Length: 14.9km (9.2 miles) - with possible 2.6km (1.6 mile) extension
Toughness: 3 out of 10
9.42 train from Paddington (9.50 Ealing Broadway) to Twyford, arriving 10.30, changing there for the 10.38 to Henley, arriving 10.50.
Buy a day return to Henley-upon-Thames
For walk directions click here. For GPX click here.
Would you believe this very nice little Thames walk has not had a Saturday outing for nearly five and a half years? (Though it has featured on Sundays much more recently.)
It falls into four almost equal quarters. The first takes you along the less manicured bank of the Thames north of Henley, an interesting walk passing close to Temple Island and a fine manor house. You then cross a wooded ridge to lunch in Hambleden (with a short cut possible).
The Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden is always a popular pub, so calling ahead to book a table might not be a bad idea, but we usually manage to squeeze in. Other options include the Hambleden Village Stores, which sells hot drinks and some deli items and has a couple of outside to eat them at. Alternatively, 2.2 miles after Hambleden is the Flower Pot Inn in Aston, a possible late lunch stop.
The section between Hambleden and Aston is a gentle stroll across the Thames valley with some fine views en route and the crossing of the dramatic Hambleden Weir. The last quarter of the walk crosses farmland over Remenham Hill, though you can take the riverside path instead if you wish.
If anyone wants to walk from Hambleden to Marlow after lunch (a 15.1km/9.9 mile walk from Henley), full instructions are now included in the walk document.
Back in Henley, the Chocolate Cafe is the obvious tea choice. If you want to work off some of the calories after tea, brief instructions are now given in the directions for the very pretty riverside extension down to the scenic Marsh Lock after tea: you could continue from there on the Thames Path to Shiplake, but this quite soon becomes suburban in character: better just to reverse your steps to Henley: out and back like this adds 2.6km/1.6 miles to the walk).
Trains back from Henley are at 23 and 53 past to 18.53, then 19.35, 20.23, 21.23, 22.21 T=2.07
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2 comments:
Just 2 merry soles on the advertised train with one early starter spotted after lunch making a total of 3. That's a pity because this is a lovely walk with wide riverside lawns and fine woodland ridge views. Cloudy with a north easterly wind with an occasional light powdering of snow. Our lunch stop was the welcoming Stag and Huntsman pub in Hambleden where we dined on soup and sandwiches and were warmed by an excellent log fire. We arrived back in Henley at 15.20pm and spent a pleasant hour in the friendly Chocolate Café. A word of warning, the cakes are massive and one between two is more than enough. We then strolled up to the station for the 16.23 back to Paddington. A good day all round.
N=3
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