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About the Author
Steve Davison is a freelance writer and photographer and has lived in Berkshire for the past 20 years. He has written for a number of outdoor magazines and other publications including local and national newspapers, specialising in hillwalking and European travel, with interests in nature, geology and the countryside. A keen hillwalker for many years and holder of a Mountain Leader (summer) Certificate, Steve has also worked as a part-time outdoor education instructor. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
WALKING IN THE THAMES VALLEY
by
Steve Davison
2 POLICE SQUARE, MILNTHORPE, CUMBRIA LA7 7PY
© Steve Davison 2008
First published 2008
ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 570 4
All photographs by the author.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Licence number PU100012932
Advice to Readers
Readers are advised that while every effort is taken by the author to ensure the accuracy of this guidebook, changes can occur which may affect the contents. It is advisable to check locally on such things as transport, accommodation and shops but even rights of way can be altered.
The publisher would welcome notes of any such changes.
Front cover: All Saints Church, Cuddesdon (Walk 19)
CONTENTS
Walk 1 Lechlade and a Thames Meander
Walk 2 Wiltshire Ridges and Liddington Castle
Walk 4 Fosbury Hill and the Chutes
Walk 6 Lambourn Downs: Striding out with horses and dragons
Walk 7 Thames Village Meander
Walk 8 Hanging Around on Walbury Hill
Walk 9 The Letcombe Gallop
Walk 10 Wantage and the Village Challenge
Walk 11 Farnborough: A poet’s hideaway
Walk 12 Cold Ash and Hermitage: A writer’s retreat
Walk 13 Blewbury and its Hillfort
Walk 14 Watership Down: A land of rabbits
Walk 15 The Pang Valley: A river runs through it
Walk 16 Dorchester-on-Thames: An ancient place of worship
Walk 17 The Aldworth Giants and Thurle Down
Walk 18 The Goring Challenge
Walk 19 Oxford Hills and the River Thame
Walk 20 Historic Ewelme and Swyncombe
Walk 21 Roman around Silchester
Walk 22 Chiltern Patchwork
Walk 23 Thames and Chilterns Meander
Walk 24 Hambledon Valley and a Royal Regatta
Walk 25 Cookham and Stanley Spencer
APPENDIX 1 A Brief History
APPENDIX 2 Local Geology
APPENDIX 3 Useful Contacts
APPENDIX 4 Further Reading
The River Thames at Lechlade (Walk 1)
INTRODUCTION
This guidebook offers a collection of 25 adventurous circular walks in the Thames Valley, covering the Southern Chilterns, Berkshire, Lambourn and North Hampshire Downs and Southern Oxfordshire, all within easy reach of places such as Reading, Swindon, Newbury, Abingdon and surrounding towns.
All the walks – which vary in length from 10 to 18 miles (16 to 29km) and include a two-day (26-mile/42km) weekend walk over the Lambourn Downs – have a detailed route description that includes information on points of interest along the way, and are accompanied by a map based on Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 series maps. Many of the routes also have shorter (around 7–10-mile/11–16km) options, for those times when you want a less strenuous day out.
Some of the walks visit the ancient sites of Iron Age hillforts while others pass more modern features such as Wilton Windmill and the Kennet and Avon Canal. Many pass through picturesque villages with cosy pubs, thatched cottages and fascinating old churches. Some follow sections of the Ridgeway National Trail, which links some of the oldest ‘green’ roads in Britain, while others