Length: 17 Km (10.6 miles) Circular walk 11.3 km (7 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10 A few easy ups and downs in the morning, afternoon totally flat
Either
London Paddington: 09-57 hrs Great Western service to Didcot Parkway Ealing B'Way: 10-05 hrs
Arrive Maidenhead: 10-31 hrs Change trains
Leave Maidenhead: 10-35 hrs Great Western service from Maidenhead to Marlow
Arrive Cookham: 10-42 hrs
Or For London Councils Freedom Pass holders
London Paddington: 09-43 hrs TfL Rail Elizabeth Line to Reading Ealing B'Way: 09-50 hrs
Arrive Maidenhead: 10-24 hrs Change trains
Leave Maidenhead: 10-35 hrs Great Western service from Maidenhead to Marlow (as above)
Arrive Cookham: 10-42 hrs
Return
Cookham to Paddington, changing at Maidenhead: Great Western services at 15-22, 16-15 and 17-32 hrs
Maidenhead to Paddington: six trains an hour (TfL Rail and Great Western services)
Taplow to Paddington: four Elizabeth Line stopping services per hour to Paddington: 03, 14, 33 and 44 mins past the hour
Rail ticket: Seniors holding Freedom Passes, if travelling on TfL Rail, Elizabeth Line trains, travel free of charge from Paddington to Maidenhead, leaving them to pay for a single from Maidenhead to Cookham (or a day return to Cookham if on today's circular walk). Everyone else: buy a day return to Cookham.
If the weather forecasters have got it right, temperatures today should be bearable for walking and maybe / hopefully even pleasant.
Today's figure of nine walk loops around the hills above Cookham (plenty of shade after the start) with fine views of the Thames Valley from Winter Hill, before you drop down to the River Thames, for riverside breezes, for a most pleasant riverside walk back to Cookham, where I suggest you stop for lunch. Of the pub options available, popular with SWC walkers is the Kings Arms in the High Street. Picnickers often stop earlier beside the River Thames. You can complete today's walk in Cookham, by walking from the High Street to the railway station (allow 20 minutes). If opting for the short walk today, you might like to visit the Stanley Spencer Gallery in the town, and or visit Cliveden.
For those on today's longer walk, you walk beside the River Thames on the Thames path (plenty of shade), passing Cliveden on the opposite bank before continuing on to Maidenhead. A good tea stop just before you leave the river is at Boulter's Lock. From here you continue on to Maidenhead or cross a bridge and head for Taplow. Alternative tea stops in Maidenhead include the usual suspect coffee shops plus several pubs for those who prefer a tincture at walk end.
Directions for the walk ending at Taplow Railway Station are shown in the Directions after the main walk.
T=1.24
Walk Directions are here: L=1.24
1 comment:
Just #2 of us on the walk this week. Weather was #warm-and--mostly-overcast. We enjoyed the undulations in the morning and wondered why fields of potatoes were planted with lacy phacelia around the edges. We were intrigued to encounter a herd of cows having a paddle in the Thames. We went our separate ways as we approached Cookham, as one of us intended to do the shorter walk. However, a change of heart meant we met up again just outside Maidenhead and agreed we deserved an ice cream from Jenners Café. We opted to take the slightly longer route to the station via Guards Club Park and were back at the station in time to get the 15.55 home.
A nice day out and thanks to Marcus for posting.
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