Length: 24.0 km (15.0 mi) [shorter options by taking
buses (see webpage)]
Ascent/Descent:
250m
Net
Walking Time: 5 ¼ hours
Toughness:
5/10
or
Length: 26.8 km (16.7 mi)
Ascent/Descent:
425m;
Net
Walking Time: 6 hours
Toughness:
7/10
Take
the 09.38 Oxford train from
Paddington (Ealing 09.46), change
at Twyford (arr. 10.43, dep. 10.50), arrive Henley-on-Thames 11.02.
For
the longer walk you may fancy a start an hour earlier: take either
the 08.38 train or the 08.57 via Reading option (this demands a slightly
dearer ticket though!)
Return
trains:
xx.24 (74 mins journey time, shave
off 10 mins by changing at Slough onto a faster train)
In
many respects this is a similar walk to the Book 2 Walk 6 Henley Circular (via
Stonor and Pishill) walk. It’s a bit longer and a fair bit flatter but both go
along one side of a valley in open countryside on the opening leg and return to
Henley on the other side in the afternoon, often through attractive woodland.
This walk, however, also finishes with a lovely, peaceful Thames path back to
Henley
However
this walk covers completely different territory to the Book 2 favourite
visiting new villages and countryside not incorporated in other SWC Henley and
Chilterns walks in the area.
The
longer version loops – map-led – through Stonor (Deer) Park, the decision
point is after 12.7 km.
Note: apart from being a
very nice walk in a scenic part of the Southeast, there is also a Midsomer
Murders theme to this walk, details of which you’ll find on the webpage or in the
pdf.
Lunch: The Stag & Huntsman in Hambledon (6.8 km/4.2 mi, food to
14.30) or The Frog in Skirmett
(10.9 km/6.8 mi, food to 14.15) or The
Chequers Inn in Fingest (12.1 km/7.5 mi, food to 15.00).
Tea: plenty
options in Henley, see the webpage or the pdf.
5 comments:
As Peter knows I wrote a similar walk to this one but it has its lunch stop at the Bull and Butcher inTurville jfk
Want to walk the longer version, but have to be back early. Solution: am aiming for the 8.57 via Reading for a 10.02 start from Henley.
The 8.57 was delayed sufficientlying to miss the connection at Reading back to Twyford, so a Plan B was needed. Bumped into a nother SWCer near the main exit, and we decided to cab it to Henley. Got.there a few mins b4 the train, but no one else was on it. Off into the sunshine, initially along paths familiar from other walks, then further up the valleys. Splendid views, pretty villages. Got to The Frog for noon. Excellent food. On to the hillier part of the walk, still in sunshine initially. Very nice scenery, Stonor Park probably the best part of it. Occasional rain from 14.45 onwards. Time in Henley for cream tea at the Chocolate Café. 16.24 train.
Was with the main party, arriving Henley at 11, about 10 of us, 1 of whom got the bus to Mill End and joined there and 3 returned the way they had come down the valley from various turning points instead of going over the top.
Slightly cloudy on leaving Henley and on approaching the lock I commented 'the sun's wanted in about 100 yards' and it duly arrived as we started to cross the lock and stayed to lunchtime for the very pleasant walk up the valley.
Only 4 of us in the Frog, not sure where others went to for lunch, so a well split group.
n=12 w=sunny-then-rainy
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