The Castle circular, Donington

Start : The Castle, Donington (RG14 3AA) Grid ref. SU 467688

(S/E) Cross the road (B4494) and go through the gate across the cricket pitch to a gate on the other side.

(1) Turn right on the footpath and follow this forward for about 500yds as it passes the rear of a large house and rises through woods before coming out on a main road B4494 (fast traffic!).

(2) Turn left to the bridge over the bypass.

(3) Then immediately take a footpath left down to Cromwell’s Glen then up to the southern gate of Snelsmore Common.

(4) Go left onto the track, then immediately right onto a footpath that enters the woods and descends to Honeybottom.

(5) On reaching a drive, take the bridle path off to the left and follow this for 500yds until you meet a footpath right descending through a field into Bagnor.

(6) Turn left along the road past the Blackbird.

(7) After crossing the river take a footpath through the left-hand hedge and follow the right bank of the river under the Newbury Bypass (A34). Continue forward, passing some modern buildings on the left, and leaving the Tee and the fairway of the golf course on your right until you reach the bridge over the ornamental lake on your left.

(8) Cross this and go past a walled garden on the left, leaving the drive for a footpath going ahead.

(9) Take the first footpath off on the right and follow this for 200yds to the cricket ground.

(1) Re-cross the cricket ground for the pub. (S/E)

Start : The Castle, Donington (RG14 3AA) Grid ref. SU 467 688

Driving to start : About two miles from Newbury, in the village of Donnington. Take the old Oxford road from the Waitrose roundabout, then straight on at a mini-roundabout and about half a mile uphill to find the pub on the right just after a crossroads.

Parking : Car parks on both sides of the road.

Refreshments : The Castle busy pub, being not far from Newbury: it has good beer and an interesting all-day snack and restaurant menu.

Find more walks at Newbury Pub Walks here.