Gerrards Cross to Cookham with optional Burnham Beeches detour
9.6 miles 15.4 km Difficulty:2/10
The optional detour adds about 3 km, 1.5 miles onto the overall length
Across Bulstrode Park, passing woods and lakes, then going through Egypt Wood and Burnham Beeches to finish by the Thames. Cookham is associated with the artist Stanley Spencer and there is a small Spencer gallery in the town. The optional detour would take you deeper into Burnham Beeches with its elderly gnarled inhabitants, bustling wood ants, and, if you can find it, a mysterious ancient moat a younger Mr Tiger helped to clear out.
Travel 10:06 Oxford train from Marylebone arriving Gerrards Cross 10:25,
Return from Cookham xx:28 and xx:58 (xx 34 and xx:04 after 17:30) changing at Maidenhead.
Note that the journey back from Cookham is on a different line and requires a different ticket. You should be able to buy both at Marylebone.
So that’s a single from Marylebone to Gerrards Cross and a single from Cookham to London.
A travelcard + singles from / to the boundary would most likely be cheaper.
Freedom Pass holders can return free from Maidenhead on the Elizabeth line.
Elevenses/Early lunch Even more of a temptation than usual, the White Horse in Hedgerley (01753 643225). is holding a ...
.. BEER (and cider) FESTIVAL this weekend. Just make sure you’ve got your legs on straight when you leave.
.. BEER (and cider) FESTIVAL this weekend. Just make sure you’ve got your legs on straight when you leave.
Lunch: The Blackwood Arms (01753 645672) is a short out and back diversion from the route. (The walk option delving deeper into Burnham Beeches goes right past). You are advised to phone.
Tea: there are a few places in Cookham High Street
Infusions 01628 528 537 has a garden.
The Teapot at Cleve Cottages – open till 5.`
There are pubs too - the Kings Arms 01628 530 667 (suggested), the Bel and Dragon 01628 521 263 and The Old Swan Uppers on the way to the station.
It is 15-20 mins to the station from the High St.
Walk directions: here T=1.40
#2026-05-25T10:06
1 comment:
There were n=5 at the station, a modest number for a bank holiday, but it was w=boiling_hot_30_deg_heat_with_no_wind so maybe that explains it! The walk is very beautiful, we saw a small herd of horses with several new born foals. The woods gave some welcome shade and we soon arrived at the White Horse pub, where we found a table in the shade and rested awhile. There were many interesting ciders and beers to try including a ‘strong dark’ favoured by one, and sweet and dry cider. For some reason only 3 continued on the walk to the lunch stop, one complaining of a sore foot. We 3 enjoyed a nice lunch in the Blackwood Arms, sitting inside where it was slightly cooler. After lunch we decided to loop round Burnham Beeches back to Gerrards Cross, stopping at the beer festival one more time, and so back home. One curiosity were the ants in Burnham Beeches, don’t stand still for too long, I’ve never seen so many in all my life!
There had been some delays on the line back to Marylebone but this didn’t affect us too much, except that the train when it arrived was packed and standing room only except for one carriage with no electricity, and therefore no aircon – it was like an oven, and made the ambient air temperature seem cool. I think we got the train around 5 o’clock but I don’t actually remember, a lovely if sweltering day out.
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