Gay Outdoor Club: Berkshire & Mid-Thames Walks 2008

Contact details for Berkshire & Mid-Thames Group

Sunday 13 January. Meet in the car park of Bourne End Community Centre, for a 10 mile Chiltern ramble with a pub lunch. Work off some of the festive pounds! Train from Maidenhead.

Sunday 17 February. Meet in the village car park (free parking) at Goring-on-Thames, behind the shopping arcade. Goring & Streatley station is 5 mins walk. About 8 miles including the Ridgeway and the downs. Will finish in time for a pub lunch option.Trains: from Paddington, Reading and Oxford.

Sunday 16 March. Meet at station car park, Hook, (4 miles east of Basingstoke), for an 11 mile walk, including a section of the Basingstoke Canal. Pub lunch at Upton Grey. Train from Waterloo.

Sunday 20 April. Meet in the car park by Chilton Primary School, (take the A4185 to the west of the A34, and the car park is near the Garden Centre) for a Ridgeway and Downland walk of around 8 miles with a nice lunch at 'The Harrow' at West Ilsley.

Saturday 10 May. Meet in the public car park in Pangbourne, for a 5 mile circular ramble along the Pang valley and back through Sulham Woods. Pub meal afterwards. Trains from Reading or Oxford (4 minutes walk).

Saturday 24 May. Meet start outside the station in Henley-on-Thames, for circular walk of about 7 miles with fine views across the Thames valley, going out through woodland at Remenham Hill, passing through the fields of Culham Farms and returning alongside the Thames and the Regatta course into Henley, and afterwards at the local Wetherspoons for sustenance and refreshment. Trains from Reading Twyford. Parking needs time on a Saturday. Car park next to the station charges £2.70 for the day.

Saturday 31 May. Meet outside main front entrance (south side) of Basingstoke rail station for a 45 mile cycle ride (joint event with CycleOut). Grade 2/3 CycleOut. All on-road, mostly quiet. Trains from Waterloo. We head east across the North Downs through picturesque villages to Crondall for lunch stop (500 year old pub). Then southwest towards the Wey Valley and Upper Froyle, returning to Basingstoke. Afternoon tea stop may be possible.

Sunday 15 June. Meet in the public car-park in Wendover for a pleasant 14 mile walk out via The Ridgeway and back via canal towpaths. Can also be enjoyed as an 8 mile morning or a 6 mile afternoon - please contact co-ordinator if you require transport to/from lunch pub. Rewards at lunch are the homely pub with Tring bitter and good food e.g. roast £7.95 prepared by the girls.

Sunday 6 July. Meet in the National Trust car park near White Horse Hill, (£4 for cars without NT 08 badge ). Access is off the B4507 Ashbury to Wantage road. Bring a packed lunch. A 12 mile walk on the Downs with superb long-distance views. Very
little Ridgeway, mostly paths and tracks.

Sunday 20 July. Meet in the car park of the village hall in Woodcote for a 10 mile woodland and down ramble. Pub available for lunch stop serving filled rolls and local bitter.

Saturday 9 August. Meet in the car park of Winchfield station for a pleasant evening ramble across fields, along a stretch of canal and back through woodland. Pub afterwards.

Sunday 17 August. A 9 mile figure of eight walk - 5 miles am and 4 miles pm - exploring the wooded slopes and meandering watercourse of the delightful Pang River valley (about 8 miles west of Reading). Meet at the Bull Country Inn at Stanford Dingley. Please park at the rear of pub car park. Good quality home cooked food for lunch including Sunday roast. (Note. Stanford Dingley can be difficult to find! Lots of narrow lanes and junctions, not all of which are sign posted. Don't forget the map!)

Saturday 6 September. Meet in the car park of the pub in Priory Lane, Freefolk, off the B3400 between Basingstoke and Whitchurch, for an attractive 5 mile Test Valley ramble. Pub meal option after.

Sunday 14 September. Joint event with CycleOut. Meet outside main front entrance (south side) of Basingstoke rail station for a cycle ride of about 55 miles. CycleOut grade 3, moderately fast pace, mostly minor roads: highways and byways of Hampshire and Berkshire. We head north and into the Thames Valley, through Pangbourne, Streatley (hill), Hermitage, Cold Ash and return to Basingstoke. Pub lunch. Train from Waterloo.

Sunday 28 September. Meet outside Goring & Streatley station, (car park £1.25), for a varied Goring Gap walk of about 9 miles using the Icknield and Swan Ways. Lunch stop in Cholsey at the Red Lion PH, phone 01491 651295. Park at Cholsey station (£1.50) if you just do the morning, getting the train to Goring (£2.30 bring change). In the afternoon we will take the Thames Path back to Goring. The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is operating today. Trains: from Reading, Oxford and Cholsey.

Saturday 11 October. Meet at Victoria Cross, Burnham Beeches, for a 4½mile autumn ramble through ancient woodland and some fields. Arrive early at the Beeches café for tea!. Pub meal option after.

Sunday 19 October. Cycling. Meet outside the main entrance to Reading station for a 25 mile leisure ride with lunch in Goring-on-Thames. Out through Kidmore End, Checkendon and Goring, returning to Reading station. Mainly on roads and paved paths, about half a mile on rough track (can push bikes along there if necessary).

Sunday 26 October. Meet in the free car park in Kingsclere (opposite the church and behind the public toilet). The Downland walk is about 9 miles with a pub stop at Hannington (seats nearby for picnic if required). The morning part is about 5½ miles and in one section is quite steep. The afternoon part is about 3½ miles and mainly, although not completely, either level or downhill. (To do just the afternoon walk, park at the pub. Arrangements will be made to return you to the pub). Please let Co-ordinator know if that is what you plan to do.

For further information see the GOC Outdoors magazine.