Henley Circular (reverse & variation) T=1.1

Length 10-12 miles

An easy walk (for a day in the rain?). To participate, you will need to give contact details & respect social distancing. Also mask wearing on the train.

The proposal is to do the Henley Circular in reverse (the directions are at the end of the instruction download here). From Hambledon, the book 2 walk 7 ending via Aston & Remenham here, or just do the normal route along the river.

Trains: The 0957 Didcot train from Paddington, Ealing Broadway 1005. Change at Twyford 1037 for the 1046 Henley train arriving 1058.

Lunch: Stag & Huntsman or the Flowerpot Aston, which may need booking.

Tea: Multiple options in Henley

Length: 16.1km (10 miles) T=1.1 (with possible 3.7km/2.3 mile extension)
Toughness: 4 out of 10

9.42 train from Paddington (9.50 Ealing Broadway) to Twyford, changing there (arrive 10.30, depart 10.38) for Henley-on-Thames, arriving 10.50

Walk directions are here. The walk home page is here. The GPX file is here.

I thought we would go back to where it all began this week - book one, walk one, the original SWC walk. It is a very simple outing, with an easy walk along the prettiest stretch of the River Thames in the morning and then over the fields to picture-perfect Hambleden, beloved of film makers.

Lunch will hopefully be at the Stag and Huntstman: it is always a popular pub but we usually squeeze in. The alternative is the Hambleden Village Stores nearby which has some deli items, serves hot drinks and has a couple of outside tables.

The hard work, such as it is, is after lunch - an extended climb up through Great Wood. (It is for this reason that I have bumped the toughness rating up from the stated 2 out of 10). After that it is downhill all the way on quiet lanes and the Oxfordshire Way to the lovely delights of the Chocolate Cafe in Henley, or the characterful Angel on the Bridge pub.

If you want to extend the walk after tea, it is 2.3 miles down the Thames Path to Shiplake, a very lovely walk for the mile and a half or so, taking in the striking Thames Lock and a watermeadow. After that, it is a bit more suburban, though you get to see how the other half lives. The Baskerville Arms by Shiplake station is a possible drink stop. A day return to Henley covers return from Shiplake.

Trains back are at 23 and 53 past from Henley (27 and 57 past from Shiplake) until 18.53, and then at 19.35, 20.23, 21.23, 22.21....

Henley Circular Via The Great Wood (Reverse)

T=1.1
Length: 10 miles (16.1 km) 2 out of 10

This walk was a regular New Years Day outing for a number of years. Doing it in reverse means getting more of the walk done in the morning, and a straightforward route back in the afternoon. If you feel the Thames path may be too muddy on the return leg, try the Book 2 Walk 7 ending from Hambledon, which adds around a mile to the walk.

Navigation is not that difficult, but by all means make a collective decision about which way to do it.

Trains: 9.42 Reading train from Paddington (9.50 Ealing Broadway) to Twyford, arrive 10.30, changing there for the 10.38 to Henley-upon-Thames, arriving 10.50. Alternatively the 09.52 Oxford train, changing at Slough for the above Reading Train. Buy a day return to Henley-upon-Thames.

Return trains are Henley xx,23 and xx.53.

Lunch: Stag and Huntsman pub, Hambleden, 6 miles (10km) into the walk (reverse) food to 1430.

Tea: The Chocolate Factory or various pubs.

Book 1, Walk 1 (R) - Henley Circular via the Great Wood

Length: 16.1 km (10 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10 (4 if muddy)

London Paddington: 10-11 hrs Reading service. Ealing Broadway 10-18 hrs
Arrive Twyford: 11-01 hrs
Leave Twyford: 11-08 hrs Henley service
Arrive Henley-on-Thames: 11-19 hrs

Return: Henley to Paddington via Twyford: 15-53, 16-24, 17-09, 17-46 and 18-17 hrs

