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Henley via Hambleden Circular walk

The Thames path in the morning. Gentle woodland after lunch in an NT Village, Historic riverside Henley for tea.

Chilterns Circular Henley Oxfordshire Thames Valley

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 21-Jan-24 Sunday Walk: Henley Circular via Hambleden
Sat, 25-Nov-23 Henley via Hambleden Circular (or to Marlow) - the last of the autumn colour 28 glorious sunshine
Sat, 29-Aug-20 Saturday Walk - Henley via Hambleden Circular 18 rather overcast day
Sat, 13-Oct-18 Saturday walk - Henley to Marlow - Tranquil Thames and Chiltern woodlands 9
Sat, 17-Mar-18 Saturday walk - Henley via Hambleden Circular - a classic Thames walk 3
Sun, 29-Oct-17 An easy walk around Henley
Sun, 11-Oct-15 A lovely amble around Henley on Thames 20 mostly sunny dry mild
Sun, 09-Nov-14 a Henley via Hambleden Circular, with short cut 10
Wed, 20-Nov-13 a Henley via Hambleden Circular, with short cut
Sat, 10-Nov-12 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sun, 21-Aug-11 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 30-Oct-10 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sun, 29-Nov-09 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 22-Aug-09 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 10-Jan-09 b Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 13-Dec-08 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 29-Mar-08 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 13-Oct-07 b Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 12-May-07 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sun, 11-Mar-07 Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sun, 03-Dec-06 b Henley via Hambleden Circular
Sat, 25-Nov-06 b Henley via Hambleden Circular
Mr M Tiger
Mr M Tiger

Difficulty 3/10 13.1km (8.1 miles) -with shortcut.

This walk starts along the Thames, passing picturesque Temple Island. Then it crosses a ridge covered in fine beech woods. After lunch you contour along the side of the valley, to cross the Thames at Hambleden Mill and walk across the watermeadows to an easy finish, over the lower part of Remenham Hill, into Henley for tea.
A shortcut to the lunch pub (indicated in the walk directions) shaves 1.8km (1.1 miles) off the main walk, giving a total walk of 13.1km (8.1 miles)
Trains: The 10:05 Bristol Parkway train from Paddington arrives Twyford 10:40 where you change for the 10:45 to Henley (platform 5), arriving 10:57. Trains return from Henley at xx:00, changing again at Twyford. Get a return to Henley-on-Thames.
Freedom Pass holders can travel free as far as Twyford on the Elizabeth Line. A return from Twyford to Henley would still be required. They would need to get the 9:50 from Paddington, (Ealing Broadway 9:58) arriving Twyford:10:36. Connections to the Elizabeth Line are a bit slower coming back, with a 20m wait at Twyford. for the xx:33
Lunch: The Stag and Huntsman (01491 571227) in Hambleden, 7.7km (4.8 miles) into the walk, is a cosy, atmospheric old pub.
Hambleden Village Stores, 7.6km (4.7 miles) into the walk, is a possible lunch stop. It is open to 4pm.
Note that the Flower Pot in Aston is closed today.
The churchyard in Hambleden is a fine picnic spot. WH Smith, founder of the newsagents, is buried there..
Tea:
A Saturday Walkers favourite is the The Chocolate Cafe in Thames Side, (the waterfront) open until 5.30pm.
For those in need of something stronger. The Angel is nearest the café. There’s also a Wetherspoons on the High Street.
Directions: L=2.7 T=2.7

Walker
Length: 14.9km (9.2 miles) *
Alternative ending at Marlow: 16.1km (10 miles) * T=2.7
* A pre-lunch shortcut reduces either walk by 1.8km (1.1 miles)
10.08 GWR train from Paddington to Twyford, arriving 10.37, changing there for the 10.45 to Henley, arrive 10.57.
From Ealing Broadway get the 9.57 Elizabeth Line train to Twyford, arriving 10.33, changing there as above. This train leaves Paddington at 9.49, but note that there are NO Liz Line trains between Liverpool Street and Paddington today. This means this train will depart from the main line platforms, not the Liz Line ones underground. The Circle, Hammersmith and City and Bakerloo lines are operating as normal.
Buy a day return to Henley-on-Thames (NOT -in-Arden).

