15 walkers alighted at Pangbourne on a dry overcast mild day. A few people indicated their intention to lunch at the Sun Inn, but most had brought sandwiches. A group of eight stopped to picnic in woodland close to the entrance drive to the Oratory Prep School, well into the second half of the walk. Mid-picnic, a sizeable group of ramblers passed us, apparently on exactly the same walk. Some recognised the back marker as an SWC walker. On returning to Whitchurch, a few walkers stopped briefly at the Greyhound Pub, while one of our group just managed to catch the 2 51 train back to Paddington. Overall, the conditions underfoot were excellent, with only one short, muddy stretch through the woods leading to Eastfield Lane. The earlier panoramic view towards Goring, once our route had climbed steeply away from the Thames Path towards the Hartslock Nature Reserve, was one of the highlights of the walk.

Thought it is worthwhile adding some information about lunch venues and our conquest for lunch. 7 walkers did the diversion to The Sun Inn which, sadly, no longer serves food. We were told that the manager had left and they could not find a replacement. This must had been a very recent event as their website is still showing an extensive food menu. We decided to have a drink and snacks before heading to the next Pub on-route which is only 30 mins away. While at the Sun Inn, we asked a couple of locals if Greyhound serves food, the answer was they don't anymore, but they do have a food van coming in the evening. I popped into Greyhound as we passed it, that was indeed the case. We pressed on to Pangbourne, here we passed by a local cafe which has an extensive menu from all day breakfast, soup, sandwich, jacket potatos, burgers and even fish and chips to tea and cakes. By now, one had decided to catch the train back, the rest of us ate here, We met two others from the picnic group who came for tea and cake. Food here was excellent which made our conquest for lunch rather rewarding. After our late lunch, 3 went to catch the train, but the day was still young, so five of us went to the Elephant hotel for our leaving drink before catching 4:58pm train. It was great day out in good company, unlike the picnic route, the lunch diversion route had NOooo Mudd!

The SWC back marker in that Ramblers group was doing missionary work among disbelievers, trying to bring them into the light.

Reference turnout, back to mid-week normality today. Instead of recent week's excellent and welcomed attendance of 20 plus, we numbered just 7 for today's leg-stretcher. The weather forecast was almost correct for once: sunny spells with a light chilly wind , but the occasional showers never materialised, and we enjoyed very good conditions for our walk.

The leg above the Thames in the morning was lovely, with fine views of the Thames Valley. After the climb into Hartslock Nature Reserve we "lost" one of our group - who sped ahead as the rest of us enjoyed snacks whilst admiring the view from the Reserve's hilltop. I believe he had a ticket for this evening's social in Kew Gardens - as did one other in our group, who took the shortcut to Coldharbour.: we met her later, briefly in the Greyhound Inn just before she set out for the railway station for the 15-22 hrs service.

3 in our group kindly agreed to accompany me on the main walk, which I was book checking. That left our resident "Rear Gunner" who today gamely looked after the back of our column: I believe he was meeting his family late afternoon so he probably also took the short cut and should have been in time to catch the 15-22 hrs train from Pangbourne.

A few paths were muddy but in the main conditions under foot were good all day and we all enjoyed the walk, which we did in one go without a lunch stop.

Arriving back in Whitchurch just before 3 pm, the four of us spent a delightful hour in the warmth of the cosy Greyhound Inn, where we had snacks and drinks to accompany good conservation. The 16-22 hrs train was on time, and we opted not to switch to a fast train at Reading, but stayed on the semi-fast stopping service back to London.

This walk made for a good winter's leg-stretcher - another most pleasant SWC mid-week day out.

