Book 1, Walk 9 - Shiplake to Henley
Length: 17.7 km (11.1miles). Length via High Wood - 9.1 miles. Add 2.2 miles if finishing in Shiplake. Deduct 2.5 miles if taking short cut from Rotherfield Greys to Henley
Toughness: 4 out of 10
London Paddington: 10-12 hrs Reading service. Ealing B'way: 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, 17-38, 18-08 and 18-38 hrs
Shiplake to Paddington via Twyford: 4 minutes after Henley
Rail ticket: buy a day return to Henley-on-Thames
This is a delightful bluebell walk, and I always try to fit it in during bluebell season. I suggest we take the High Wood option today, to enjoy the 'bells in these woods. Those who wish to take an early lunch, you can stop at the Bottle and Glass Inn at Binfield Heath. Otherwise, your lunch stop is 4 km further into the walk, at the popular Maltsters Arms in the village of Rotherfield Greys. After lunch you can take the short cut come direct route to Henley (see the Directions): for those on the main walk, you head for Greys Court with its magnificent bluebell paddock. Onwards then to Lambridge Wood, where direction following can be tricky - then it's over a golf course and down to Henley. Those ending their walk in town, you have a choice of tea stops, with the SWC favourite being the Chocolate Theatre Cafe, within 10 mins of the railway station.
If you follow the High Wood route today, as suggested, you will miss the opening leg beside the River Thames. To remedy this, and for your water feature-fix today, you can join me on the closing leg of 4 km from Henley to Shiplake, initially along the River. Your tea stop in Shiplake is the Baskerville pub, a few metres from the railway station.
T=1.9
Walk Directions are here L=1.9
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3 comments:
8 alighted from the train at Shiplake, with 2 others joining us at lunchtime after their outward journey had been delayed by underground problems - so that is n=10.
At the start of the walk 2 of our chaps decided to test drive a new hand held gizmo on the original Book route via Shiplake Lock, leaving 6 of us to take the High Wood route, in search of bluebells. Alas, apart from one decent large patch in High Wood,the 'bells were disappointing all day - thirsty and bedraggled, a blue fuzz rather than the expected carpets of blue. The wood in the grounds of Greys Court was particularly understated. But never mind, the weather was w=sunny-spells-and-mild-to-warm, comfortable for walking, clouding over in the afternoon with some spits of rain towards walk-end.
4 of us, including our 2 delayed starters, dined at the very busy Maltsters Arms in Rotherfield Greys. We had booked a nice table outdoors in the shaded patio area and we did not have to wait too long for our tasty meals to arrive. Some of our sandwichers had earlier stopped for an alfresco lunch amongst a good display of bluebells near Round Wood, later joining us at the Maltsters for a drink. Many of the diners in the pub were walkers and in addition to the pub's friendly notice "Muddy Boots Welcome", a defibrillator booth is now to the side of the pub's front door - for aged walkers who do not quite make it.
Our gizmo followers noticed the church next door to the pub was serving freebie tea and cake from 2 pm and so indulged themselves before setting off on the afternoon leg of their walk. 3 of the ladies in our group who left the pub first extended their walk to Shiplake - and with perfect timing joined most of the Henley finishers on the 19-05 hrs service from Henley at Shiplake station.
Our 2 delayed starters stopped at Greys Court for a cuppa and a brief visit to this attractive National Trust property - I hope they navigated Lambridge Wood without getting too lost. Presumably they were on the train from Henley an hour after the rest of us. Otherwise, the Henley finishers just had enough time for a pub visit or tea stop in town before heading for the railway station.
The bluebell displays might have been below par today, but it didn't matter - this lovely walk being so enjoyable at this time of year.
For 19-05 hrs train please read 17-05 hrs. With anno domini I might be slowing up but I was not that late finishing the walk............
We found out eventually that there was a major fire in Richmond which had delayed our journey to Ealing Broadway in the morning.
Chris and I enjoyed a pint pot of tea gratis at Greys Court in the afternoon as a reward for walking to this National Trust property. We just missed the 17-05 train having dallied to admire the gatehouse and grounds of George Harrisons' property which Chris hadn't viewed previously. (He is a London tour guide specialising in Jazz tours and Rock and Pop with Footprints of London.) We then met up with my ex colleague Rosemary who works in Henley and caught the 17-38 train. This was a very pretty and dry walk which we enjoyed enormously. Thank you Marcus.
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