Length: 15.3km (9.5 miles) - with options to extend after lunch to 17.3km (10.4 miles) or 20.5km (12.7 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10 T=3.83

9.30 (Bristol Temple Meads-bound) train** from Paddington to Reading, arriving 9.55 and changing to the 10.04 to Crowthorne, arriving 10.18.

** If you get to Paddington a bit earlier you could get the 9.22 Worcester train which gives you four extra minutes to make the connection. The only convenient connection from Ealing Broadway is the 9.05 stopping service to Reading arriving at 9.50.

Buy a day return to Sandhurst - or to Blackwater if you plan to end there

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here.

I have not done this walk and so rely on the walk notes, which promise mixed woodland, heaths and pastures including the National Trust's Finchampstead Ridges. The afternoon is along the River Blackwater where there can apparently be flooding after heavy rain, but I don't think rain has yet been that heavy this winter....

Lunch is in Finchampstead after 8km (5 miles) where there is a pub - the Queen's Oak - described as "very welcoming to walkers", with another alternative nearby.

After lunch you can do the standard walk to Sandhurst - 13.5km (9.5 miles) or extend the walk in two ways. One possibility (option i) is a slightly longer afternoon, making a walk of 17.3km (10.4 miles) and another is to add a leg from Sandhurst to Blackwater (option ii), making a walk of 18.5km (11.4 miles). Doing BOTH these options would make a walk of 20.5km (12.7 miles).

Tea is in one of two pubs in Sandhurst: there seem to be no tea options at Blackwater, however.

Trains back are at 28 past from Blackwater or 31 past from Sandhurst, changing at Reading

Extra Walk 83(b) – Crowthorne to Sandhurst (or Blackwater)
Length: 17¼ km (10.7 miles) to Sandhurst, or 20½ km (12.7 miles) to Blackwater. Toughness: 3/10

10:03 Cardiff train from Paddington, changing at Reading (arr 10:37, dep 10:48) for the Redhill train, arriving Crowthorne at 11:02. A return to Blackwater is the most flexible ticket on this route.

If it's more convenient you could take the 09:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct 09:39) and change at Guildford (arr 10:11, dep 10:23) for the Reading train, arriving on Crowthorne's other platform 10 minutes earlier at 10:52. However, there are rumours of industrial action over Easter on South Western Railways out of Waterloo. If you do take this route, buy a return to Crowthorne.

The Waterloo/Guildford ticket is cheaper but is not valid for return via Reading; the more expensive ticket lets you return on either route.

The Sunday service on the Reading-Redhill line was improved at the end of 2017 and trains back from Sandhurst are now hourly in each direction, at xx:05 via Guildford and xx:49 via Reading. If you take the optional 2-mile extension to Blackwater there are two trains per hour, at around xx:09 & xx:34 via Guildford, xx:18 & xx:45 via Reading.

I'm taking a chance on posting this walk since the most recent feedback was from some punters who got hopelessly lost, although I have an unworthy suspicion that they clicked a 'random play' button on the directions and tried to follow the sections out of order. To be fair, the ongoing gravel workings in the Blackwater valley might have resulted in some footpath diversions, so be prepared to use your initiative.

The walk itself is a mix of woodland, heaths and pastures, returning alongside flooded gravel pits and through nature reserves in the Blackwater valley. The Queen's Oak has always been very welcoming and if you call them in advance they've been know to reserve a cosy bar for groups of walkers at lunchtime; let's hope they can manage on Easter Sunday. The options for tea in Sandhurst or Blackwater aren't quite so enticing, but there are several pubs in the area and a Café in the Park on the route between the two stations.

You'll need to bring the directions from the Crowthorne to Sandhurst Walk page. You can click the word 'Main' in the Walk Options heading to hide the unnecessary directions for the Short Walk variation. T=swc.83

SWC Walk 83 - Crowthorne to Sandhurst
Length: 17.25 km (10.7 miles).
Toughness: 3/10
Extended walk option: 20.5km;
Short options via Eversley Cross 11.75km or extended to Blackwater 15km.

