Saturday Walkers' Club

Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1

Walk 4 : Pangbourne (round walk)

River Thames & Crays Pond

Length Around 13.5 km (8.5 miles), 4 hours. For the whole outing, including trains and meals, allow 7 hours.
OS Landranger Map OS Landranger Map No. 175, OS Explorer Map No. 171.
Toughness 3 out of 10.
Features Pangbourne and its companion Whitchurch, on the other side of the Thames, are delightful villages, spoilt only by too much traffic. Passing on a tollbridge over the river, you come to St Mary's Church, with the route continuing along part of the Thames Path National Trail (which opened in 1996) past Coombe Park, to a wood with views down to the Thames. From there it is up through a nature reserve and Great Chalk Wood, to a pub for lunch by Crays Pond. After lunch you pass Great Oaks manor, now a preparatory school, and go through woods and fields back down to a tearoom in Pangbourne.
Shortening the Walk The first third of the walk is perhaps the most interesting - you could catch a bus at lunchtime from the pub in Crays Pond back into Pangbourne.
History

The earliest mention of Pangbourne is in a Saxon charter of 844 as Paegingaburnam (meaning 'streams of sons of Paega'). In 1919, DH Lawrence stayed in Pangbourne, commenting: 'Pleasant house - Hate Pangbourne - Nothing happens.' Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows, lived in Church Cottage, Pangbourne.

An act of parliament in 1792 allowed the building of Whitchurch Toll Bridge, to replace the ferry. The ten proprietors were given the right to charge tolls - for instance, one halfpenny for every sheep and lamb. The present iron bridge of 1902 replaces two previous wooden tollbridges.

St Mary's Church in Whitchurch dates from the twelfth century. St Birynius is said to have landed at the ferry crossing at Whitchurch and, on seeing how fine the place was, decided to build a church there.

Lunch The White Lion, Cray's Pond, was closed at time of update. A good alternative, late in the walk and around 1km off the main route, is The Sun, Hill Bottom.
Tea Refreshments are available in Pangbourne.
Saturday Walkers Club Take the first train after 9.30am from Paddington Station to Pangbourne. Journey time around 1 hour.
Travel by Train
  • Out:
  • Back:
Travel by Car

Start: Pangbourne Station is near : RG8 7DY [gmap]

OS Explorer Map

171 : Chiltern Hills West [Amazon]
Revised

This walk was fully revised in : Jan-10

For the walk map, please see the Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
Other Thames Valley Walks Henley (round walk), Shiplake to Henley, Oxford round walk, Sunningdale to Windsor, Cookham (round walk), Mortimer to Aldermaston or Theale, Henley to Pangbourne, Henley via Stonor Circular, Henley via Hambleden Circular, Marlow Circular, Goring Circular, Newbury Racecourse to Woolhampton, Appleford Circular, Cholsey to Goring, Maidenhead to Marlow, Thames Path : Reading to Henley, Thames Path : Marlow via Cookham Circular,

Walking Instructions 



[Numbers in square brackets refer to the map in the book]

