(S) From Lambourn Market Square, the Lambourn Valley Way heads along Newbury Street, with The George Pub on your right. After around 350m, turn right into Bodman Close (a modern housing development) and then immediately left on a path between gardens (at the time of writing, there is no footpath sign here). Keep straight along this path until you reach the sports field.
(1) Skirt round the right of the field and cross the car park, then go through a gate and across a field to Bockhampton Lane. Turn left along the road and continue along it until it reaches Newbury Road. Turn right until you reach the lane Long Hedge on the left.
(2) The path starts to the left of the street name sign, crosses a gallop and continues straight on across three fields (along the now invisible route of the dismantled railway). After crossing a track, it continues parallel to the left of a hedge to a major track that is also a footpath.
(3) Continue straight on. At the lane east of Eastbury, there is a dismantled railway bridge, with steps down to the road and back up. The path continues to the right of the hedge, crossing a track. When you reach a gate with a 'Private Property' sign, turn left through the hedge and down steep steps into the railway cutting. Continue along the route of the dismantled railway, past the church, until you reach the end of a lane. Turn right and follow the lane through East Garston, keeping the River Lambourn on your right.
(4) When the lane turns sharp right, keep straight on the footpath follows the river bank, which is often hidden by reeds and vegetation – though you may hear the sound of ducks! It continues across the garden of Maidencourt Farm, and crosses its access road. The route from here to Great Shefford does not always follow the river, but is obvious. When you reach Station Road, turn right to reach the A338.
(5) Turn left along the A338, then cross over just after the petrol station and take the access road to East Shefford Farm. Go straight through the farm and keep straight on across the field when the track turns right. At the end of the field, continue in the same direction between hedges. When you reach a small development of new houses at Elton Farm, the route drops down to the right, passing between the houses to reach the end of the public road.
(6) The path continues opposite through a gate, between a garden and the flood plain. It then enters a pasture, with the railway embankment and a bridge to your left. After around 100m, descend right, through a gate, and cross the bridge over one branch of the river. Follow the path past one house, then immediately to the left of another house to reach the road.
(7) From the road, go diagonally left to the left of a house (probably a former chapel), then continue along the edge of the field, with a brook to your left. At the end of this field, the gate into Welford Park is in the corner of the field, hidden beneath trees. The path now goes diagonally uphill, with the route marked by occasional stones set in the grass. When you reach the top of the hill (with a cricket pitch on your right), aim for the large tree, and a gate will come into view as you descend towards the road.
(8) Follow the track opposite that climbs diagonally to the right. At the top of the hill, turn left to leave the wood and cross a field. Turn right along the track that cross over the M4 to a junction of tracks at the entrance to Tulloch Farm. Take the footpath that climbs the hill opposite, then continue beside the fence of the wood and the hedge beyond to the lane.
(9) The path continues diagonally left across the field opposite the lane, and continues to the right of the hedge to a small wood. Ther path continues to the left of the wood with a slight bend to the left, and then straight to the main road. Cross the road and turn right along the pavement for around 50m to a gate into a field.
(10) Cross the field to a gate on the opposite side, then between houses to the road. Continue straight on, into Boxford. After the bridge over the river Lambourn, go through the steel kissing gate on the right. Continue on the obvious path along the bottom of the valley for 1.5km (this is mostly fenced, with a vineyard to your left). Go through a small wood, then follow the track between hedges. Continue along the concrete farm road towards Bagnor. Turn right at the T-junction, and the road bends left through the village, with a green on your right with an old red telephone box.
(11) If you have the time and energy, it is well worth visiting Donnington Castle. Take the gravel to the left, opposite the telephone box, and go through the kissing gate at the end. The path soon rises and changes to tarmac, to cross the A34 by a bridge. It then bends slightly left and heads for a wood. As you reach the wood, there is a 'crossroads' of tracks; ignore these, and take the path that enters the wood diagonally to the right. As you leave the wood, go through the gate beside the path, and climb the hill to reach Donnington Castle.
(12) After exploring the castle (there is no admission charge or restriction on access) descend the main path on the far side, to the car park. Turn right beside the car park then take the footpath on the left, through the hedge and downhill with a hedge on your left. When you reach the access road to the country club, continue downhill on this road and over the lake and river. The path now curves round what is shown on the map as a pond, but which is now filled with reeds. A footbridge then crosses this, to take you back to the river bank. Follow the path between the river bank and golf course, and then around houses, until you reach the concrete bridge that carries the A34 Newbury Bypass over the river.
(11) Alternatively, continue along the road, and immediately after the bridge over the river turn left onto the footpath along the river bank until you go under the A34. This saves 2.2km.
(13) Take the path that follows the embankment of the A34, and continue straight on the tarmac access road to reach Lambourn Road. The path continues opposite and slightly to the right. After 100m, take the path to the left, going through a line of trees. When forced to turn right, cross the field towards the prominent white house: The path then continues between walls and hedge to the A4 Bath Road.
Cross over into Speen Lane then, when this bends slightly left, take the grassy track downhill to the right. Go through the churchyard, then turn left onto Church Lane. Go through the church car park on the right, then follow the path downhill. At the end, turn left on the well-made path to a redundant railway bridge.
(14) After the bridge, the path becomes a road. Continue to the end, then turn right on the cycle track. Go past the leisure centre, then turn right immediately beyond it and continue on the paved path to the bridge over the Kennet and Avon Canal. Turn left along the canal towpath towards Newbury town centre. Immediately after you reach a road, cross the canal by a swing bridge and continue on the other bank. A short passageway under a building then brings you to Northbrook Street, and the end of the Lambourn Valley Way (E)
