Length: 15 km† (9½ miles). Toughness: 2/10
10:29 Didcot train from Paddington (Ealing Broadway 10:37), changing at Twyford (arr 11:07, dep 11:15) for the Henley train, arriving at 11:27. Buy a return to Henley-on-Thames.
Freedom Pass holders could take the slower 10:13 TfL Reading train from Paddington (Ealing Bwy 10:21), and would then only need to buy a ticket from Twyford (arr 11:01).
Trains back from Henley are hourly at xx:30, again changing at Twyford.
† The walk goes near Shiplake on its way back to Henley, so for a shorter walk (13 km) you could drop out and return from there (trains at xx:34).
This “undemanding walk of pleasant valleys and woodland” appeared unheralded on the SWC site last December, and seems a good choice for those wanting a shorter weekend walk. It looks as if it will be familiar enough to anyone who knows the Book 1 Shiplake-Henley walk, but done in the reverse direction to give a different perspective.
The suggested lunch pub is the Bottle & Glass Inn, which is usually passed too soon for a pub stop on the Book 1 walk. You won't be short of places for tea in Henley.
You'll need to bring the directions from the L=swc.373 page.
1 comment:
n=12 walkers assembled at the Henley station, 11 by train and 1 by car. Weather had been pretty kind to us, W=initial_overcast_then_sunny. A lovely walk, rather different from other familiar Henley walks I knew. Two wanted an early lunch and stopped at the Maltsters Arms but were told it was fully booked. Most had picnic in the woods just before The Bottle & Glass. Whilst the main pub of The Bottle & Glass was fully booked, they also run a burger barn in a converted barn next door which had loads of outside and inside seating. Three ate here, several had a drink or two. The group was scattered a bit, but never too far apart until this point. 7 decided to catch earlier train and marched on, 5 others stopped at the cafe next to the Rowing museum as we approached Henley, had tea, ice cream etc, then caught 17:30 train back to London. Two then stopped at Ealing and resumed the noodle ritual that has been suspended for almost 10 years. A grand day out in excellent company.
PS: two walkers thought the walk as a bit underrate in toughness, perhaps 3/10 taking account of two steep climbs.
Thanks Sean for posting this nice walk.
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