Training Walk: Theale to Pangbourne - 26 February 2018

Well dear readers we made a good start on 22 January with completion of our own invention of Route 66 from Wheatley (Oxford) to Faringdon so the plan was to continue with what we term “training” walks with a local (of sorts) walk from Theale to Panbourne. N was unable to join us as he was away on business in some sunny clime though he assures us that this is usually a basement meeting room in a hotel and he never sees the sun or breathes fresh air. It’s a tough life!

The result was that P, A and T agreed to meet outside the Three Guineas pub by Reading Station and take a JetBlack bus out to Theale.

It was a sunny but cold day. This was just before the much publicised “Beast from the East”. A few cold days with some snow and frost which has been used ever since to account for the economic stutters that the British economy suffered. The weather forecast was correct and it was a lovely day for a winter walk so long as one stayed out of the brisk easterly wind. Apologies in advance, T forgot his camera so the only picture we have is from a phone.

The bus dropped us off in the middle of Theale, grid reference SU6422 7127 and we headed north out of the village towards the hamlet of North Street. The traffic noise from the nearby M4 was ever present which must make “country living” slightly less desirable.

We crossed the motorway by a footbridge (SU6412 7297) which added a few hundred metres to the walk as the pathway spirals up and then down to the over bridge. We carried on eastwards, through a plantation and out into open fields with a splendid view of Sulham Woods. Suddenly quite quiet as the motorway was now downwind

Sulham Wood from SU6452 7322

Plodded up through the wooded slope of Beal’s Copse towards Little Heath Road, SU6542 7317. This is on the edge of Tilehurst, but this is the part that is in West Berkshire even though it is served by Reading Buses number 33!

We turned north and turned off along a very muddy path towards Sulham Woods and past the site of Sadler’s Farm, SU6494 7418). There were splendid views and countryside even though we were on the outskirts of Reading/Tilehurst. We crossed over the lane towards Sulham village and with a detour across an open field joined the path that P & T had followed last year, 12 April 2017. The easterly wind was certainly cold so we were eager to find a sheltered spot in Sulham Wood for our packed lunches. A convenient log or tree stump was found in a relatively sheltered spot with some sunshine, SU64477528.

The path then headed downslope again and across the water meadows and adjacent allotments and through the Horseshoe Industrial estate to the Reading Road in Pangbourne, SU6378 7646. It was time for a warm drink . We headed into the Costa Coffee in Pangbourne and had a welcome coffee/tea before walking to the station for our respective trains to Didcot/Oxford or Reading.

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We managed 5.4 miles, though it was never meant to be more than a way to keep on walking. A really nice walk and surprisingly hilly (as P commented several times). Perhaps something that could be repeated when it is not so cold or muddy.  Sorry about the lack of pictures. Your author attempted to go out there again (on the 33) in March but was not prepared for the muddy paths off of Little Heath Road. Perhaps we will edit this post in the future with additional photography. Though keen readers could look back at the Pangbourne entry in April 2017! Right let’s now press on to the Cotswold Way.