Length: 15.9 km (9.9 miles) to Aldermaston. To Theale add 4.1 miles (14 miles); To Midgham add 2.1miles (12 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10
Either
London Paddington: 10-35 hrs Great Western service to Exeter St Davids Does NOT stop at Ealing Broadway
Arrive Reading: 10-59 hrs Change trains
Leave Reading: 11-07 hrs Great Western service from Reading to Basingstoke
Arrive Mortimer: 11-20 hrs
Or For London Cities Freedom Pass Holders
London Paddington: 09-43 hrs TfL Rail service (Elizabeth Line) to Reading Ealing Broadway 09-50 hrs
Arrive Reading: 10-39 hrs Change trains
Leave Reading: 11-07 hrs Great Western service from Reading to Basingstoke (as above)
Arrive Mortimer: 11-20 hrs
Note: the slightly later than usual start is to accommodate Freedom Pass holders
Return: Aldermaston to Paddington, changing at Reading: 16-17, 17-19, 18-17 and 19-00 hrs
Theale to Paddington: direct services at 17-11, 18-16 and 19-09 hrs
Theale to Paddington, changing at Reading; 17-24, 18-22, 19-55 and 20-35 hrs
Midgham to Paddington, changing at Reading: 16-27, 17-16, 18-14 and 18-57 hrs
Rail ticket: For those travelling on Great Western services from Paddington, but a day return to Mortimer. This usually works for your return leg, but an over zealous ticket inspector might ask you to buy a single from Aldermaston, Theale or Midgham to Reading. Freedom Pass holders: provided you travel on the TfL Rail (Elizabeth Line) service from Paddington, you just need a day return from Reading to Mortimer (your journey to Reading being "free").
After that long intro. I better keep the text proper on the short side. Leaving Mortimer station we walk beside the River Kennet for a while before heading to Calleva, to walk alongside - or on top of - the walls to this Roman City. Don't forget to call in at the Roman Amphitheatre before you start your wall walking. From here the walk continues to the villager of Silcherster, where we stop for lunch at the pub on the village common - The Calleva Arms - which serves good pub grub.
After lunch we head north through Aldermaston Soke Woods. From here we have a sometimes tricky crossing of Burnt Common then Padworth Common before heading for Padworth and Padworth Church before we cross fields to Aldermaston. You can conclude your walk here - after taking refreshments at the Butt Inn. Or you can continue your walk alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal, in one direction to Theale, for an overall walk of 14 miles. or in the other direction to Woolhampton Bridge, for an overall walk of 12 miles. The railway station for the latter is Midgham. Tea options for the walk extensions are noted in the Walk Directions.
T=1.33
Walk Directions are here: L=1.33
2 comments:
I am told just n=3 on this walk. I presume the weather was w=warm-and-humid, but if you were one of the three, do please add your own report.
i did this walk in my own time as somewhat poorly on day in question . having done 500 miles of the St James da Compostella walk in France approx 5 years ago I was delighted to see that anew section of English St james s pilgrimage walk had opened up and took in The ruins of Calleva and the lovely Church there.
jane
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