and Reading), arrives Goring & Streatley 11.24.
Or take the later 10.27 Cheltenham Spa train to Reading and change there (11.00/11.11).
Return
trains: 16.00, 17.05 and 18.00 etc. (from 74 minutes journey
time, change at Reading to shave off 10 minutes or so). Buy a Goring & Streatley return.
Leave
Goring with a pretty vista over the
Thames, before following the
Ridgeway path up on to the Downs. Lunch is at the excellent and cosy Bell
Inn. The route ends with a steep climb and a lovely view over the Thames, before a steep descent, and
a re-crossing of the Thames into Goring.
The
posted (slightly longer) route goes via Streatley
Warren with its sensitive wildlife, access to it is only possible from November
to February.
Lunch: The Bell Inn in Aldworth
[“The Gateway to the Downs”] (Grade II listed, family-owned for over 250 years,
ales only on the pump, 8.6 km/5.3 mi, food to 14.30).
There is also The Four Points Inn a little off route in the same village.
There is also The Four Points Inn a little off route in the same village.
1 comment:
Snowdrops, muntjacs, a very pretty coombe, some atmospheric woods, the odd steep ascent, ground frost (in places) and w=blue-skies. n=16 walkers had an appetite for that and enjoyed a good day out. The entry point into the seasonal Open Acess area at Streatley Warren from the north has unfortunately now been shut with barbed wire blocking the access, so we had to walk around the rim of the area (with fantastic views) rather than through it (2 though then entered from the westerly field gate and were recommending the extra effort involved with descending and re-ascending through the pretty valley).
There seemed to be some discrepancies on the approach to Aldworth between gpx route and text, and in the ensuing confusion a large part of the group missed a turning and added a good 10 minutes of walking. The Bell Inn then was near full, but most found a spot to sit and enjoy the simple but good food on offer. 5 walked on to The Four Points Inn in hope of a proper full pub lunch, but that was fully booked so we had baguettes or chips outside, the first al fresco pub lunch of the year!
In Streatley/Goring a few chose to visit The Bull Inn in Streatley while most went for the 17.05 train.
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