For walk directions click here, for GPX click here, for a map of the route click here.
This once popular walk has not been done by the SWC since August 2020. Perhaps its short length has counted against it, though at this time of year that should be a virtue. It is a very scenic walk, with a morning stretch along the wilder bank of the Thames at Henley, and a short wooded section before lunch in Hambleden. Autumn colour may be getting faded by now, but this is a fine landscape in which to see what is left.
The lunch pub is the familiar Stag & Huntsman, which usually has room for us. If not, there is a village shop, or the possibility of a late lunch (on the main walk) at the Flower Pot Hotel in Aston. This has had a major revamp since 2022 and now looks quite upmarket. It serves food to 3pm.
The standard afternoon is a largely open walk, with fine valley views, back to Henley. The alternative is to carry on over wooded hills to Marlow, a good option if the autumn colour is still good. Henley has the Chocolate Cafe and other tea options: Marlow is stuffed with cafes of various types.
It is nearly a full moon tonight and if skies are clear you could walk southwards along the riverside at Henley or either way along the river from Marlow to enjoy it. Marlow eastwards along the river to Bourne End is 3.4 miles, and you can get the train from there.
Trains back from Henley are at at 00 and 30 past till 20.00, then hourly
Trains back from Marlow are at 00 past the hour. A day return to Henley should be accepted on this, but in the event you get any grief about this, you would need a single from Marlow to Maidenhead.
  • 22-Nov-23

    I was so looking forward to whizzing through London on the Elizabeth Line :-(

    However as Walker mentions, those with freedom passes can still travel on the 9:48 Elizabeth service from Paddington to arrive at Twyford at 10:34 FOC. Just a Day return from Twyford to Henly-on-Thames ticket required.

    Eastenders who wish to use this Elizabeth Line service might like to consider travelling to Lancaster Gate on the Central line and then to walk up to Paddington Station via Sussex Gardens and Spring Street where the Elizabeth Line Platforms are accessible at the Southern tip of the Station (see https://www.google.com/maps/@51.5141838,-0.1768498,615m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu )

  • 22-Nov-23

    Yes, sorry about that Mike. I feel your pain as I have got used to whizzing from Tottenham Court Road to Paddington in five minutes.

    It is also worth mentioning that there is a secret tunnel from the Bakerloo platforms at Paddington to the Liz Line ones, without the need to walk across the main station concourse (past all those tempting coffee and croissant stands...) Look for the signs at platform level on the Bakerloo. (This is only useful if you have already bought your ticket, though...)

  • 22-Nov-23

    You might want to check which platform the Elizabeth Line trains are departing from. If there are no through trains from Abbey Wood I'd expect them to be leaving from the suburban line platforms on the north side of the main concourse, not the new platforms on the through line.

  • 23-Nov-23

    Good point. I hadn’t thought of that!

  • 23-Nov-23

    OK, Mike has now checked and the Liz Line trains will go from the main line station today. So forget the stuff about secret tunnels.

  • 23-Nov-23

    Yes just to confirm National Rail are indicating 9:49am Departure from Platform 10 for Elizabethans

  • 25-Nov-23

    10:08 didcot pkwy is cancelled, as are all following trains

  • 25-Nov-23

    Getting the 10:19 reading via twyford, platform 11

  • 25-Nov-23

    GWR stopping trains to Twyford were mysteriously cancelled all day. The 16 who got the Liz Line at 9.49 were unaffected. 10 more of us, who had intended to get the GWR train, got the Lizzie at 10.19 and so started the walk half an hour late. I hear one came by car and acquired a spouse en route, so that makes 28 all told - an amazing turnout for a Thames walk.

    Day it was, oh what a - glorious sunshine . We were owed this after so many wet or grey Saturdays. Alas, the autumn colour has almost gone. Even late season trees like alder bare: weeping willows turned yellow, larch golden, oaks faded to rust: the end of days, the start of winter.

    Pubs recently have not been busy, but the Stag & Huntsman decided to be an exception. No bookings accepted between 12.45 and 2.15 yadda yadda. Kudos to the walker who booked for 12.15 and then texted to say she would be late - neat! About 15 ultimately ate there.

