guide follow official rights of way: footpaths, bridleways, restricted byways, and byways. Some routes also pass areas of open access land (marked on OS Explorer maps) where you can freely roam. Rights of way are marked as follows:
Footpaths Yellow arrow – walkers only
Bridleways Blue arrow – walkers, cyclists and horse riders
Restricted byways Purple arrow – walkers, cyclists, horse riders and carriage drivers
Byways Red arrow – same as for a restricted byway plus motorcycles and motorised vehicles
Rights of way are usually well signposted
Protecting the countryside
When out walking, please respect the countryside and follow the Countryside Code:
Be safe – plan ahead and follow any signs.
Leave gates and property as you find them.
Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home.
Keep dogs under close control.
Consider other people.
Many of the walks pass through fields where cattle may be present. Follow the latest advice: do not walk between cows and young calves; if you feel threatened, move away calmly; do not panic or make sudden noises; and if possible find an alternative route.
Finally, always take extra care when either crossing or walking along roads, or when crossing railway lines.
Using this guide
The descriptions in this guidebook all follow the same format. For the long route, an information box at the start of each stage description gives the start and finish locations accompanied by grid references; stage distance (km/miles) and cumulative distance; ascent in metres (m); minimum time required to complete the stage (hours); relevant maps; places that offer refreshments (pubs, cafés and shops) and accommodation; brief public transport information; and a suggestion of where the stage may be split. Some of the places suggested for refreshments, accommodation and public transport may be a short distance off the main route; for details, see the itinerary planner in Appendix B.
The information boxes for the 20 short walks provide similar details to those of the stages, including brief details of where to park.
Each information box is followed by a short introduction to the stage or the walk, identifying any major points of interest, including villages. The route is then described in detail, with background information given for places of interest encountered along the way.
The map extracts are from the 1:50,000 OS Landranger series. Features shown on the map that are mentioned in the route are highlighted in bold text to help you follow the route.
The distances quoted for each walk (metric first, with approximate imperial conversions rounded to the nearest ¼, ½, ¾ or whole number) have been measured from OS Explorer maps: note that the heights quoted on the maps are in metres and the grid lines are spaced at intervals of 1km. The walking time for each walk has been worked out using a walking speed of 4km/hour (2½ miles/hour), plus 10 minutes for every 100m of ascent. This should be treated as the absolute minimum amount of walking time required to undertake the walk and does not include any 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.
Following the canal back to Avoncliff (Stage 17)
WALKING THE CANAL FROM READING TO BRISTOL
Dunmill Lock (75), just east of Hungerford (Stage 2)
STAGE 1
Reading to Woolhampton
| Start | Kennet Mouth, Reading (SU 730 738) |
| Finish | Woolhampton Bridge (SU 572 665) |
| Distance | 20.7km (12¾ miles); cumulative 20.7km (12¾ miles) |
| Total ascent | 100m |
| Time | 5½hr |
| Map | OS Explorer 159; Heron Maps: Kennet & Avon Canal |
| Refreshments | Reading, Burghfield Bridge, Theale, Tyle Mill, Aldermaston Wharf, Aldermaston, Woolhampton |
| Public transport | Railway stations at Reading, Theale, Aldermaston Wharf (Aldermaston station), Woolhampton (Midgham station); bus services at Reading, Burghfield Bridge, Theale, Tyle Mill, Ufton Bridge, Aldermaston Wharf, Woolhampton |
| Accommodation | Reading, Theale, Sulhamstead, Aldermaston Wharf, Aldermaston |
| Splitting the stage | The stage may be split after 11.2km (7 miles) at Theale (SU 647 704), where there is a railway station, parking and accommodation. |
The first stage along the canal starts out from the River Thames and heads through the hustle and bustle of Reading town centre before passing into a more rural setting. After the M4 motorway, the route passes Garston Lock, one of only two turf-sided locks along the canal; along this part of the route there are several flooded gravel pits. After Theale, the route heads for Aldermaston Wharf, home to a small canal visitor centre and tea room, before continuing to the stage end at Woolhampton, beside the Rowbarge pub. For large parts of the stage, the canal and River Kennet flow as one.
From Reading railway station to the canal
Leave through the north (Caversham) exit, follow the signed walking/cycle route for Christchurch Meadows and Caversham past the bus stops, then across the A329 and along Norman Place to the River Thames. Turn right along the Thames Path for 1.7km to the junction with the canal at Kennet Mouth. Follow the Thames Path over Horseshoe Bridge and turn sharp left, doubling back under the bridge to join the canal heading into Reading.
Reading was once home to a great abbey founded by Henry I in 1121 – now only sections of flint rubble walls remain. The playwright, poet and novelist Oscar Wilde was imprisoned at Reading Gaol in the late 1800s and following his release he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Reading Museum (0118 937 3400), housed in the Victorian Gothic Town Hall, charts the town’s history and includes Roman artefacts from Calleva Atrebatum and a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. (Walk 1 takes in the abbey ruins, the site of Reading Gaol, the Town Hall and Museum, and explores other locations in Reading.)
The town is often known for the ‘Three Bs’ of Beer, Bulbs and Biscuits, relating to three former industries that originated in the town: Simonds’ Brewery, established by William Blackall Simonds in 1785; Suttons Seeds, founded in 1806 by John Sutton to provide corn seed and which expanded into flower and vegetable seeds in 1837; and Huntley & Palmers, originally started by Joseph Huntley in 1822, which by 1900 had become the largest biscuit manufacturer in the world.
The last remaining building from the former Huntley & Palmers biscuit factory in Reading
The journey of 152.1km (94½ miles) along the Kennet and Avon Canal starts at Kennet Mouth, where the canal and River Kennet join with England’s longest river, the Thames.
The Thames rises in Gloucestershire and meanders for 346km (215 miles) through eight counties. The 72km (45 mile) River Kennet rises at several locations, including Swallowhead