Status Updates From 50 Walks in Berkshire & Buc...

Burnham Beeches - this was a good autumal walk. Lots of gravel paths but one very muddy section if it has rained! How we managed to stay upright I don't know. The car park is large but we went on a Tuesday and it was almost full. You only have to pay for parking on weekends and bank holidays. The walk was a bit shorter than stated in the book.

16/09/2020 - Bagnor - a really nice and pretty little walk. Lots of parking at the theatre and well worth the trip there. The village looks so pretty, once the theatre has reopened, I would definitely be looking to go there.

Enborne - 02/08/2020 - this is a lovely walk along a canal and then through a park. It was really pretty and my partner said his favourite walk from the book so far. The parking is more of a verge than a car park so small but free. Lots of sheep in the park to walk through. A little bit hilly so maybe more towards an amber than a green walk. Some road walking at the beginning which is fine as long as you take care.

13/06/2020 - Wasing Park - we really enjoyed most of this walk, it was very pretty. Parking is a bit odd, in that it is just a small patch of land and it doesn't really look like you can park there but the car was fine. The problem is the last bit of the walk is a mile along a busy B road and it is far too dangerous. I would not recommend this walk just for the last bit, you could seriously die on the last bit

31/05/2020 - Finchampstead - this is the first time that we found the book really off with instructions. We seemed to end up in the wrong place a few times because the way did not seem to match the instructions. It is better to follow the map with this one. And even though we went wrong a few times and had to go back, we barely did 4 miles when it is meant to be 5 miles.

24/05/2020 - Wargrave - We took a picnic for this walk and it was really nice. Parking was easy in the pay and display car park and it is free on Sundays. No animal fields to walk through. There are a couple of hills in the walk. A walk through a golf course but the walkway is pretty shielded.

27/03/20 - Frilsham by the Pot Kiln Pub - beautiful scenery and some gorgeous houses to look at on this walk, however, most of the walk is in woodlands and it was extremely muddy in places. We weren't 100% sure we were going the right way some of the time but it turned out we were. It was interesting to see the Christmas tree farm. Some changes from the book in regards to fences. Free but small car park by the pub.

22/03/20 - Snelsmore Common to Donnington Castle - a nice little walk but muddy even though it had been sunny for the week beforehand. Probably one for wellies or walking books. It was interesting to see the castle. Free parking at Snelsmore Common but it was quite busy on a Sunday. When we finished the walk, people were struggled to park in the car park

21/03/20 - By the Thames at Reading - we had put off doing this walk as walking through Reading Town Centre did not seem very exciting but it is actually quite nice walking along the Thames and seeing part of the city we would not normally see. We parked at the Oracle which is very expensive parking (£6 for 3 hours).

15/03/20 - Milton Keynes - we thought the worst walk we had been on was the walk near Slough but the Milton Keynes walk beat it! We feel that the council must have paid to have this walk included because although the gardens are pretty, the rest is just a lot of homeless people and then walking through the shopping centre. Expensive parking too. It left me with no desire to revisit Milton Keynes.

11/09/19 - Turville - it was really difficult to park for this walk. Turville is tiny and there seemed to be a lot of walkers about. However, the parking is free. This is a short walk but is uphill in places. I fell over into stinging nettles on this walk so didn't enjoy it as much as the others but it is worth doing.

31/08/19 - Windsor Great Park (North) - although I have been round Windsor Great Park many times, we have never done this exact route so decided to try it. We missed the turning to the car park that was suggested so parked in the second choice (Ranger's Gate) instead. It is a free car park but quite small. Cranbourne Gate is bigger but only open on the weekends. An easy walk with lovely views of Windsor Castle

26/08/19 - Upper Woolhampton - a nice short walk mostly following a bridleway with some road walking. There is a very small but free car park and best of all, there is a telephone box library there! I didn't have any books with me but I did take two out and promise to return one future day to replace them! A very easy walk.

