Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
Walk 4 : Pangbourne (round walk)
River Thames & Crays Pond
| Length | 13.5km (8.4 miles), 4 hours. For the whole outing, including trains and meals, allow 7 hours. |
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| OS Landranger Map | No.175. Pangbourne, map reference SU 633 766, is in Berkshire, 8km west along the Thames from Reading. |
| 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 suggested lunchtime pub is the White Lion in Crays Pond, which serves large portions at reasonable prices. Food serving times are: midday-2pm Monday to Friday; midday-2.30pm Saturday and Sunday (groups of more than 30 people should phone to book on 01491 680 471). |
| Saturday Walkers Club | The Saturday Walkers Club do this walk each February |
| Driving |
Start: Pangbourne Station is near : RG8 7DY. [gmap] |
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| Train Travel |
London to Pangbourne |
| Warning | The text above was taken from an older edition of the book, and is a little out of date. Please check the updates for this walk. |
Walking Instructions
For a map and detailed walking instruction, please see Time Out Country Walks near London Volume 1