    Most did the short cut before lunch. Those who didn’t saw a 20-30 metre string of fungi in the beech woods. Arriving in Hambleden I eschewed the pub and sat on a bench in the sun, enjoying a hot sausage roll, carrot and coriander soup and tea, all from the village shop. Life does not get much better.

    After lunch, two or three got a taxi, at least three walked to Marlow, and the rest of us stuck to the main walk, to make the most of the sun. We had a lovely afternoon, the highlight for me being the walk over Hambleden Weir, the floodgates open and the water foaming in the golden light.

    In Henley 14 of my cohort had tea in the Chocolate Cafe and most presumably got the 5pm train. 4 of us walked under the full moon to Shiplake, an entrancing walk, during which we might have seen a passing satellite or space station. Afterwards we hooked up with a fifth who had kindly bought a bottle of wine and snacks, which we enjoyed on the cosy train home.

  • 26-Nov-23

    There's a few photos at https://photos.app.goo.gl/T31KFZCx5UzBJwGN7

    GWR excelled themselves with a stream of misinformation/cancellations and uncancellations, but this was more than compensated by the cloudless skies, tranquil river and meadow vistas and of course the sharp wit of SWC's finest.

Bridie

Saturday Walk Henley via Hambleden Circular walk

Book 2 walk Walk number 7
Coo it is so long since I did this I can't get it to work - how things have changed. I have asked for help
8.1 miles and fairly flat
10.13 train from Paddington to Henley on Thames changing at Twyford
I can no longer do 10 miles nor real hills so I thought to post this
Lifted from the walks directions page lunch can be had at
The Stag and Huntsman (tel 01491 571227) in Hambleden, 7.7km (4.8 miles) into the walk with reasonably large garden. It serves food all day on Saturday and Sunday.

Hambleden Village Stores, next to the church, also has a few outside tables and serves tea, coffee, cakes and delicatessen items. It is open until 5pm Saturday

3.6 miles (2.2km) further on, the Flower Pot Hotel (tel 01491 574721) in Aston serving food all afternoon Saturday (also 6pm to 9.30pm weekdays). It has a large garden.

The early riverside part of the walk is a fine picnic spot, as is the churchyard in Hambleden and the far (south) side of Hambleden Weir.

All the details here
T=2.7
  • 27-Aug-20

    There is also a popup at Hambleden. Haven't tried it. https://experiencehenley.co.uk/hambledon-lock-riverside-pop-up-cafe-restaurant-bar/

  • Anonymous
    28-Aug-20

    Thanks, this is just the right length for my old legs.

  • Anonymous
    29-Aug-20

    I and another went to the popup lockdown restaurant.

    Upstairs seating under a tent awning was fully booked but there were seats and tables on the riverbank in the cold.

    We braved it and I had spiced cauliflower with rocket houmous and creme fresh and a flat bread - not bad for £6 odd

    Will I go again?

    Only if it is hot out and I am very hungry

    And it finishes on September 1st so really I feel that I will definately not go again.

  • Anonymous
    29-Aug-20

    18 on this walk which suggests that there is a demand for the shorter than 10 mile and flat walks

    Let's have one every week please

  • 29-Aug-20

    You just need to find a walk poster posting that for you then, Anonymous, and on a weekly basis at that. The club is currently looking for volunteers, how about you? [Covid rules: walk posters to go on the walks they post to ensure track-and-tracing abilities...]

  • 30-Aug-20

    18 out on this rather overcast day .

    I just wanted to mention a couple of transport points ... Central Lionists can't alight at Lancaster Gate at weekends (and stroll up to Paddington), However you may alight at Queensway, turn left as you leave the station and immediately left again onto Queensway. Bayswater Tube can be found after 250 metres on the left where it's one stop to Paddington on the airy District/Circle line.

    Another point is that it appears that despite the continuing delays to Crossrail, TFL are running Crossrail trains out of Paddington to Reading and those with Freedom Passes may use these trains only (blue livery) FOC. (If I have read the instructions correctly on the PDF available at https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass/using-pass/freedom-pass-travel-map) So it seems that just a Twyford to Henley return ticket for those with FP's was needed yesterday.

