Walking in the Thames Valley. Steve Davison

Suggestions

      A good pair of walking boots, a comfortable rucksack, waterproof jacket and appropriate clothing for the time of year are necessities; on wet days, gaiters can also be very useful. Stinging nettles, which reach their peak during the summer, can be a problem on some of the walks, so shorts are not always a good idea. It’s also worth carrying a basic first aid kit to deal with minor incidents.

Walking with Children

      The walks are all fairly long and, although the terrain is not too hilly, they can be quite strenuous. Only older children who are used to longer walks should attempt these routes (note that 10 of the walks do have shorter options).

Using the Guide

      The walk descriptions in this guidebook all follow the same format. The individual route information section is followed by a brief guide to the walk, identifying any major points (including towns and villages). The information section gives the total length of the walk in miles and kilometres, the starting point, car parking, maps, public transport, distance and pubs. The walking times are based on a walking speed of 2½mph or 4kmph, plus 10 minutes per 100m (300ft) of ascent. This should be treated as the guide to the minimum walking time required to undertake the route and does not include time for rests, photography, consulting the map or guidebook, or simply admiring the view – all of which can add substantially to the day’s activity. Always remember to pace the walk to the slowest member in the group, so that everyone can enjoy the day. There is also a simple indication as to the amount of ascent covered during the walk (see Table of Walks on pages 8 and 9).

      Beech trees in winter, Stonor Park (Walk 22)

      THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE

      While you are out enjoying these walks please respect the countryside and follow the Countryside Code.

      Be safe – plan ahead and follow any signs

      Even when going out locally, it’s best to get the latest information about where and when you can go; for example, your rights to go onto some areas of open land may be restricted while work is carried out, for safety reasons or during bird breeding seasons. Follow advice and local signs, and be prepared for the unexpected.

      Leave gates and property as you find them

      Please respect the working life of the countryside, as our actions can affect people’s livelihoods, our heritage, and the safety and welfare of animals and ourselves.

      Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home

      We have a responsibility to protect our countryside now and for future generations, so make sure you don’t harm animals, birds, plants or trees.

      Keep dogs under close control

      The countryside is a great place to exercise dogs, but it’s every owner’s duty to make sure their dog is not a danger or nuisance to farm animals, wildlife or other people.

      Consider other people

      Showing consideration and respect for other people makes the countryside a pleasant environment for everyone – at home, at work and at leisure.

      For further information visit www.countrysideaccess.gov.uk or call 0845 1003298.

      The walks are split into numbered sections. The numbers, accompanied by grid references, correspond to the numbers highlighted on the route maps and will enable you to identify your location easily. The grid references are generated from the National Grid; each Ordnance Survey map is divided by a series of vertical and horizontal lines to create a grid with a spacing of 1km. You can locate a point on a map, accurate to within 100m, using a grid reference which is made up of two letters and six numbers.

      The two letters correspond to the 100,000m₂ in which the grid reference lies, and can be found in the corners of any Ordnance Survey map. The first two digits of the six-figure number correspond to the vertical line (easting) to the left of the point of interest, using the horizontal numbers along the bottom and top of the map; the third digit is the tenths of the square (equivalent to 100m). Next find the fourth and fifth digits: locate the horizontal line (northing) below the point of interest. The last digit is again the number of tenths moving up through the square. Always remember – read the horizontal numbers before the vertical ones.

      Throughout the route text you will find various easily identifiable items or places of interest highlighted in bold type; additional information is given for the latter.

      Useful contact details are given in Appendix 3, and a Table of Walks on pages 8 and 9.

Maps

      Extracts from the Ordnance Survey Landranger series of maps, at a scale of 1:50,000, are used throughout this guidebook, with overlays showing the routes. However, these maps do not give the same level of detail and clarity as that found on the Ordnance Survey Explorer series, at a scale of 1:25,000 – for example, the location of a path in relation to field boundaries. For this reason walkers may find the larger scale mapping of value on some of the routes. Details of the relevant maps are given with each route description. The Explorer maps that cover the walks in this guidebook are:

       Explorer 157 Marlborough and Savernake Forest

       Explorer 158 Newbury and Hungerford

       Explorer 159 Reading, Wokingham and Pangbourne

       Explorer 170 Abingdon, Wantage and Vale of White Horse

       Explorer 171 Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford

       Explorer 172 Chiltern Hills East, High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Rickmansworth

       Explorer 180 Oxford, Witney and Woodstock

Access and Rights Of Way

      All the walks suggested follow public rights of way, whether they be footpaths, bridleways or byways; some sections also follow permissive paths (routes where the landowner has allowed the public to have walking access). Paths are mostly well signed, but not always: in these cases care is required not to lose the way. Local authorities have a duty to protect and maintain the extensive network of off-road routes. Where a path is obstructed, you are entitled to divert around the obstruction. Please report any problems while using the rights of way mentioned in this guidebook to the relevant local authority.

      Footpath sign at Radcot (Walk 1)

      In October 2005 the Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act 2000 was completed, giving all users of the countryside the opportunity to walk freely across mapped ‘access land’ without the need to follow designated paths. Open access land includes mountain, moor, heath, down and registered common land, and these open access areas are marked by a yellow tint on the more recent Ordnance Survey Explorer maps.

      Rights of way are marked on the ground as follows:

       Footpath Yellow arrow – walkers only

       Bridleway Blue arrow – walkers, cyclists and horse riders

       Byway Red arrow – walkers, cyclists, horse riders, motorcycles and vehicles

       Restricted Byway Purple arrow – use by all except mechanically propelled vehicles, but can be narrow and so may not take, for example, a horse and cart.

Long-Distance Routes

      If you fancy a longer and more testing walk several long-distance routes pass through the Thames Valley, and all of them are visited by at least one of the walks described in this book.

      Chiltern Way (Walk 20)

      The Chiltern Way was created by the Chiltern Society as its Millennium project (officially launched in October 2000),