Catch the 9:27 train from London Paddington (changing Reading, arr.9:56, dep: 10:04), arrives Sandhurst Crowthorne 10:18. Return trains from Sandhurst xx:35 (changing Reading, arr.xx:54, dep: xx:03), arrives Paddington xx:31. An earlier train has been scheduled so as not to risk finishing after civil dusk.

The suggested lunchtime pub on the Main Walk is The Queen's Oak (0118-973 4855) in Church Lane at the northern end of Finchampstead, 8 km into the walk; this is very welcoming to walkers and serves a good variety of freshly-cooked food from noon to 21:00 on Saturdays. T=3.83

Extra Walk 83ab – Crowthorne to Blackwater, via Eversley Cross
Length: 15 km (9.3 miles), with shorter option (see below). Toughness: 1/10

10:30 Portsmouth Harbour train from Waterloo, changing at Guildford (arr 11:03, dep 11:09) for the Reading train, arriving Crowthorne at 11:38. From Clapham Jct you could take the 10:27 Exeter train and change at Woking (arr 10:45, dep 10:55) as well as Guildford. Buy a return to Crowthorne.

Alternatively, if you'd like more time for the critical connection at Guildford, take the 10:15 Haslemere train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct 10:22), arriving there at 10:50.

Trains back from Blackwater towards Redhill (changing at Guildford for Waterloo) are at 25 & 51 minutes past the hour.

Shorter Option: The walk route goes past Sandhurst station after 11¾ km (7.3 miles), where there are hourly trains towards Redhill at 22 minutes past. [You could also take a train in the other direction at 35 minutes past and change at Wokingham for Waterloo, but this takes longer.]

I wouldn't advise travelling back via Reading and changing there for Paddington as this is only valid with a more expensive "Any Permitted Route" ticket (£14.25 vs. £10.45 with a Network Card).

The short version of this walk has only had a couple of winter postings, each of which suffered from a flooded footpath just before the lunch stop. I thought I'd give it an outing in (hopefully) drier conditions, especially now that the relatively new optional extension to Blackwater makes it more suitable for longer days. It covers similar ground to the main version – pine woods, heathland, lakes, pastures and a long stretch alongside the River Blackwater – although to confuse GPS aficionados some of it is in the opposite direction.

There's a choice of two nice lunch pubs just off the large village green at Eversley Cross, the Frog and Wicket and The Chequers. If you finish at Sandhurst the Village Inn is reportedly better for tea or coffee, but a Halloween Beer Festival at the Rose & Crown will doubtless appeal to some. There are no particularly inviting places near Blackwater station, so if you're doing this extension the suggested tea place is Pistachios in the Park café at the entrance to Sandhurst's Memorial Park; allow 35-40 minutes for the final 2½ km.

You'll need to print the directions from the Extra Walk 83 page. You can reduce the amount of printing by clicking "Short" on the Walk Options line, which hides the directions and map routes which are only needed for the Main Walk.

PDF version: As an alternative, a PDF version of the Short Walk variations is on this Walk 83 (short) page. I'd be interested to hear how well this displays on various mobile devices. T=swc.83.ab

Length: 20.5km (12.7 miles), Toughness: 3/10

Train: 10:30 from Waterloo changing at Guildford (arr. 11:03, dep. 11:09) to Crowthorne arriving at 11:38. Buy a day return to Crowthorne. Return trains from Blackwater are at 16:25,17:25,19:25,20:25 (change at Farnborough North, walk to Farnborough Main) and xx:51 (change at Guildford). It is also possible to return to Paddington (change at Reading) at xx:02, xx:31.

Options: The walk can be shortened by 2km by taking a short-cut through Finchampstead omitting Eversley.

Lunch: The Queens Oak (0118 973 4855) in Finchampstead about 8km into the walk. About 2.5k further is the Tally Ho (01189 732 134). If taking the short-cut through Finchampstead another option is The Greyhound (0118 973 2269) about 9km into the walk.

Tea: Pistachios in the Park at Sandhurst Memorial Park. It's about 40 minutes from here to Blackwater station.

Directions: For more information including directions, maps, GPS etc. see SWC.83