    Henley-on-Thames was a riot of colour from many of the hanging baskets and I look forward to hearing how others fared on this walk.

  • Anonymous
    30-Aug-20

    That's useful to know thanks Mike. I walked from Queensway tube station to Paddington, which took about 15 mins.

Walker
Length: 14.1km (8.8 miles) or 15.9km (9.9 miles) T=2.7b
Toughness: 3 out of 10: three hills, basically, and the rest fairly flat

9.42 train from Paddington (9.50 Ealing Broadway), changing at Twyford (arr 10.30, depart 10.38: connection usually held, but be quick), arriving Henley-on-Thames at 10.50
Buy a day return to Henley-on-Thames (not Henley in Arden). This should be accepted for return from Marlow: if you get any blowback on this, point out that there used to be a "Thames Branches Day Rover" for the same price as a Henley return that covered journeys from Marlow too: if this does not work you would only need to buy a single from Marlow to Maidenhead).

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here. You are doing option b)

This is a lovely walk, with a beautiful wild stretch of the River Thames to start with, then a short climb over a wooded hill (which you can make even shorter by using a short cut - the 8.8 mile version of the walk) and then a descent to the picture-perfect village of Hambleden (often used for filming). The Stag and Huntstman here is a lovely lunch pub and usually fits us in, though ringing at the start of the walk to book a table wouldn't be a terrible idea. The nearby Hambleden Village Stores does hot drinks and deli items and has a couple of outside tables.
After lunch you could simply finish the "main walk", the Henley via Hambleden Circular (which also has a later lunch stop in the shape of the quirky Flower Pot Inn in Aston). But for my money the perfect autumn outing is to do option b) of this walk and carry on through lovely wooded scenery to Marlow, a town so dripping with tea options it would take an encyclopaedia to list them. Burgers, the traditional favourite, remains my recommendation, if you can get to it before it closes at 5pm. If not there are later opening places, with Starbucks and Costa (at the George & Dragon) the ultimate backstop.
Trains back from Marlow are at 06 past, or from Henley at 23 and 53 past.
  • Anonymous
    15-Oct-18

    Appaerently 9 on this walk

  • Poppy
    18-Oct-18

    About eight people attended this walk on a pleasant day. A quite good craft market in Hambleden is on the second Saturday of each month. Enjoyed watching the rowing teams coursing up the Thames as we walked past. Beautiful, but it's not the first time I've been on a West-of-London walk in the Chilterns that attracts surprisingly few people. By lunchtime, the group had dispersed. Everyone appeared happy with the food at the Stag and Huntsman.

Walker
Length: 14.9km (9.2 miles) - with possible 2.6km (1.6 mile) extension
Toughness: 3 out of 10

9.42 train from Paddington (9.50 Ealing Broadway) to Twyford, arriving 10.30, changing there for the 10.38 to Henley, arriving 10.50.

Buy a day return to Henley-upon-Thames

For walk directions click here. For GPX click here.

Would you believe this very nice little Thames walk has not had a Saturday outing for nearly five and a half years? (Though it has featured on Sundays much more recently.)

It falls into four almost equal quarters. The first takes you along the less manicured bank of the Thames north of Henley, an interesting walk passing close to Temple Island and a fine manor house. You then cross a wooded ridge to lunch in Hambleden (with a short cut possible).

The Stag and Huntsman in Hambleden is always a popular pub, so calling ahead to book a table might not be a bad idea, but we usually manage to squeeze in. Other options include the Hambleden Village Stores, which sells hot drinks and some deli items and has a couple of outside to eat them at. Alternatively, 2.2 miles after Hambleden is the Flower Pot Inn in Aston, a possible late lunch stop.

The section between Hambleden and Aston is a gentle stroll across the Thames valley with some fine views en route and the crossing of the dramatic Hambleden Weir. The last quarter of the walk crosses farmland over Remenham Hill, though you can take the riverside path instead if you wish.

