14.9 km (9.2 miles) 3/10
Often posted as a walk to Marlow but let's do the circular via Hambleden and back via Aston and the ridge above Remenham this time.
Travel: Get the 1008 from Paddington, changing at Twyford (1041/1045) to arrive at Henley-on-Thames 10.57. Returns at 00 and 30.
Or
Using Elizabeth line, “Reading” train to Twyford, leaves Tottenham Court Road at 0942, Paddington 0948, Ealing Broadway 0956 and gets you to Twyford at 1033.
Lunch: (1) Stag & Huntsman (01491 571 221) in Hambleton (4.7 miles into walk). Please call ahead to confirm availability. (2) Hambleden Village Stores : Located 7.6km (4.7 miles) into the walk, this superior village shop serves tea, coffee, homemade cakes and delicatessen items (sometimes even soup), making it a possible light lunch or early tea stop. It is open to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm Sunday. (3) The Flower Pot Hotel (01491 547 721) in Aston - which is about 7 miles into the walk – for a later lunch or afternoon refreshments.
Tea: numerous options in Henley. The Chocolate Cafe (01491 411412) and the Catherine Wheel (Wetherspoons, 01491848488) are popular with Saturday walkers.
Shorter and longer options: a shortcut to Hambleden, indicated in the walk directions, saves you 1.8km (1.1 miles), giving a total walk of 13.1 km (8.1 miles). For a slightly longer walk, carry on to Marlow instead of returning to Henley – 16.1 km (10 miles). As far as I know, the Thames path diversion south of Henley is still in place so the extension to Shiplake mentioned on the main walk page is not feasible.
L=2.7
3 comments:
I counted n=21 someone else counted n=22 Who am I to argue? A w=foggy-start-but-mostly-sunny (The few spots of rain near the end were hardly worth mentioning). The morning was largely dry underfoot with occasional slippiness and at least one bit of gloop. One or two of the little bridges are worse for wear but still passable
A herd of deer was encountered before the hill ascent. At Hambleden, the usual mix of picnickers and cafe/cake-shoppers assembled near the church. A substantial number gathered in the Stag and Huntsman for drinkies.
The group separated here with some going ahead . About a dozen formed a rear party. And sped on, leaving poor Mr Tiger alone at the back. A kindly benefactor had provided chocolate, and a later one a drink, so not all bad.
When Henley was reached, a goodly number were found imbibing in the Wetherspoons.
It is possible some went on to Shiplake on a moonlit walk but Mr Tiger was having none of that and cannot report. Got the 16:30 after a grand day out. Trains to and from Henley were crowded, mostly due to schoolkids .
Quite a number of us went to Viv’s Cafe, the radical new incarnation of the former Chocolate Cafe, which is….. almost exactly identical to its predecessor, only with fewer tables (why?) and a slightly lower preponderance of chocolate cakes. It also has outside seating by the river but it was too cold for that today.
Four of us decided to do a moonlight walk. We had to wait an hour or so for it to be properly dark and filled in the time walking round the town, enjoying the Christmas lights and actually making some purchases in a secondhand shop.
All this time the sky had been beautifully clear and the moon shining bright, but as we’d set off along the river path, the cloud rolled in. It was not a total disaster - the moon flitted in and out of view and just when you thought the skies had closed up for good, big empty patches would appear.
The other issue was the river path beyond Marsh Lock. We walked hopefully along the broadwalk, enjoying the roaring of the river over the weir. But after that the barriers blocked our way. We then tried to find the former diversionary route, but failed.
Eventually we accosted a local in the dark, who said a landowner had allowed a permissive diversionary route for a while because the council promised to repair the broadwalk. But when they did not fulfill that promise, he withdrew permission (probably fearing that he would create a right of way across his land by default).
So the result is that the Thames Path past Marsh Lock is blocked and there is no practical alternative. We tried to find one, walking down a side lane that emerges probably 20-30 metres from the end of the path beyond the lock, but with no access to it.
So instead we walked back to Henley, having more good moonlight views on the way and having walked pretty much the same distance as if we had walked to Shiplake. We got the 6.07 train and had a very rapid cross-dock with a delayed GER train at Twyford to get back to Paddington by 7pm.
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/short-routes/thames-path-marsh-lock-footbridge-closure-and-diversion/
No way back to the Thames before Shiplake. Sorry I should probably have looked that up before the walk.
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