Streatley to Stonor, Thames Valley

On this walk, you will be able to visit the Goring Gap, oldest road, charcoal burning, beech woods and bluebells, a Maharajah's well, bangers and mash, red kites and a nature reserve.

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

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 21.62 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 7h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 327 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 297 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 193 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 44 m

Description de la randonnée

Start : Streatley crossroads A329/B4009 Grid ref. SU 591 807

(S) From Streatley crossroads turn down the main street (B4009) and cross the River Thames into Goring village.

(1) Turn left along Thames Rd on the Ridgeway Path. Follow the Ridgeway Path signs for about two miles firstly through the outskirts of Goring then between the river and the railway.

(2) Just before South Stoke, pass the Withymead Nature Reserve where the rare Loddon lily may be found. Pass the Perch and Pike pub in South Stoke and continue to the road junction where the Ridgeway Path
goes straight on.

(3) Turn right on Swan's Way under the railway bridge. At the crossroads (Swan's Way turns left here) keep ahead into the open countryside.

(4) At the top of the hill take the footpath, left, in the direction indicated aiming for the end of a steep bank. Keep in the same direction up hill to a stile on the skyline. Keep ahead to crossing track (Swan's Way) at Watch Folly. The copse has been planted in memory of Jock Cameron, 'a highly respected friend and advisor to local farmers for over 40 years'. Here there is a good view back to the North Wessex Downs and forward to the Chiltern Hills.

(5) Turn right down the hill, cross the Icknield Way and descend to the Icknield Rd and the main A4074.

(6) Cross carefully towards Brazier's Park, turn right at the college and fork left around the college grounds.

From Braziers Park climb steadily up Braziers Lane, passing Braziers Cottages, and enter the Chiltern woodland of Brazier's Common. Charcoal burnino used to be a major industry in this area. The Chiltern Way crosses at the next paths junction.

(7) Take the narrow, right-hand branch of the Chiltern Way and descend through trees.

(8) After 250yds some steps on the right lead to a pleasant picnic spot overlooking Bottom Farm. Leave the Chiltern Way and follow the path ahead to the valley bottom and bear left, on level ground at first then climbing gently. Pass the path junction on the left and at the cross-path.

(9) Turn right on rising ground.

(10) Keep left at the path junction. Come out of the woods on a gravel track and pass houses to reach a road at Scot's Farm. Cross and keep ahead on track with the barn on the right.

(11) Continue on the track past the cottage and at a path junction take a left fork through the gate and bear right along the field boundary with bluebell wood on the right.

(12) Go through the gate and carefully cross the road by the Checkendon sign on the bridle-way. Just past the house at the edge of the wood turn left at the path junction into another bluebell wood on rising ground.

At the fork keep to the left along the fence, then with fenced property on the right. Follow the path to the right between paddocks and keep ahead to reach School Lane.

(13) Turn left and pass the school and St John the Evangelist Church. At the road cross to the pavement and turn right to the Maharajah's well and cherry orchard in Stoke Row.

From the Maharajah's well continue along the pavement, passing the general store. Cross Cox's Lane and Nottwood Lane, pass the Cherry Tree Inn and Cherry Tree Close.

(14) At the cross-roads, turn left down Newlands Ave with village green on the right. Follow the lane to the right then left.

(15) At the next corner where the lane turns left, turn right to the bridle-ways and fork left down the hill in Bush Wood. Bear right at the path junction. Cross the lane and keep ahead on the bridle-track.

(16) Cross a second lane and continue uphill on a surfaced path. There are views across the surrounding countryside on the right. After about half a mile enter Nott Wood where there are bluebells in spring.

(17) Bear right at a path junction. Keep ahead on the bridle-way at the next path junction. Leave the wood and turn right before Howberry Wood Farm on descending the surfaced track with open views ahead.

(18) At the bottom of the hill where the track turns right, the bridle-way leaves the track and continues inside the wood on a parallel path on rising ground. At the path junction turn left out of the wood and continue ahead uphill, eventually passing to the left of St Bartholomew's Church to reach main A4130 at Nettlebed.

(19) Turn right along the pavement, cross at traffic lights and pass the White Hart Hotel (A). Keep in the same direction across Watlington St, pass the old kiln on the left and the green with bus stop and pudding stones on the right.

(20) Continue along the side of the road past Chapel Lane and the Malt House. Keep ahead at the crossroads towards Crocker End and turn left at the footpath sign to Russell's Water on the enclosed footpath, briefly on the Chiltern Way Extension again. Bear left across a large field with mature trees and a far-reaching view on the right.

