Book 1, Walk 9 - Shiplake to Henley
Length: 14.7 km (9.1 miles) Option to extend by 3.5 km by returning to Shiplake
Toughness: 4 out of 10
London Paddington: 10-12 hrs Reading service. Ealing B: 10-20 hrs
Arrive Twyford: 11-00 hrs. Change trains
Leave Twyford: 11-08 hrs Henley service
Arrive Shiplake: 11-15 hrs
Return: Henley to Paddington via Twyford: 15-53, 16-23, 17-05, 18-08 and 18-38 hrs
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Henley-on-Thames
I suggest you take the High Wood route on leaving Shiplake, in the hope the bluebells are in full flower in this wood. You can stop for an early lunch at the reopened Bottle and Glass Inn in Binfield Heath if you wish, although the recommended lunch stop today comes 45 mins later at the Maltsters Arms in Rotherfield Greys, a favourite with SWC walkers. Best 'phone ahead with numbers: 01491-628400 [ your e.t.a 13-10 hrs.]
After lunch you head down through a bluebell wood and make for the National Trust's Greys Court, whose own bluebell wood should be in full flower. Next you have to negotiate Lambridge Wood, where many a SWC walker has become lost - so do follow the directions carefully ! Then you head over a golf course and down into Henley, for tea at the Chocolate Theatre Cafe or at one of the pubs in town.
As the suggested route today misses out on the Thames path section in the morning, you might like to get your water feature fix by returning to Shiplake via the river - a pleasant end to what I hope turns out to be an enjoyable day's walking. Your tea stop in Shiplake is the Baskerville pub, next door to the railway station.
T=1.9
Walk Directions here L=1.9
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5 met at Twyford railway station for the onward journey to Shiplake; another joined us at the Maltsters Arms for a drink before walking with us to Greys Court, to then explore the grounds of this NT estate with its magnificent bluebell paddock; and Ramblin' Ros had tea with us in the pub before she took the direct route to Henley - so for the full walk I best declare n=5.
We enjoyed a lovely w=sunny-and-warm-spring-day, with no rain. Bluebells were "full on" in High Wood, the Paddock, Greys Court, Lambridge Wood and elsewhere on this lovely walk which we all enjoyed. There was also a field covered with cowslips below Rotherfield Greys. Four of us dined at the excellent Maltsters Arms, although service was on the slow side today. But no complaints, as the pub was preparing for a "wake" soon after we arrived. At walk-end most of us did not hang around in Henley as we had engagements back in town in the evening.
Methinks this walk is amongst the best of our bluebell walks, today enjoyed in the best company.
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