Start: Pound Lane car park, Court Garden Leisure Complex, Marlow (SL7 2AE). Grid ref: SU 848 862
(S/E) Starting from Pound Lane car park proceed to the right of Court Garden (A) buildings and head towards the Thames on a tarmac path.
(1) At the river turn right along a gravel track and follow the Thames Path for 2Km until a tarmac road is reached just before Temple Lock, opposite the weir.
Alternative route if the Thames Path is flooded: From the car park entrance, turn left along Pound Lane for 150m and left again along Lower Pound Lane. Follow this track for 1km. When it reduces to a footpath, continue for a further 1km to meet the original walk at Lowgrounds Farm between route waypoints (2) and (3).
(2) Turn right at this road and walk away from the river for 800m, taking a path to the right of a modernised farm building and then back on the road to a sharp right bend at a Harleyford Estate lodge.
(3) Turn left here onto the Harleyford Estate footpath and follow the right edge of the field with the Thames and the Manor House (B) in the distance. Continue on this path for 700m, bearing right after leaving fields, to reach a road. Cross it, walk through a yard and climb up steps to meet a road junction at the Golf Club.
(4) Follow the footpath signs onto the road directly ahead, passing the left side of the Club buildings. Bear right past the impressive horse sculptures and take the path beside the large wooden gates. Follow this path with the golf driving range on the right and a hedge on the left.
At the far end of the driving range the path turns sharp right and then left through a kissing gate. Continue downhill and then uphill to meet a path T-junction. Turn right, cross over a road and continue through a grass field in the Whittington Estate (C) to meet the Marlow – Henley road at a metal kissing gate.
(5) Cross the road (A4155) and turn right along a narrow path running parallel to it. After 200m, just past Danesfield School, turn left over a stile and skirt alongside the school fence to meet a footpath heading into Marlow Common/Pullingshill Wood.
Follow this path, initially alongside the school playing field and then as marked by occasional faint white arrows and yellow waymark discs, until you reach an area protected by a deer fence. Keep right to follow the fence line. When the fence bends away to the left go straight ahead towards an open field. Just before the field bear slightly left onto a wide path. Follow it for 350m to a road junction in a valley.
(6) Take the footpath immediately to the left of the road opposite. Continue along this path parallel to the road for 400m passing information boards describing the WWI trenches on the left. At a waymarked path intersection, turn right for a few paces to meet the road. Turn left along it and after 200m turn right between the footpath sign and the white byelaws board.
Follow this path past Monks Corner (D) to soon reach a road at a junction with a private driveway. Cross the driveway to continue along the right-hand verge of the road for a short way until you reach a further driveway opposite the Marlow Common North Local Reserve (E) information board on the left.
(7) Walk up the driveway opposite the information board for 150m and take the path to the left of Heathercroft House. Continue into fields and through two kissing gates to meet the Chiltern Way at a path T-junction. Turn left and follow the path, which broadens out to a wider track after 100m. Continue along the track for 100m to reach Bovingdon Green. Follow the road round to the right and then to the left to meet the Frieth road. Turn right along it to reach the Royal Oak after 150m.
(8) Take the footpath on the opposite side of the road to the pub, and after 50m turn left at a path T-junction. Turn immediately right onto a narrow path and do not take the wider Chiltern Way that is straight on. Follow it for 850m to reach the Duke pub at Queens Road, bearing right at the corner of the allotments near the end.
(9) Turn right along the road, then turn left at the T-junction. Follow the road for 450m to reach a T-junction at West Street. Carefully cross the road (there is a pedestrian crossing further along the road to the left), and turn right. After 30m turn left down an alleyway between a restaurant and car park. Follow the alleyway for 250m to return to the start of the walk at Court Gardens car park.(S/E)
We hope you have enjoyed your walk. Please remember to rate the walk and add comments. We are interested in how we could improve the instructions or the route and would like to hear about any issues with paths on the walk.
