Kingsclere to Woolhampton, Thames Valley

This walk brings your along water-meadows and snowdrops, a village pond, a peaceful common, once a place of conflict and a restored canal. The snowdrops are lovely on this walk during February.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Thames Valley

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.90 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 5h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 68 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 101 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 130 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 58 m

Description de la randonnée

Start : Saint Mary's Church, Kingsclere (RG20 5SR) Grid ref. SU 525 586

(S) If you parked at Kingsclere. From Kingsclere Saint Mary's Church, go through the churchyard, turn right Enjoy the water and plant life alongside this pretty path which crosses Kingscere Brook before reaching Fox's Lane. Go through the swing gate. Turn left keep along Fox's Lane and take the footpath, right through the swing gate.

(1) Otherwise, to continue the walk from Fox's Lane, turn left through the gate on the rising path, now on the Brenda Parker Way. Soon there are good views to Watership Down and the Hannington radio mast on the left.

(2) Just past the pylon turn right on the track.

(3) On reaching the road turn right and after the fishing lake turn left on the bridle-way between trees.

(4) At the thatched cottage take the left fork and bear right along surfaced track. Before buildings turn right on the bridle-way and follow the winding path between trees.

(5) Then turn left along the field boundary.

(6) Cross the stream into the wood and emerge at a wide gravel cross. Keep ahead to the lane. Turn left for accommodation or refreshment.

(7) Otherwise, turn right and cross the field then continue alongside the bluebell wood.

(8) Cross the stream again and turn left along the edge of the field.

(9) After 150yds cross the stream on the left yet again and continue in the same direction then bear left around the edge of the field, soon to turn right over the bridge and stile at Kisby's Farm.

Keep to the field boundary to a stile at the corner and cross to drive. Turn left to reach the north end of the long village of Ecchinswell.

(10) Turn right and right again past the duck pond and seat. Continue up the lane for about 1 Km.

(11) At the sign for Withey Copse Farm turn sharp right on the footpath and soon left through the gate (which sometimes sticks) on the official path diversion.

Go through the paddock to a stile then keep ahead between paddocks to the bridge over the stream and enter the woodland at Cheam school.

(12) Cross over the stream again, now large enough to be called Headley Gully (yes, another tributary of the Thames, via the Enbourne and the Kennet). Bear right across the bridge to reach the playing fields of Cheam school where Prince Charles was a pupil.

(13) Keep to the line of the field boundary, passing two cricket pavilions, and pass to the right of the third pavilion to reach the busy A339.

(14) Turn left along the verge and before the entrances to a school carefully cross the road when it is safe to do so to the footpath along the field edge. Enter scrub where nettles may be a problem. Go over the bridge and turn left to the road.

(15) Turn right and soon left again along Common Rd, eventually to reach Ashley Hill Rd.

(16) Turn right on Ashley Hill road and left at the footpath sign.

(17) Turn left again before the property on a grass track soon between trees.

(18) Turn left along the field boundary, following round edge of the field to the lane leading to Folly Farm. Turn left.

(19) At the T-junction turn right to the ford crossing of the River Enbourne. Cross the river by the footbridge and continue up to Thornford Rd.

(20) Turn left and soon carefully cross into Old Thornford Rd on rising ground.

(21) At Loxley go through the gate onto Greenham Common (A), being careful not to disturb ground-nesting birds. At the end of the trees bear right on the wide path and keep ahead at the cross-track.

At the wide graveled track keep right towards the car park then follow the track round the reclaimed common land (B).

(22) Continue past the pond to a gate by the road.

(23) Leave Greenham Common and carefully cross the road into a bridle-track, descending through trees to bridge over the River Kennet. Continue across a stream to reach the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal.

(24) Cross the swing bridge and turn right along the towpath. At the road, Thatcham station is straight ahead.

(25) To continue the walk, cross to the towpath on the other side of the bridge. Pass pillbox, one of several of these relics from world war II to be seen along the banks of the canal.

After Colthrop lock go under Gardener's bridge. The Roman road from Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester to Cirencester and Bath crossed near here. In the 19205 a wagon wheel and two Roman skeletons were dug out of the boggy ground.

Pass Midgham lock and go under the road bridge. The spire of the church at Midgham is prominent over the Kennet Valley on the left.

(26) Cross to the opposite bank at Cranwell Bridge alongside the railway and pass Heales Lock, Oxlease Bridge, and Woolhampton Lock.

(27) Cross the bridge where the River Bennet joins the canal. Continue past the canal boats to the Rowbridge pub and the road.

(28) Turn left on the road over the canal for Woolhampton village and Midgham Station. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 100 m - Saint Mary's Church
  2. 1 : km 0.69 - alt. 109 m - Rising path - Brenda Parker Way
  3. 2 : km 1.77 - alt. 129 m - Hannington radio mast - Pylon
  4. 3 : km 2.06 - alt. 123 m - Road - Fishing lake
  5. 4 : km 2.76 - alt. 109 m - Thatched cottage - Fork
  6. 5 : km 3.05 - alt. 99 m - Junction - Field boundary
  7. 6 : km 3.41 - alt. 104 m - Stream - Wood
  8. 7 : km 3.6 - alt. 105 m - Field
  9. 8 : km 4.08 - alt. 97 m - Stream
  10. 9 : km 4.37 - alt. 94 m - Stream
  11. 10 : km 4.95 - alt. 102 m - Village of Ecchinswell
  12. 11 : km 6.18 - alt. 99 m - Withey Copse Farm - Sharp turn
  13. 12 : km 6.54 - alt. 88 m - Cheam school - Stream
  14. 13 : km 6.99 - alt. 93 m - Field boundary
  15. 14 : km 7.26 - alt. 97 m - Busy A339
  16. 15 : km 7.85 - alt. 84 m - Junction
  17. 16 : km 8.98 - alt. 83 m - Ashley Hill road
  18. 17 : km 9.19 - alt. 83 m - Property - Grass track
  19. 18 : km 9.61 - alt. 73 m - Field boundary
  20. 19 : km 10.06 - alt. 73 m - T-junction
  21. 20 : km 10.63 - alt. 85 m - Thornford Rd
  22. 21 : km 10.78 - alt. 97 m - Gate - Greenham Common
  23. 22 : km 11.82 - alt. 114 m - Pond
  24. 23 : km 12.11 - alt. 110 m - Leave Greenham Common - Road
  25. 24 : km 13.38 - alt. 71 m - Swing bridge
  26. 25 : km 14.01 - alt. 69 m - Bridge
  27. 26 : km 17.28 - alt. 61 m - Cranwell Bridge - Railway
  28. 27 : km 18.53 - alt. 59 m - River Bennet joins the canal
  29. 28 : km 18.67 - alt. 58 m - Road over the canal
  30. E : km 18.9 - alt. 61 m - Midgham Station

Practical information

Start : Saint Mary's Church, Kingsclere (RG20 5SR) Grid ref. SU 525 586

Maps : Maps OS Explorer 144 and 158

Find more information and walks at Round Reading Walks website here.

In the nearby area

(A) Greenham Common was taken over as a military base in the second world war and afterwards continued to be used on and off for militar purposes. In 1979 a joint decision was made with America to house ground cruise missiles there and Greenham Common became known world-over for the women's peace camp protest during the 1980s. The last missile left the site in 1991 and the common has been restored and is now a Site of Special
Scientific Interest for all to enjoy.

(B) Shrubs and plants, some of them rare, are now well-established on the mounds of imported clinker and the man-made lakes are attracting wildlife. There are good views from up here over both the Enbourne and the Kennet Valleys.

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