3 out of 10
This is a pleasant outing from Henley. Firstly a section along the Thames - the wilder, less manicured left bank of the river, passing the picturesque Temple Island. It is on this stretch in the first week of July that the Henley Regatta takes place. Next is a crossing of a ridge covered in fine beech woods, followed by an approach along the valley to the picturesque village of Hambleden.
After lunch, it follows a route over wooded hills from Hambleden to Marlow, the same route as is taken by the Marlow Circular walk. Or, you could opt to return to Henley via Aston.
Trains: Take the 1008 Didcott train from Paddington, changing at Twyford 1037. Cross the bridge to get the 1045 to Henley, arriving 1057. Alternatively get the 0938 Elizabeth line from Farringdon via central London (Ealing Broadway 0956) changing at Twyford 1033. Return trains from Marlow hourly at xx.00, changing at Maidenhead. Get a return to Henley. You may also need a single, Marlow to Maidenhead.
Lunch: The Stag and Huntsman (01491 571227) in Hambleden, 7.7km (4.8 miles) into the walk, is a cosy, old pub, with reasonably large garden. It serves food all day on Saturday. Hambleden Village Stores: Located 7.6km (4.7 miles) into the walk, this superior village shop has few outside tables and serves tea, coffee, homemade cakes and delicatessen items. There are benches by the church and in the churchyard for picnics.
Tea: The Marlow Donkey pub just before the station is very pleasant. In the town's high street, the best is Burgers, a traditional patisserie and tea room which is open until 5pm.
2 comments:
N=13 turned up for this walk, though it got a bit fragmented from the start with a delay on the train from Paddington. Three of us had a coffee to wait for delayed group, and two who were doing the circular set off.
It was a w=lovely_clear_sky_sunny day giving a smigon of warmth and the frost hardened ground making the going good except for one short froze but watery as the ice broke stretch. The. winter colour was superb throughout the day. Six managed to squeeze a meal at the Stag, with mixed results, especially on the vegan option.
We were eight for the stretch into Marlow, giving a good workout straight after lunch. We all got the 1700, except for one moonlight Walker going on to Cookham.
Moonlight Walker (as I shall henceforth be known) experienced slight consternation on emerging from the Stygian gloom of Starbucks (awful decor!) to find that the skies were clouding up… But the moon was doing its best to shine through, and after some hesitation I set off.
A nice walk, fabulously frozen underfoot. The moonlight varied in intensity depending on the cloud (or at times, gaps in it), but there were some magical moments. Walking to Bourne End was enough for me, though. I was 30 minutes early for the 19.11 train, so went to find the shops - of which there are plenty, not far from the station - and got supplies (of the food kind only) for the journey home.
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