If anyone wants to walk from Hambleden to Marlow after lunch (a 15.1km/9.9 mile walk from Henley), full instructions are now included in the walk document.

Back in Henley, the Chocolate Cafe is the obvious tea choice. If you want to work off some of the calories after tea, brief instructions are now given in the directions for the very pretty riverside extension down to the scenic Marsh Lock after tea: you could continue from there on the Thames Path to Shiplake, but this quite soon becomes suburban in character: better just to reverse your steps to Henley: out and back like this adds 2.6km/1.6 miles to the walk).

Trains back from Henley are at 23 and 53 past to 18.53, then 19.35, 20.23, 21.23, 22.21 T=2.07
  • Anonymous
    17-Mar-18

    Just 2 merry soles on the advertised train with one early starter spotted after lunch making a total of 3. That's a pity because this is a lovely walk with wide riverside lawns and fine woodland ridge views. Cloudy with a north easterly wind with an occasional light powdering of snow. Our lunch stop was the welcoming Stag and Huntsman pub in Hambleden where we dined on soup and sandwiches and were warmed by an excellent log fire. We arrived back in Henley at 15.20pm and spent a pleasant hour in the friendly Chocolate Café. A word of warning, the cakes are massive and one between two is more than enough. We then strolled up to the station for the 16.23 back to Paddington. A good day all round.

  • Anonymous
    17-Mar-18

    3

Sun, 29-Oct-17 : An easy walk around Henley ?
Chris L
Chris L
Henley Circular via Hambleden
Length: 14.9km (9.3 miles) Toughness: 3/10

09:45 Oxford train from Paddington (Ealing Broadway 09:53), changing at Twyford (arr 10:35, dep 11:02) to arrive at Henley at 11:13.

Return trains from Henley to Twyford are at xx:16 and xx:46. However, there’s little point in catching the xx:16 as it just misses a (non-)connecting train to Paddington and leaves you kicking your heels in Twyford for over half an hour, until the xx:01 to Paddington arrives. The xx:46 from Henley connects nicely with that train (journey time 66 minutes).

The days are shorter now, but you should have no difficulty in completing this walk before daylight starts to fade soon after 5pm. A long stretch of the Thames Path in the morning is followed by a climb through Ridge Wood and then down to lunch at Hambleden. After lunch the path crosses the Thames at Hambleden Mill and follows a gentle route through fields and woodland back to Henley.

The recommended lunchstop is the Stag and Huntsman (tel 01491 571227) in Hambleden, 7.8km (4.8 miles) into the walk. Do ring to book a table before leaving Henley.


You will need to download the walk directions.

T=2.07
PeteB
PeteB
Book 2 Walk 7 Henley via Hambleden circular
Trains: London Paddington 09.43 to Twyford 10.36 then from Twyford at 10.43 to Henley 10.55.
Distance 14.9km, (9.3m); toughness 3/10
Return trains from Henley at xx:07 to Twyford to pick up a connecting train to London Paddington
A beautiful and undemanding walk that visits the picturesque flint stone village of Hambleden for lunch after which there are some fine views before you cross the Thames via a series of locks and head back towards Henley.

This Book 2 walk has been up-dated so you can find out more about the walk here and the various lunch and tea options. The pdf file here gives full walk instructions.
  • Nicola Jackson
    10-Oct-15

    Hi Pete,

    I notice you are running 2 walks tomorrow. Will there be people at both? I'm training fo the 3 peak challenge and would prefer to do one with the most hills.

    Which would you recommend?

    Thanks,

    Nicola

  • 12-Oct-15

    Nicola,

    Sorry I have not replied to your message but I did not pick it up until this morning. If you wish to do a hilly walk as part of your training programme then check out the toughness rating of each walk; anything with a 6/10 or more will have some hills.

  • JohnE
    13-Oct-15

    20 mostly sunny dry mild

    Very pleasant undemanding walk in lovely conditions. The Stag and Huntsman at Hambleden provided lunch for about half of the party, who were I think satisfied with it, though service was a little slow. After an amble back to Henley in the afternoon, where we arrived at about 3.30, the party split, taking tea in various places, viewing the town or just heading home. A most enjoyable day out.