{"id":"6984796c533dbb4b73118b52","title":"Walk 68 Bramshill Plantation To Green Park","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2013/volume-5-jul-to-sep-2013/walk-68-bramshill-plantation-to-green-park","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 68 - Bramshill Plantation to Green Park\n\nAfter the successful pub crawl around Henley-on-Thames on Saturday 14th there was a noticeable lack of people at 10am the following morning when we gathered for part four of the Wokingham Way.\n\nWith only seven of us, it meant that the car sharing only required two drivers to take us from Green Park (the end point of this walk) to the Bramshill Plantation, where we were going to start.\n\nSetting off from Well House Farm, we crossed the River Blackwater to join the Wokingham Way, which run alongside the river at this point. With the small sized group, we were able to get a bit closer to the wildlife than usual. As well as pheasants and geese, we saw a deer that was bold enough to stay and watch us for a while before disappearing into the scrub.\n\n![A solitary deer observing us at Jouldings Farm. (Sorry it's a bit blurred.) ](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume5/images/ww4_deer.jpg)\n\nDuring the early part of the walk there was some debate about which county we were in. The walk started quite far south and I was fairly sure we were in Hampshire. Some of the others in the group thought it must be Berkshire if we were following the Wokingham district boundary. Eventually a signpost on a bridge answered the question.\n\nA look at the map showed that the county boundary runs through the centre of the River Blackwater for most of its length. We'd crossed the river a few times during the first part of this walk so we'd been walking in both counties. Honour was satisfied for both sides of the debate.\n\nWe passed the confluence of the Blackwater and Whitewater where they become the Broadwater (not the Greywater, as you might expect!) and continued west along the course of a Roman road called The Devil's Highway. Nothing sinister befell us during this leg of the journey and we left the dæmonic thoroughfare at Risely. Passing under the A33 we followed a route through New Barn Farm and Highgrove Copse before crossing over the A33 in the general direction of Swallowfield.\n\n![Crossing the county boundary from Hampshire to Berkshire on a bridge over the Blackwater.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume5/images/ww4_county_boundry.jpg)\n\nNext we crossed the River Loddon at King's Bridge and then joined a footpath that ran parallel to (and quite close to) the A33. The picturesque woodland scenery was at odds with the loud background noise of the dual carriageway. The path eventually diverged from the main road and took us to White House Farm where we found a quiet spot on the edge of a woodland path to stop for our picnic lunch. There were a few spits of rain but the heavy rain and high winds forecast for the afternoon had not yet arrived.\n\nAfter lunch we followed the woodland path around the outskirts of Spencers Wood before re-joining the footpath that followed the A33. We continued northward along this path until reaching Three Mile Cross, where we diverted from the Wokingham Way to visit the Swan pub.\n\nThe rain started as we left the pub and we ascended the stairs and ramps onto the pedestrian bridges and walkways that cross the complex new road network that connects Reading with the M4 and A33. From our high vantage point we were able to appreciate the sheer size of this replacement for the Reading Roundabout. Also we spotted a small lake in the middle of a large traffic island. Something you can't see from the road.\n\n![Part of the network of pedestrian bridges over the M4 Junction 11 road system.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume5/images/ww4_bridge.jpg)\n\nFollowing a footpath that ran parallel to the M4 motorway, we passed through an isolated green wilderness before reaching the smart, well-kept, Green Park. The rain stopped as we entered Green Park, quite close to the wind powered generator. This landmark, so easily visible from the motorway and from most of Reading seemed enormous when viewed at this close range.\n\nWe followed a route through Green Park, which contained an interesting mix of modern business units, shops and children's play areas. The style of buildings and the general layout of the wide roads and paths put me in mind of the business parks I visited when I was working in California.\n\nThis fourth part of the Wokingham Way (which is actually sections 7 and 8 in the leaflet) certainly showed us the variety of rural and urban landscapes to be found on this relatively new long distance path. It also allowed me to explore parts of Reading that I have driven past many times without knowing what's there.\n\n![A green wilderness sandwiched between Green Park and the M4 Motorway.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume5/images/ww4_green_wilderness.jpg)\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 5\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 68 - Bramshill Plantation to Green Park

\n

After the successful pub crawl around Henley-on-Thames on Saturday 14th there was a noticeable lack of people at 10am the following morning when we gathered for part four of the Wokingham Way.

\n

With only seven of us, it meant that the car sharing only required two drivers to take us from Green Park (the end point of this walk) to the Bramshill Plantation, where we were going to start.

\n

Setting off from Well House Farm, we crossed the River Blackwater to join the Wokingham Way, which run alongside the river at this point. With the small sized group, we were able to get a bit closer to the wildlife than usual. As well as pheasants and geese, we saw a deer that was bold enough to stay and watch us for a while before disappearing into the scrub.

\n

\"A

\n

During the early part of the walk there was some debate about which county we were in. The walk started quite far south and I was fairly sure we were in Hampshire. Some of the others in the group thought it must be Berkshire if we were following the Wokingham district boundary. Eventually a signpost on a bridge answered the question.

\n

A look at the map showed that the county boundary runs through the centre of the River Blackwater for most of its length. We'd crossed the river a few times during the first part of this walk so we'd been walking in both counties. Honour was satisfied for both sides of the debate.

\n

We passed the confluence of the Blackwater and Whitewater where they become the Broadwater (not the Greywater, as you might expect!) and continued west along the course of a Roman road called The Devil's Highway. Nothing sinister befell us during this leg of the journey and we left the dæmonic thoroughfare at Risely. Passing under the A33 we followed a route through New Barn Farm and Highgrove Copse before crossing over the A33 in the general direction of Swallowfield.

\n

\"Crossing

\n

Next we crossed the River Loddon at King's Bridge and then joined a footpath that ran parallel to (and quite close to) the A33. The picturesque woodland scenery was at odds with the loud background noise of the dual carriageway. The path eventually diverged from the main road and took us to White House Farm where we found a quiet spot on the edge of a woodland path to stop for our picnic lunch. There were a few spits of rain but the heavy rain and high winds forecast for the afternoon had not yet arrived.

\n

After lunch we followed the woodland path around the outskirts of Spencers Wood before re-joining the footpath that followed the A33. We continued northward along this path until reaching Three Mile Cross, where we diverted from the Wokingham Way to visit the Swan pub.

\n

The rain started as we left the pub and we ascended the stairs and ramps onto the pedestrian bridges and walkways that cross the complex new road network that connects Reading with the M4 and A33. From our high vantage point we were able to appreciate the sheer size of this replacement for the Reading Roundabout. Also we spotted a small lake in the middle of a large traffic island. Something you can't see from the road.

\n

\"Part

\n

Following a footpath that ran parallel to the M4 motorway, we passed through an isolated green wilderness before reaching the smart, well-kept, Green Park. The rain stopped as we entered Green Park, quite close to the wind powered generator. This landmark, so easily visible from the motorway and from most of Reading seemed enormous when viewed at this close range.

\n

We followed a route through Green Park, which contained an interesting mix of modern business units, shops and children's play areas. The style of buildings and the general layout of the wide roads and paths put me in mind of the business parks I visited when I was working in California.

\n

This fourth part of the Wokingham Way (which is actually sections 7 and 8 in the leaflet) certainly showed us the variety of rural and urban landscapes to be found on this relatively new long distance path. It also allowed me to explore parts of Reading that I have driven past many times without knowing what's there.

\n

\"A

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📸 Back to Volume 5

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Return to volume index

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