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| Countryside near Cleeve, Goring |
Before the author's memory completely fails here is a short recollection of the walks that P & T planned and executed in the late summer of 2017 around Goring-on-Thames. A was away in France and N was away on business somewhere hot and humid.
We selected Goring as it was halfway and a short train ride from our respective home bases. P planned the 6 September walk and T the latter one.
Wednesday 6 September 2017:
We met at Goring station (the
ticket office at Reading Station were very keen to refer to this as
Goring-on-Thames (to avoid confusion with Goring-by-Sea?) though we all thought
the station was called Goring & Streatley!
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| Elvedon Woods |
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| Battle Woods |
Our path left the road just opposite the railway bridge and
we headed north-east to cut through Cleeve, along Lockstile Way, (the part of
Goring you never see). The weather was good for walking the sort of day in
early September that when one was in school you wished you weren't. We passed
Battle Plantation and climbed up from Battle Road (Grid ref: SU 6137 8147) to
Wroxhills Wood. The path then turned eastwards and we kept to the contour
crossing over the path we followed on 5 August 2016 (SU 6246 8148) to join
Battle Road again (now called Elvendon Lane.) We carried on uphill through more
woods to Little Heath (SU 6332 8074) and across the Goring to Reading Road
(B4526). This was the highest point of the walk.
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| Elephant grass, Coombe End |
We then walked onto Blackbird's Bottom (SU 6332 8027) and
then had a choice of routes back to Goring. We were making good time so opted
to go through Cold Harbour towards Coombe End Farm.
The small lane soon dropped down the scarp and the path gave
way to a dirt track that appeared to be well used by off-road bikers, the
sunken lane had apparently been the original drover’s route up the hill from
Goring towards Goring Heath and Reading.
We emerged at Hartslock nature reserve, SU 6164 7958, which
according to the information board is “a jewel of a nature reserve with
wonderful views of the Thames. Hartslock's unimproved chalk down land and scrub
are full of national scarcities.” Hartslock is easily accessible from Goring
and is the very obvious down land that one sees from the train (left-hand side)
heading to London and the trains. By all accounts this is home to the protected
Monkey Orchid.
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| Thames from Hartslock |
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| Lower Basildon Farm with diesel under wires |
Well it was time for lunch so we climbed up the slope and
sat on the convenient bench to enjoy the aforesaid view of the river as it cuts
through the Goring Gap. We watched several non-electric trains under the newly
erected wires and discussed the visual impact of said pylons to the National
grid pylons visible at the crest of the Berkshire Downs opposite from Goring.
We also wondered why there was a lack of good connected paths the other side of
the river. This was Berkshire (was that relevant?) Perhaps it was all the large
estates? Or perhaps there was never any need to walk, ride or cart goods from
Streatley towards Newbury in the past. It got us thinking and we decided to try
and find a route the other side (the Berkshire side) next time.
An easy stroll back to Goring and a train home. P did admit to driving to Goring!
Really nice, half-day walk of 6 miles, better done clockwise.
Friday 15 September 2017:
This was to have been the next
walk on the Cross Cotswold pathway but family commitments meant that T & P
were “training” again (we will have to
find another name for these in-between walks). Same meeting arrangements in
Goring but this time we decided to walk (plod) up the hill to the west of
Streatley, (the Holies?)
The path took us across the Thames past the Swan Hotel
currently being renovated and up the main street of Streatley. Road works at
the cross roads were due to the installation of fibre presumably for improved
broadband internet coverage. This wasn't BT Openworld. Have the citizens of
Streatley paid for their own fibre network? Rumour has it that they can afford
it. Turned towards Reading and past the YHA hostel and then up the slope though
woodland. Benches had been placed at convenient intervals up the path. These
were useful and we are thankful to those who had the foresight to make and
install them.
We eventually emerged into sunlight and had a great view across the Goring Gap to the East (SU 5914 8034) and a different perspective on where we had been last week. Had an early lunch bite and then continued to the summit.
We eventually emerged into sunlight and had a great view across the Goring Gap to the East (SU 5914 8034) and a different perspective on where we had been last week. Had an early lunch bite and then continued to the summit.
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| View over Goring & Streatley |
From the top of the hill we could make out the hills to the
south of Newbury. There was no obvious path that way so we cut through the wood
named “Common Wood” to the B4009 (Streatley to Newbury). A few dog walkers were
around and a couple of guys clearing a garden of old logs into the back of an
estate car.
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| Hampshire hills in the distance |
We crossed the road near its summit, (SU 5828 8064) waiting
for a middle-aged, Lyrca-clad cyclist
(MAMIL) to speed-off downhill to Streatley, and then cut across the golf
course, on a designated footpath. Great views of the Downs to the north.
Members of this golf club need to be fit to enjoy these views. There were quite
a few golfers out and they didn't all seem to be of retirement age. Well it was
a Friday.
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| Rowan Atkinson's house is visible from everwhere |
At the bottom of the slope we joined the path of the
Ridgeway (SU 5820 8149 - last here in January 2009) and followed the path back
to Streatley and down into Goring again. Stopped off at the Catherine Wheel Pub
(SU 5997 8064 - last here in May 2014) for a pint and then up the road to the
station, (this time P was on the train!).
