bwfblack British Walking Federation

HENLEY ON THAMES TOWN AND RIVER WALK ORGANISED BY THAMES VALLEY WALKING CLUB

CONTACT : Peter Tilbury, 116 Wykeham Road, Reading, Berkshire RG6 1PL
Tel: 0118 966 6523 Fax: 0118 926 6303 Email: pntilbury@aol.com

DISTANCE: 20km
ENTRY FEE: £1.00 per walker
(Cheques made payable to Thames Valley Walking Club)
AWARD: Cloth badge at £2.00 each
START VENUE: Town Hall, Henley on Thames
Map 175 GR SU760826
DIRECTIONS TO START: Follow signs to Henley and once in the town, there are several ‘Pay & Display’ car parks around the Market Place. From the train station, turn left & at roundabout turn right & follow road to reach Market Place on left hand side.
CAR PARKING: Within 500m of start venue
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Bus and train service within 1km of start
TERRAIN: Urban areas, minor roads, farmland and riverside paths.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION

Start from the Town Hall in the Market Place in Henley-on-Thames. With the Town Hall steps behind you, walk to the left of Falaise Square. At the traffic lights, turn left into Bell Street. At next junction turn right into New Street.

Q1: What is the name of the cottage at 58 New Street?

As the road bears right, use the riverside path to reach the bridge. turn left over bridge to cross river & continue ahead passing ‘The Little Angel public house’ on left & ‘Two Brewers public house’ on right. Follow road uphill passing allotments on left & just after passing ‘Ivy Gate House’ on left, turn left on footpath up steps. Cross driveway & continue ahead on footpath uphill with wooden fence on right. Go ahead on footpath through woods following white arrows & ignoring all turnings to reach road. turn left & after 10m turn right on footpath. Go ahead across field to reach stile. Cross stile & continue ahead across next field, passing to left of lone tree to reach gate. Go through gate & follow path through woods to reach driveway. turn left passing entrance to ‘Common Barn’ on left & follow footpath along track. At end of track continue ahead on footpath between concrete posts & follow footpath to reach road. turn right & follow road past telephone box on left & immediately before t-junction, turn left over stile onto footpath. Follow right hand edge of field to reach stile at end of conifers. Cross stile & follow right hand edge of next field. At corner of field by footpath sign, turn left & continue to follow right hand edge of field for approx. 400m. Just before woods, turn right through gap in hedge following footpath sign & immediately turn left to follow left hand edge of field with woods on left. At corner of field by old metal gate, turn right & follow footpath between fields alongside row of trees to reach driveway. turn left on tarmac drive & at fork bear left. Follow drive downhill & round left hand bend to reach entrance to ‘Culham Court’. turn right on footpath beside barbed wire fence. After approx. 200m by wooden path signpost turn left through metal gate onto Thames Path. Cross field, go through metal gate & continue across next field. Go through kissing gate & continue ahead on Thames Path. Continue to follow path through further kissing gates & across field towards house & barns with river on right. Go through kissing gate & follow path to reach driveway. Go ahead & follow tarmac drive to reach t-junction. turn right in direction of Thames Path & after approx. 50m turn left on Remenham Lane.

Q2: What is the name of the public house?

Follow lane for approx. 1,500m to reach church. turn right, keeping church on right & follow lane to reach metal gate. Continue ahead on gravel track to reach river. turn left on riverside footpath & follow for approx. 1,600m with river on right. Just before Henley Bridge, bear left on footpath to reach road. turn right & follow road over bridge. turn left on road with ‘The Angel public house’ on left, following Thames Path. At road junction, continue straight ahead on riverside footpath to reach ‘Hobbs & Sons Limited’. Continue ahead on riverside footpath for approx. 1,000m and as path ends, turn left over Horsebridge to reach Marsh Lock.

Q3: Who sponsored the Salmon Ladder at Marsh Lock?

Continue on Horsebridge & go through gate to rejoin riverside footpath. Follow footpath & at end of large meadow, bear right on footpath to cross over footbridge. Go ahead on footpath & follow footpath alongside wooden fence by driveway. (Note railway in garden on left) At end of footpath, continue ahead on lane. At fork, bear left on lane (sign post ‘Thames Path’) & follow for approx. 650m. Follow lane round right hand bend to cross over railway level crossing to reach Baskerville Arms public house.

Q4: What is the number of the post box opposite the Baskerville Arms public house?

At cross roads, turn right on Northfield Avenue (Following direction of bridleway arrow). Follow lane & at end, go through kissing gate & follow footpath between wooden fences to reach road. Cross main road WITH GREAT CARE & go ahead on bridleway. Follow track for approx. 700m, passing through wooded area & uphill to reach road. Cross road & continue ahead on bridleway towards ‘Mays Green 1’ (on private driveway). Follow lane, bear right in front of ‘Upper Bolney House’, then bear left & continue to follow track for approx. 200m. As track becomes tarmac, ignore stile on right & after 10m, bear right on track with wooded area on left & field on right. Follow track keeping field on right & immediately before white house on left, turn right onto footpath between fence & hedgerow. Follow footpath to reach stile. Cross stile & follow left hand edge of field to reach road. turn right & follow road WITH CARE to pass between golf courses & then downhill through trees. At t-junction turn right & follow road to reach Harpsden Hall on left.

Q5: What are the dates on the Hall?

Continue on road & after approx. 20m, turn left on footpath (sign post ‘Henley’). Cross stile & go ahead uphill following left hand edge of field. Cross stile onto footpath. Follow footpath & at ‘Drawback House’, continue ahead on footpath through metal barrier. At end of footpath, go through metal barrier & turn right on road. 10m after passing Berkshire Road on left, turn left on footpath. At junction with road, go straight ahead on footpath next to house no. 27. At junction with road, turn left. Follow road & at t-junction, cross road & go ahead on footpath to left of large white house (no. 7). At end of footpath, cross road & continue ahead on footpath. At end of this short section, turn left on road. Follow road, passing St. Marks Road & as road turns right, go ahead onto footpath between barriers, passing school on left. Pass Holy Trinity Church on left & go ahead on Church Street. At t-junction, turn right on road. Cross over road & turn left into car park. Walk through car park to return to the Town Hall & end of the walk.

PLACES OF INTEREST ON THE WALK

Kenton Theatre: This is the fourth oldest theatre in England, built in 1805 and is still in regular use.

Brakspear Brewery: Makers of Real Ale. Note bow fronted offices & opposite twin towers of malt house.

Henley Bridge: Built in 1786 to replace the former wooden bridge damaged in Civil War, then lost to floods. Note ‘Old Father Thames’ over central arch looking downstream over the regatta course towards London & ‘ISIS’ looking upstream towards Reading & Oxford.

Marsh Lock: Approached over Horsebridge (built for the barge towing horses), this is a spectacular setting.

Shiplake: Derived from the place name. Reputed to be a large flooded lake area of the Thames where the Danes marshalled their ships on the conquest along the Thames Valley.

When you have completed this trail please use the Permanent Trail Entry Form

The organisers are not liable for accidents, thefts and/or damage to property. Every effort will be made by the organisers to make this a safe, enjoyable and memorable event.

This trail is registered until 31 December 2009.