Sunday Walk: Cholsey to Goring via Blewbury

Length: 22.5km 14..6 miles. Difficulty 3/10

First the Berkshire Downs, then the Ridgeway and a final loop along the Thames. Lunch is in the quaint village of Blewbury with its thatched cottages and peculiar thatched walls. The walk can be shortened to about 12 miles by following the Ridgeway into Streatley (see below) but, if you go the whole hog, you can visit a riverside pub associated with Wind in the Willows and Three Men in a Boat.

Trains: 

Simplest: take the Didcot Parkway train direct from Paddington at 9:38. Arrives Cholsey at 10:42.

Quickest: Take the 9:50 Hereford train from Paddington, and change at Reading onto the above Didcot Parkway train (arrive Reading10:13 platform 9, depart 10:25 plat 13). 

Freedom pass holders can travel free as far as Reading on the Elizabeth Line. (Paddington 9:15, Ealing Broadway 9:26. Arrive Reading 10:10, change to the 10:25 Didcot PW train). Reading to Cholsey return still needed.

Return trains from Goring are hourly at xx:22 Again, change at Reading for faster or Liz line services. Get a return to Cholsey.

Lunch: 

The Red Lion, Blewbury 01235 850 403 is recommended. There’s a handy churchyard for picnics. Alternatively, there's The Blueberry 01235 850 296 on the London Road, near the Pound.  

Tea: The Beetle and Wedge, by the Thames in Moulsford 01491 651381 open till 4.

The Swan at Streatley 01491 878800 is another riverside pub, nearer the end.

In Goring, there's the Catherine Wheel on Station Road and the Miller of Mansfield on the High Street.

Walk Directions: here

Anyone wanting a shorter ending could cut out the Moulsford loop and stay on the Ridgeway at the asterisk in the directions (i.e. don't turn left). The Ridgeway rejoins the walk route in Streatley. This option is not in the directions. Follow the Ridgeway signs. This clips about 4.5 km /2.8 miles off the walk length. T=swc.49