The Seven Shires Way - Stage 14

Moulsford to Aston Tirrold, Friday 28 February 2014

A belated happy new year to our readers. We finished our last walk in Henley-on-Thames on 6 December and the plan was to then follow the Seven Shires Way by way of the Thames Path through Reading to Mouslford. However nearly two months of rain meant that the Thames Path was impassable due to floods. So we will keep those legs for the summer and report back then. The plan was to jump ahead to Moulsford and take the Ridgeway path across to West Ilsley in the belief that there would be no floods actually in the Berkshire Downs. “Ah ah!” you say “how come you only went to Aston Tirrold?” Well the point is we have walked the Ridgeway several times. So we agreed that as we have actually walked from near Lowbury Hill to Bury Hill on our Ridgeway walk in 2009, there was no need to repeat it. This we are sure doesn’t follow the principles of true long distance walkers but when you are on top of the Downs in a gale with pouring rain and covered in mud the thought of repeating a walk comes second to the prospect of cups of hot tea in front of  warm fire at P’s home.

 

Well Barn Estate

So back to the walk. We set off from Moulsford at around 09:45, N & T journeying there from Wallingford on the Thames Travel 135 bus and P getting a lift! Umbrellas and waterproofs at the ready we walked south westwards past Greenlands Farm across the A417 and into the Well Barn Estate. Security cameras, new gates and fences surround the area which has obviously been manicured and laid out. In about half a mile we came across the main dwelling (Grid Ref: SU578826) which seems to include all sorts of buildings. The main house looks very grand and posh but has clearly been built recently even though in a Georgian style. The style just isn’t Berkshire Downs. Investigation later using publically available records from the local planning department shows a whole host of planning applications of ever increasing scale and expenditure. In fact Google Earth shows the place under construction.

Well manicured posh estate

We pushed on through the Estate, past an up market shooting lodge/cottage making good time along the estate road and then gently climbed up through woods full of game bird feeding stations to cross the county boundary at (Grid Ref: SU553813). Then up onto the familiar Ridgeway path as it comes up from Streatley.

Time for a brief sandwich stop (Grid Ref: SU5508100) which was only disturbed by Postman Pat driving past at full tilt to and from Warren Farm. We then agree that as it was nearly opening time we could not miss the Bell Inn in Aldworth.

The Bell Inn (Grid Ref: SU55587964) is a fantastic traditional pub with a proper central bar. Here again we have been here several times before twice when doing the Ridgeway and the last time when we were on the Roman Way en route from Bradfield to Aston Tirrold. It was not on the route but well worth visiting. Be warned through, it can get very busy and on a sunny day at the weekend - patrons queue down the village street to get a drink (as reported by N a couple of weeks later).

Sandwich stop view

West Berks beer was on offer so we sampled a few Maggs Milds and Old Tylers. As this was the first meeting for several weeks we had the opportunity to discuss all manner of things from families to politics, work and pensions and how disappointing Which? Magazine had become. There was a good crowd in the pub and time soon past too quickly and we left a couple of hours later much refreshed but not looking forward to the prospect of heading into the wind and (by then rain).

Our route took us North West past Starveall onto the Ridgeway again and then past Lowbury Hill (site of Roman Temple). P suggested that as we had walked several of the other routes north to Aston Tirrold we should dog-leg to the north of Lowbury Hill and cross over Aston Upthrope Downs to below Langdon Hill. Needless to say we missed the path and spent longer in the rain than we would have liked. T slipped over in the mud and cursed that he didn’t have any waterproof over trousers on. Eventually we managed to find some shelter in a hazel coppice (Grid Ref: SU546838) to consume the remainder of the sandwiches and coffee and then a long walk northwards to A417. Spring Lane (there is a reason for that name) in Aston Tirrold was flooded so with care we walked along the A417 and took Chalk Hill down into Aston Tirrold arriving at P’s house at 16:30 for a welcome cuppa, a declaration from C that we were mad Englishmen and the embarrassment of T sitting there with no trousers on (too wet and muddy). P gave T&N a lift to Didcot Station for their respective journeys home and we agreed that the next walk would start from Bury Down (near West Ilsley).

What the view can be (ex Roman Way 13 Apr 2012)

Summary: Well Barn - well posh and well muddy (to use the common parlance). Great to be walking again. Poor weather was always going to be an issue but we managed half the day without getting wet and 10.1 miles according to T or 10.3 miles according to P!