  1. From the London train, use the tunnel to cross to the other platform, leave the station and turn right downhill.
  2. In 100m, cross the A329 and continue on a car-wide, signposted, public footpath called "The Wharf".
  3. In 90m, cross the Pang, a tributary river, and turn left on a path between railings with the River Thames on your left.
  4. In 100m, cross a gravel road and, in 25m, reach a T-junction with the B4712 where you turn left to pass the Boathouse Surgery.
  5. In 100m, cross the Thames via the Whitchurch Toll Bridge.
  6. 5m after the toll booth, turn left on the "Thames Path" to walk up "The Mill - Private Drive".
  7. In 65m, pass Church Cottages and turn right to follow the "Thames Path" & "Footpath to the Church".
  8. Pass St Mary's Church and through the lych gate to turn half right (20°).
  9. Bear right with this road to re-join the B471 in 100m and turn left to pass "The Greyhound" pub.
  10. In 500m, having ignored Manor Road and Hardwick Road, turn left on the "Thames Path Bridleway to Goring 3.5m".
  11. In 1500m, follow a blue arrow to go down one set of steps and up another and continue.
  12. In 300m, enter "Private Woodland" by the "Thames Path".
  13. In 1km, pass a pill-box on your left.
  14. In 250m, 5m before the path leaves the wood, turn right uphill to go through a swing gate into a "Nature Reserve".
  15. Turn right and ascend steeply for 100m (60°) to enjoy the fine view and continue.
  16. In 200m, after descending steeply, leave the field by a swing gate and turn left (285°).
  17. In 150m, at a T junction, turn right uphill (30°).
  18. In 400m, as you emerge from woods, turn left over a stile, marked with a yellow arrow to follow a "Public Footpath" (70°).
  19. In 20m, cross another stile to pass stables and, in 30m, yet another, to pass between fences (70°).
  20. In 40m, turn sharp left to follow a path around the earth pile.
  21. Before reaching a farm-yard, cross a stile to turn half-left and cross a field towards another stile in the distance (60°).
  22. In 230m, cross the stile into Great Chalk Wood and turn half right to follow the path.
  23. In 35m, cross a path to follow a "Permitted Footpath - Not a Public Right of Way - Persons may use at own risk".
  24. In 150m, cross a car-wide track to continue and reach a T-junction at a post with blue and yellow arrows.
  25. Turn right here (115°) and in 45m turn left, downhill, following a blue bridleway arrow.
  26. In 100m, at the edge of the wood, cross a path and veer immediately right.
  27. In 400m, going gently uphill, go through a wooden swing gate.
  28. In 100m, go through another swing gate to pass "Bottom House Farm".
  29. In 450m, as you emerge from the wood, before reaching a large house up on the left, turn left to follow a "Public Footpath" marked by a yellow arrow on a post.
  30. In 15m, fork right to follow the path round with a fence on your left.
  31. In 100m, bend sharp left between hedges and, in 160m, emerge onto a path across fields (345°).
  32. In 250m, turn right onto the B4526 and follow it for 500m to reach "The White Lion", Cray's Pond on your left, the suggested lunchtime stop.
  33. After lunch, continue along the B4526 (130°) to pass "The Oratory Preparatory School" entrance in 200m and turn left on a footpath in a further 100m, some 10m after a metal barrier on the left.
  34. Once in the wood, turn immediately right to follow a white arrow on a tree in 10m (80°).
  35. Follow white arrows for 400m to pass to the left of an earth mound, reach a path T-junction and turn right.
  36. In 200m, cross the B4526 and follow the footpath sign to "Coldharbour" (200°).
  37. In 30m, reach an open space with a concrete floor and follow the path through the wood with a rusty iron fence to your right (235°).
  38. In 300m, go through a metal kissing gate to leave the wood and follow a fence on your right.
  39. In 100m, bear right with the fence to follow a yellow "Public Footpath" arrow on a post.
  40. In 300m, go over a stile to the right of a farm gate.
  41. In 150m, pass a timber framed house on your right to cross the B471 and continue on a road in the same direction (260°).
  42. In 350m, ignore a bridleway to your right by "Laurel Cottage" and turn left.
  43. In 85m, before reaching "Coldharbour Farm", turn sharp left on a footpath to "Whitchurch" (165°).
  44. Pass to the left of a clump of trees and go over a kissing gate in 300m and a stile in a further 250m to emerge by a gate opposite "Pine Paddock". ( Turn left here to cross a main road in 100m and continue to "The Sun", the alternative lunch stop, in a further 900m. After lunch, return to this point.)
  45. Turn right and, in 75m, follow a further footpath to "Whitchurch" through the gate of "Boundary Farm".
  46. In 100m, pass the farm and follow a yellow arrow into a wood, 25m before a hay barn (145°).
  47. Follow the main path through the wood for 100m to pass between wooden fences for 300m and then turn left.
  48. In 135m, leave the wood by a metal kissing gate and continue with the field fence on your right (170°).
  49. In 100m, go through a wooden swing gate, cross a driveway and follow the "Footpath" sign round to find a wooden fence on your right (195°).
  50. Pass through metal kissing gates in 35m and a further 260m to follow the right field edge for 500m to a final kissing gate, just after a mini-pylon.
  51. In 75m, follow the B471 downhill into Pangbourne, crossing the toll bridge after 1200m.
  52. Pass "Pangbourne Working Men's Club" on your right and go under a railway bridge to reach the George Hotel. Turn left here for the centre of Pangbourne with tea places, etc.
  53. Turn right at the George Hotel, turn right again by the "Cooper Inn" and walk 150m along the A329 to pass under the rail bridge, turning left to reach Pangbourne Station.