(21) At the lane bear right. Keep ahead into the woodland at a junction (the WE goes left here) and enter Warburg Wildlife Nature Reserve. Descend to the main track and cross it on a restricted byway. Before this path goes left and descends steeply, keep ahead on the footpath and descend to (often muddy) cross-track.

(22) Turn right and soon turn left on a footpath through Nature Reserve. Follow public footpath signs up hill, crossing two clearings and ignoring descending footpath, right. At the track, turn left out of Nature Reserve on the Oxfordshire Way.

(23) At the lane turn right to Lodge Farm, now on the Chiltern Way again. Enjoy the view before turning left.

(24) Then at the path junction bearing right across the field with good views, right, and enter Park Wood.

(25) Come out of the wood, with views of Stonor House and deer park ahead across the Assendon Valley, and go downhill to the B480 at Stonor village. Turn left along the road.(E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 60 m - Streatley crossroads
  2. 1 : km 0.66 - alt. 48 m - Goring village - Thames Rd
  3. 2 : km 2.92 - alt. 44 m - Withymead Nature Reserve
  4. 3 : km 3.72 - alt. 45 m - Swan's Way under the railway bridge
  5. 4 : km 4.87 - alt. 66 m - Junction - Top of the hill
  6. 5 : km 6.21 - alt. 92 m - Junction - Down the hill
  7. 6 : km 7.02 - alt. 65 m - Main A4074
  8. 7 : km 9 - alt. 151 m - Paths junction
  9. 8 : km 9.15 - alt. 141 m - Steps - Leave the Chiltern Way
  10. 9 : km 10.05 - alt. 164 m - Path junction - Rising ground
  11. 10 : km 10.32 - alt. 178 m - Path junction
  12. 11 : km 11.13 - alt. 176 m - Cottage
  13. 12 : km 11.56 - alt. 158 m - Gate - Road
  14. 13 : km 12.52 - alt. 169 m - Junction - School and St John Church
  15. 14 : km 13.47 - alt. 168 m - Cross-roads
  16. 15 : km 13.83 - alt. 160 m - Lane turn left - Bridle-ways
  17. 16 : km 14.21 - alt. 133 m - Lane
  18. 17 : km 15.1 - alt. 173 m - Path junction
  19. 18 : km 16.01 - alt. 146 m - Bottom of the hill
  20. 19 : km 17.15 - alt. 184 m - Main A4130 at Nettlebed
  21. 20 : km 17.51 - alt. 193 m - Past Chapel Lane and the Malt House
  22. 21 : km 18.52 - alt. 184 m - Lane
  23. 22 : km 19.36 - alt. 137 m - Cross track
  24. 23 : km 20.15 - alt. 180 m - Lodge Farm - Chiltern Way
  25. 24 : km 20.24 - alt. 183 m - Path junction
  26. 25 : km 20.95 - alt. 150 m - Out of Park Wood
  27. E : km 21.61 - alt. 90 m - Stonor village

Practical information

Start : Streatley crossroads A329/B4009 Grid ref. SU 591 807

Maps : Map OS Explorer 171

Transport : Goring & Strealey Railway station. Walk along the High Street (B4009) to reach the waypoint (1) before River Thames.

(A) Accommodation : ⚠️The White Heart is the last chance for accommodation before Skirmett which is slightly off-route. There is now no accommodation at Stonor. There is also a bus to Henley with connections to Reading and London Paddington from the stop on the green.

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

In the nearby area

The original Icknield Way is thought to be the oldest road in Europe, dating from the Stone Age. In England it ran from the South Coast, passing Stonehenge and crossing the Thames near Streatley. It then went along the Chiltern Ridgeway and through Norfolk to the Wash. In its earliest years the English Channel didn't exist so it is highly likely that both ends of the route extended into Europe. The many artefacts uncovered along the Way show that this was a very busy trade route with goods coming from as far away as Egypt.

The Maharajah's Well In 1831 a Mr Reade from Ibsden paid for a well and mango grove for a community in India. In 1863 his friend, the Maharaiah of Benares, repaid the debt with this well in Stoke Row, which is over 300 ft deep. At the time the village had no fresh drinking water. The cherry trees were planted to provide an income for the well's upkeep.

By the middle of the last Century red kites had become rare in the UK with only a small number of pairs remaining in remote areas of Central Wales. After their re-introduction into the Chilterns in 1989 the kites have flourished and spread to other areas. Sightings of these magnificent birds are almost quaranteed on this
stage of the walk.

Nettlebed was an important brick and tile making centre from the mid fourteenth century onwards, and one of the brick kilns is still standing. The pudding stones on the green by the bus-stop, made of solidified loose stones and flints, are thought to be ancient way-markers, possibly four thousand years old.

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