THE
WALK
Distance:
5
miles
Grid reference at start: SU718740
Time: 2 hours
Going: Easy
Parking: For the start use Hill's Meadow car park by
Reading Bridge, and at the finish try the car park at Ashenbury
Park in Woodley.
BBC
BERKSHIRE WALKING AND SAFETY
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 |
Begin
this walk at Reading Bridge, and get onto the Thames Path by following
the footpath sign through the car park of Thames Water's Clearwater
Court building, turning right onto the Thames Path.
Go
under Reading Bridge and past Caversham Lock.
Just
after Caversham Lock, follow the path which veers right into King's
Meadow.
Follow
the path which takes you up onto a railway footbridge (Horseshoe
Bridge) alongside the railway track, and back down to the Thames,
signposted to Sonning and The Loddon.
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| You'll
reach Caversham Lock shortly after leaving Reading. |
Keep
to the Thames Path with the gas towers to your right.
Pass
the canoes and kayak centre on your right, and look out for the
Oracle buildings of Thames Valley Park on your right.
Continue
following the Thames Path, ignoring a footpath sign on your right.
As
you leave Thames Valley Park behind, the path passes through a meadow
and then veers to the right into a wooded copse with The Thames
on your left.
Pass
by a boathouse with blue double doors on your right.
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| This
part of The Thames gets very busy with barges and pleasure cruisers. |
Then
through a series of wooden five-bar gates taking you past Sonning
Lock, and past the back of Reading Blue Coat School.
Then
leave the Thames Path, turning right and following the sign to Parish
Church and Bull Inn.
Walk
alongside St Andrew's Church, with the church on your left.
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| Sonning
Lock is particularly pretty. |
After
you've passed the church and where several footpaths cross, turn
left.
As
you approach the wooden gate out of the church yard don't leave
the churchyard, follow the footpath sign taking you sharp right,
almost back on yourself,
with the redbrick wall on your left.
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| This
sign takes you away from the Thames Path. |
When
you reach the wooden gate, leave the churchyard through the wooden
gate and onto the road, passing The Bull Inn on your right.
Where
the road bends left, you want to turn right past the No Entry signs
and up the hill.
You'll
pass a restaurant and Post Office on your left.
 |
| The
Bull Inn in Sonning is the perfect place to stop for a quick
pint. |
When
the road meets the main road, turn left.
Go
past Pearson Hall and Sonning Working Men's Club on your left.
As
the road bends to the left, take the turning Pound Lane on your
right.
Go
past Sonning C of E Primary School on the right.
When
you reach the roundabout with the A4, go straight on to Woodley.
 |
| This
restaurant-cum-tea shop is hidden away in Sonning, but you'll
pass it on this walk. |
Turn
left down Duffield Road.
Pass
Sonning Golf Club on your left, and go over the railway bridge continuing
to follow the road.
Pass
Willowbank Infants and Junior School on the right.
And
at the junction with Church Road on the right and Tippings Lane
on the left, turn left.
Then
turn left down Denmark Avenue.
And
then right into Ashenbury Park.
You've
completed
Part Ten of the Berkshire Way
Well
Done!
Berkshire
Way Part Eleven
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