6, mostly overcast with some sunny intervals . Lovely winter walk without having to plough through muddy fields or paths. Lunch menu at the Sun Inn was so basic that two refused to eat there, and three had salad only. After a drink, two went ahead to the Greyhound for a late lunch. This pub has also changed, although the menu on the website looked very nice, the new owner took over the pub 2.5 years ago but did not want to pay to have the menu taken down from the web. We ended up with a new menu a bit like an upmarket burger place - 4-5 varieties of burgers on offer plus a few other pub classics. We opted for lighter bites which turned out to be a big hit. Three who ate at the Sun Inn caught an earlier train. For future reference, the remaining three also popped around to take a look at the menu at FerryBoat. This place probably has also changed hands. It used to be a gastro pub from memory, it is now an Italian fare - loads of pizza varieties. After a short stroll along the high street, they left Pangbourne on 4:47pm train. A nice day out in good company.

Another 3 walkers started an hour earlier, I heard today. 1 of those (our perennial early starter) walked the full walk, the 2 others took a shortcut. All picnickers, they never bumped into any of the later starters. 9

Just 5 of us on this largely mud free walk on a dry,_mainly_overcast_day_with_occasional_patches_of_blue . Come decision time we decided to take the short cut thus missing out the alternative routes to both the new lunchtime pub (the Sun Inn) and the now closed original one. Instead we carried on to the Greyhound in Whitchurch where the service was fast and friendly.

Having spent pleasant hour over an unhurried and relaxed lunch we strolled across the toll bridge into to Pangbourne. One of our number then set off along the Thames for a addition mini circular walk. The rest of us, having just missed the 14.47, ambled around the village (town?) for 20 minutes before returning to the station in time of the 15.17.

The two of us who changed trains at Reading were rewarded by the sight of a steam hauled excursion pulling into the station, which we later passed at speed when our later train caught up with it. (For those who are interested in such things the steam loco was the Merchant Navy Class Clan Line).

An enjoyable day out made more so by the added novelty of a pub lunch shortly before the end of the walk, something I could happily get used to.

9

weather lovely Spring sunshine

I posted a skeleton report below as my first effort was lost in the ether.

I will try again.

Nine of us off the train at Pangbourne, with one immediately heading off to do her own thing. Another was on the train an hour behind us, so I will report nine on the posted walk. The Spring sunshine was quite a contrast to the icy cold and snow of the week before.

The lovely morning leg of today's walk was enhanced by daffodils making an appearance in a Pangbourne churchyard: later in the morning we came upon a magnificent display of snowdrops in the grounds of Bottom House Farm.

Onwards then via the playing fields of the Oratory School and woods to the Sun Inn, our booked lunch stop: and what a disappointment for the five diners. It was a "beans is 'orf" day, with specials on the today's board 'orf, my Moules Frites came sans frites (chips were 'orf - and no other potatoes !). Given we were the only diners our wait of forty five minutes for our meals to arrive tried our patience, but we managed to maintain our sense of humour and smile at the pub's incompetence. When our nosh eventually arrived it was good, but overpriced for what we got. Never mind, the beer and coffee were excellent, we had a nice table in this cosy pub, and the barman served us with a smile and he was apologetic for the shambles. A sign outside the pub advertising for full time chefs partly explained our experience: I hope applicants also possess purchasing and stock control skills.

The afternoon leg of the walk back to Pangbourne via Whitchurch took us just an hour, but it was a very pleasant hour's walking. Some then headed for tea in Pangbourne, two of us went direct to the railway station where we met up with our three sandwichers who had made a swift exit from the Sun - and the late starter. Changing trains at Reading for a fast service, and we were soon back in Paddington.

Another enjoyable Wednesday outing in fine weather with good chat and excellent company.

Hi Guys,

Anyone attending this walk as I am interested and hope to see some of you.

Thanks

Monica

I am hoping to!

It appears that most are not keen on this walk. I think I will switch my plans and do a walk that I am familiar with. Was hoping for this walk since I have not done this one yet.

Happy new year guys.

Monica

What a break with tradition !! well done Marcus. may do this walk or Thursday one. both sound better than hertfordshire one but am probably biased. Thank you.

Fab weather forecast. I'm on my way. Hoping for some great company especially as the forecast tomorrow look dire.