25/08/19 - Chequers/Ellesborough - this walk is very scenic and it is nice to see Chequers, as it is a very impressive house. The PM was in France while we were there and we didn't see any security but I am sure it was there! There is a small free car park and there was plenty of space on a Sunday that was very hot. One field of cows to walk through. A little bit hilly, especially walking up to the church.

25/05/19 - Stoke Poges - this is the worst walk I have done in the book! There is nothing pretty about this walk but then again, it is right next to Slough! One of the fields has been turned into a car park, one of the waymarker posts has been knocked down and the path overgrown, there are broken stiles and lots of the fields have been fly tipped in. Parking is free but one to skip.

Burchett's Green - the only parking for this is at a choice of two pubs. We tried The Crown but the car park was shut as it wasn't open, so we went to the Dewdrop Inn instead. Great decision as that was a wonderful pub, well worth the lunch we had there after the walk. Not a long walk, some steep bits. You see animals but we didn't have to walk through any. Some of the route has changed but it is easily picked up

24/03/19 - Littlewick Green - a lovely little walk of 3.5 miles. Really easy with beautiful scenery of pretty fields and cottages. Parking is free around the green but looks like it could get busy. A quiet walk past plenty of big houses as well. Lots of lovely things to see.

Pangbourne - a lovely short walk of only 3 miles. Car park is pay and display but free on Sundays (& BHs). There is one field of cows to walk through. Absolutely gorgeous when you get to the Thames and on the other side of the river there was a field of Llamas to look at. I would really recommend this walk!

Bucklebury - I did this walk over the Summer and it is a nice countryside walk. Parking is free and the car park was empty on a Sunday morning. There are some fields of sheep to navigate. I also got stung badly by some stinging nettles on my hand. The walk does not go past the Middletons' home so no glimpses of Royals ;)

Cookham - this is a muddy walk mostly along the River Thames. We started the walk at Bray and then ducked out at Cookham rather than going from Maidenhead to Bourne End. It was a rainy day and you definitely need wellies or good walking boots but the route is pretty flat so an easy one.

Sunningdale, Wentworth & Fort Belvedere - a lovely short walk (probably 3.5miles rather than 4) around Sunningdale. Not much on street parking but doable if you arrive early on a weekend day (we parked very close to The Nag's Head). Walking through Wentworth and looking at the massive houses/mansions is great, I just wish I could live in one! Some road walking but nothing scary.

Wokingham and Crowthorne walk - a very long walk and it's important to read both the map and instructions at the same time as we went wrong from just following the instructions. We used the car park suggested in the book (not the Rose Street one) and it was free parking on Sundays. Mostly woodland and farm walking. There was a small stretch on a road with no pavement that was busy and had a 50 mile speed limit.

Hambledon - this is a lovely little village surrounded by farmland. The car park is free and right next to the pub. Part of the walk is up Pheasants Hill and this is definitely named for the amount of pheasants - it had loads! There is also walking through a field of sheep and a couple of fields with horses in so it is something to bear in mind if you are not comfortable with animals. The walk was over 10k.

Dinton Pastures Country Park - this is a short walk of around 3 miles and can be shorter if you miss out going to the Aviation Centre which is what we did. It is a pleasant walk through woodlands and partly round a lake. There is also a large park which will keep children entertained. The car park is large and there is an overflow car park as well. Parking prices were £3 for two hours

I completed the walk around the lake at Dorney today and it was a beautiful walk. It is actually 10km and not 8km as the book states (we didn't go anywhere wrong as far as we were aware!) so longer than anticipated but that was not a problem. We were a bit dubious that there was going to be a car park at the end of the road as there were no signs but it was not there and it is actually a free car park.

I've completed the walk around California Country park which was a lovely walk but very short and probably around 1km short of the distance stated in the book. However, it's a really lovely spot and they have a paddling pool out for the children in nice weather from the end of June to September (£2 entry for the paddling pool). The walk took about an hour and it's nice and peaceful.

Completed my first walk from this book, which is walking along the Thames in Marlow. It's an absolutely beautiful walk and I would thoroughly recommend it. The path is narrow and muddy in places but easy enough to walk.