Saturday Walk - Woods, heaths and lakes in the Blackwater Valley: Blackwater to Wokingham

Length : 25.5 km (15.8 mi) [many shorter options, see below] 

Ascent /Descent: 201m 

Net Walking Time: 5 ½ hours 

Toughness : 5 out of 10 

 

Take the 09.22 Oxford bound train from Paddington (change at Reading [09.45/09.54] onto the Gatwick via Guildford service), arrives Blackwater at 10.11. 

Returns from Wokingham: xx.18 (P’ton via Reading), xx.23 (W’loo via Richmond and CJ), xx.27 (P’ton via Reading), xx.46 (P’ton via Reading), xx.53 (W’loo via Richmond and CJ) and xx.57 (P’ton via Reading).

 

This walk explores the Berkshire countryside between the River Blackwater and Wokingham. It starts along the riverside path through Shepherd Meadows Nature Reserve, a pleasant ‘green belt’ between the railway and a busy trunk road. After skirting Sandhurst there is a less appealing but unavoidable stretch along roads to a lakeside café at the Horseshoe Lake Activity Centre.

 

This part of the Blackwater Valley is dotted with gravel pits and the walk now loops around the worked-out ones which make up Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve. Some country lanes (or a permissive path through a large fruit farm, if it ever reopens) then take you through Finchampstead to a rural pub near its parish church, some way outside the main village.

 

The walk then swings back towards the railway line, with attractive stretches of pine woods, heathland and ponds as it goes through the National Trust's Simon's Wood and Finchampstead Ridges as well as Ambarrow Court Local Nature Reserve. A path between the railway and the grounds of Wellington College brings you the station which was built to serve this famous public school but is now simply called Crowthorne.

 

You could call it a day here but the full Main Walk carries on northwards across a golf course to Heathlake Nature Reserve, another picturesque lake surrounded by pine woods. More woodland, a large soft fruit farm and pasture eventually lead to Wokingham. This attractive market town is in the process of regeneration but has retained many of its historic buildings, notably along Rose Street. There are plenty of refreshment opportunities in the town before the short stroll to its station.

 

Shorter Walks: 

Many options, including starting from Crowthorne; check the webpage or the pdf for details.

 

Food & Drink: several options in Finchampstead (10 km) plus others if starting from Crowthorne; check the webpage or the pdf for details.

 

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.83