9, Warm and sunny , with a late start due to signalling problems at Maidenhead and the Sun Inn being closed on Tuesdays we all decided to take the short cut and return to Whitchurch / Pangbourne for lunch. Fortunately the Swan serves food all day and five of us enjoyed an excellent if slightly pricey late lunch in pleasant surroundings. The Swan is beautifully situated on the Thames and arguably worth the extra. The early part of this walk is along one of the most unspoilt parts of the Thames Path leading to superb views over the Thames Valley, overall an enjoyable day out.

My apologies to our group of walkers for not realising the Sun Inn does not open for lunch on a Tuesday: I should have read the Sun's own web-site more closely. Despite my snafu we managed to have an enjoyable day in lovely Spring sunshine.

There appears to be a bus service for part of the outward journey, from Tilehurst to Pangbourne arriving 11.05. The return journey seems unaffected.

Thanks for the heads up re bus.

The bus ride seems to be only 10 minutes. I hope this doesn't put people off of coming on the walk. I plan on going as I have wanted to do this walk for awhile. Hope to see other people there!

~Karen

Me and two others will be on this walk.

Can you drive to this place?

10 at Pangbourne station, most from the delayed train + connecting bus (which despite delays worked perfectly). Bright and sunny all day . 5 picnicers (at point 12) enjoying the views along the river, 6 stopped at the cosy Sun Inn later in the walk (2 eating, roasts only on Sundays, reported OK but not wonderful), and having lost the others at various stages 5 stopped for (an adequate) pot of tea and a very nice pint at The Swan, a short walk from the station on the river at Pangbourne - and stayed for a sticky toffee pudding (and another pint) - catching the 17.37 back home.

There were rumours of dissident group that, despairing of the trains, had done a different walk from Reading. And sadly unreliable Karen never showed, so we did not have the pleasure of her company.

Oi unreliable? I ended up with the other group. As much as I wanted to do that walk, and I really did, I wasn't sure if the transport would get us there with enough sunlight to make the walk. You will have to wait another week for the pleasure of my company. Which will be on the watts chapel walk on Sunday. Peter's alternate walk today was lovely.

~Karen

As the prime mover behind the fab 4 dissident group (I was Ringo!) here is a note on what we did. (By the way- how can a service which is delayed work perfectly?).

Concerned that the FGW arrangements may not work because of delayed trains at Paddington we took a fast train to Reading where we could (re)consider our options. We noted that the posted train would be arriving late at Reading so 4 of us decided to do a Thames path walk from Reading to Pangbourne (about 6m I think) where again we could consider our options. At Pangbourne we all had a picnic lunch on a bench by the river and then because it was only 1.30pm and far too early to return to London I suggested we walked from Pangbourne to Goring which imho is the loveliest stretch of the entire Thames path (and yes I have walked all 186m of it so I know what I'm talking about). En route we did the short sharp climb for a bit of hill work and to enjoy the fabulous views of the Thames Valley at the bench viewing spot.

We continued on to Goring where 2 took the short, direct route to Goring station to catch the 15.32 and two of us continued on the riverside path to Goring for tea and a massive slice of delicious cake at the Village Tea rooms before catching the increasingly crowded 16.32 back to London. So we ended up doing a 10-11 mile Thames Path walk. A SWC adventure in the finest of our traditions with all 14 of us enjoying our day out in perfect sunny weather.

re pub lunch: where shall I download the direction? Any link would be helpful. Thanks.

In response to the comment below

To get the link clkick on the walk number which is in the header on this walk where the w3alk number is listed as 1.4 just after the walk posters name PeteG and just before Add Comment

17 A good group with fine weather, and friendly reception in the Sun Inn.

We decided that the instructions have a mistake in para 21, turn left uphill onwards needs removing.

We also took a different route after the pub, turning right and walking down the road to the B471, crossing it and joining the main walk at para 48. Also the GPX needs updating which I will do.