Aldermaston Wharf to Mortimer, around Reading

Visit a restored Norman church harbouring the remains of a bloody battle, wander through tranquil woodland and enjoy fine views of both the Kennet and Loddon Valleys.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Around Reading

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.96 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 86 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 91 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 108 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 51 m

Description de la randonnée

Start : Aldermaston Railway Station (RG7 5QE) Grid ref. SU 601 672

(S) Leave Aldermaston Railway Station through the car park and turn left to the main road.

(1) Cross and turn right across the swing bridge over the canal. Immediately, take the public footpath bearing left along the wide track. Pass rustic cottages on the left and enter an avenue of mature horse chestnut trees.

At the signpost turn right on a narrow path alongside the property and cross the River Kennet, the salmon leap and the weir via a series of footbridges. Go through the swing gate into a field and keep ahead. This section of the path can be very wet.

(2) Cross the footbridge over a stream to the junction of paths. Bear left across the plantation of trees to the corner of wood and cross stream. Bear left then right and climb the hill with a fence on the left. Pause to enjoy the retrospective view across the Kennet Valley.

(3) Follow the track through the farmyard, first left, then right. Take the next footpath left beside the churchyard to reach the war memorial and lych-gate of Padworth Church (A).

(4) Turn right at the war memorial along the main drive to lane. Cross through the swing gate ahead on the rising track as the North Downs come into view on the horizon, behind right. Keep ahead and continue down the enclosed track to the lane.

(5) Turn right along the lane and keep to the verge for half a mile.

(6) After the last property where the road bends left, bear right to the footpath sign. Bear left onto Padworth Common. Pass to the right of a pond and keep ahead at the path junction. Ignore other side tracks.

(7) On reaching the road carefully cross to the local path opposite between posts. Reach the public footpath and bear right along it with a copse on the left. Cross the stile to reach Welshman's Road.

(8) Cross Welshman's Rd and turn left along the verge. Soon turn sharp right at the footpath sign and cross the forest ride. This is Benyon's Inclosure, part of the Englefield Estate, which is open for the public to enjoy.

Keep ahead until the footpath crosses a gravelled forest ride. Turn left along the ride. Pass another ride to the right and keep ahead over cross-track, now on a public footpath.

(9) Follow the main track as it turns right and descends steeply through trees before crossing over Kiln Pond. On the right a new path goes along the edge of the lake and leads up to the earthworks of a hill
fort. After crossing Kiln Pond keep ahead to a path junction.

(10) Turn left on the rising ground between trees and pass cottages to reach the road. Turn right along the verge for a short distance and at the footpath sign carefully cross to the concealed footpath on the left. Descend through bluebell wood then climb to a stile into the field.

Maintain the same direction across the corner of the field to a stile at the field boundary. Descend through trees to the track.

(11) Then turn right to reach a lane. Cross the lane into the car park of Calleva Atrebatum where there are picnic seats and a porterloo. The Roman town will be explored more thoroughly during the walk.

(12) Go through the gate at the far end of the car park and cross the lane to the footpath opposite over stile. At the end of the field cross a stile and bear slightly left on the track. Just before the second gate, cross the stile on the right on the footpath which keeps to the edge of the field down the hill.

(13) Go under powerlines and bear right towards the gated bridge over the stream as indicated. Keep ahead until the path veers left into the wood. Find a way over the stream and follow the path uphill close to the stream. Emerge from trees and keep right along the field boundary.

(14) Turn right on the footpath past the cottage to reach a lane. Turn left and keep ahead at a road junction. At the main road turn right then soon cross to the public footpath which is also an access road to properties. Keep ahead at the next two junctions then turn left to a road. Turn right past shops to reach the main road by Mortimer Common.

(15) To visit the Horse and Groom turn right past the church. Otherwise, carefully cross the road to the footpaths opposite and take the one diagonally right across the common past the tennis courts, coming to the Fort Fairground Heathland. Head diagonally right across the heathland to the gate at the corner.

(16) Cross the road to the public footpath opposite into the woods. Bear left at a path junction. At a cross-paths at the edge of the wood bear right. Go through the gate and keep to the edge of the field. Go through three more gates and turn left at the path junction before the fourth gate.

(17) Bear right towards the footpath sign, go through the gap and turn right through the farmyard. Follow the path round to the right at the bottom of the hill. At the end of the track bear left across the field to a gate at the boundary. There is a good view of the church on the right.

(18) Go through the gate and cross the lane to a narrow footpath between hedge and fence, not a wide track. On reaching the road, turn right along the pavement. At a roundabout cross to the pavement opposite and turn left up the road to Tun Bridge Railway station. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 56 m - Aldermaston Railway Station
  2. 1 : km 0.19 - alt. 55 m - Main road
  3. 2 : km 1.14 - alt. 52 m - Footbridge over a stream
  4. 3 : km 1.74 - alt. 72 m - Farmyard
  5. 4 : km 1.92 - alt. 86 m - Padworth Church - War memorial
  6. 5 : km 2.46 - alt. 99 m - Lane
  7. 6 : km 3.28 - alt. 104 m - Road bend
  8. 7 : km 3.8 - alt. 105 m - Road
  9. 8 : km 4.19 - alt. 104 m - Welshman's Rd
  10. 9 : km 5.84 - alt. 87 m - Main track
  11. 10 : km 6 - alt. 80 m - Path junction
  12. 11 : km 6.71 - alt. 97 m - Junction
  13. 12 : km 6.93 - alt. 96 m - Far end of the car park
  14. 13 : km 7.86 - alt. 79 m - Powerlines
  15. 14 : km 8.5 - alt. 91 m - Field boundary - Cottage
  16. 15 : km 9.53 - alt. 97 m - Road
  17. 16 : km 9.91 - alt. 99 m - Road
  18. 17 : km 10.79 - alt. 82 m - Footpath sign
  19. 18 : km 11.34 - alt. 63 m - Gate - Lane
  20. E : km 11.96 - alt. 54 m - Tun Bridge Railway station

Practical information

In the nearby area

(A) Padworth Church : This timeless Norman church, hidden behind a 300-Year-old yew tree and datina almost entirely from c.1130 has a chequered history. Beneath the stone coffin lid in the front porch were found what were believed to be skeletal remains from the battle at Padworth Gully, just down the road, where in 1643 Prince Rupert lost 300 men in a" skirmish" with parliamentary forces during the civil war. The village of Padworth no longer surrounds the church. It was directly in the path of the Black Death that swept up from the coast in 1348 and suffered huge loss of life.

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.