As I do not intend to post this walk for New Year's Day this coming year I thought we would give it a Wednesday spin before current year-end. As in recent postings, doing the walk backwards (clockwise) is preferable in winter, as you can walk beside the Thames in failing light quite easily / safely.
I suspect all of you will have done this walk, albeit proper way round, so I will leave you to read the Directions to refresh your memory of its highlights ( The Oxfordshire Way, the Great Wood and the Thameside walk).
Lunch will be at the usually excellent Stag and Huntsman pub, Hambleden, a little over 2 hours into the walk.
After lunch we walk on the Thames Path back to Henley for tea at the Chocolate Theatre Cafe (formerly the Henley Tea Rooms) .
The railway station is nearby.
T=1.1
Walk Directions here: L=1.1

Book 1, Walk 1 (R) - Henley Circular

Length: 16.1 km (10 miles)
Toughness: 2 out of 10

London Paddington: 09-45 hrs (Oxford Train) Ealing Broadway: 09-53 hrs
Arrive Twyford: 10-36 hrs
Leave Twyford: 10-43 hrs (Henley train)
Arrive Henley-on-Thames: 10-55 hrs

Return: 07 minutes past the hour

Last year our attempt at this walk - our traditional New Year's Day walk west of London - was nearly thwarted by two suicides on the railway line which closed Paddington for six hours. Car drivers came to our rescue - but let's hope no such tragedies on the line disrupt our departure by train this year.

As in recent years we do this walk "backwards", or clockwise, heading out of Henley onto the Oxfordshire Way and up into the hills of Henley Park above the town, where we stop to toast in the New Year with some bubbly. If I bring the shampoo, perhaps others could bring some savoury nibbles.

Then onwards through the village of Fawley and down through the Great Wood (which can be muddy) before we descend to Hambledon for lunch at the (usually excellent) Stag & Huntsman pub. We have a table reserved for our SWC New Year regulars - others will have to take pot luck. The pub is usually very busy on New Year's Day, and to make life easier for the pub's staff please bring cash if eating at our reserved table - no cards (last year the bill was recalculated a dozen times as individuals presented their debit / credit cards ). Only cash payments today, please.

Post prandial, we head for the River Thames and Hambledon Lock and its impressive weir, which we cross before taking the tow path beside the River all the way back into Henley. We will be losing daylight along this stretch, but provided we do not have to detour into the hills to avoid flooded sections of the path, we should be OK. But in case we have to make some detours please bring along a torch.

Tea in Henley is usually taken at the former Henley Tea Rooms (now called the Chocolate Theatre Cafe) but there are plenty of watering holes in the town, usually open, for those in need of a stronger drink. From the Tea Rooms it's a short walk to the railway station for your journey home.

For our Clapham Junctionite friends who do not like travelling north of the Thames, a Sunday Walk Poster will be posting a New Year's Day Walk - South, especially for you.
T=1.1
Directions for Henley walk here L=1.1

Book 1, walk 1 - Henley Circular
Length: 16.1km (10 miles)
Toughness: 2 out 10

9.12 train from Paddington (9.20 Ealing Broadway), changing at Twyford (arrive 10.05, depart 10.17) for Henley-on-Thames, arrive 10.29

*** Be aware that tube trains are much more infrequent than usual early on 1 January. Plan your journey to Paddington using the TFL Journey Planner.

For walk directions click here

Marcus has used his considerable powers of persuasion to get us a booking for 14 people for 1pm at the lovely Stag and Huntsman pub in Hambleden - a pub otherwise hyper-busy on that day. The outward train (before anyone complains) has been chosen to ensure prompt arrival for our booking and also time to stop for our traditional drink of champagne halfway through the morning - if you want to bring liquids or festive snacks to contribute to this, please do, though a certain baseload of the sparkly stuff usually seems to mysteriously materialise.

Otherwise you get a classic walk along the Thames in the morning and back over the hills in the afternoon. The Chocolate Theatre Cafe (or whatever it calls itself these days) is usually open for tea.

Trains back are at 46 past the hour.