After a remarkably warm and dry September, the weather has become a bit more average for the time of year. Unperturbed by the rain, seven of us, including one newcomer, gathered in the free car park at the end of Hurley High Street for an 8½ mile walk.
We set off northward and straight over a footbridge across the River Thames. Passing Hurley Lock, we crossed the river on another footbridge and followed the Thames Path eastward. Not for long though, as we took footpath heading away from the river and then another one heading west, past a field with lamas in it. The path emerged onto Hurley High Street, just a short distance south of where we'd started!
Continuing south we splashed our way along the High Street, crossed the A4130 Henley Road and then began ascending Prospect Hill - one of the two hills on this walk. Passing through a small section of woodland and then more fields, we entered the grounds of the Berkshire College of Agriculture and the rather grand looking Hall Place.
Leaving the grounds, we took a footpath across a sports field into the tiny village of Burchett's Green, where we joined the Chiltern Way heading west towards Ashley Hill Forest. As the name implies, there was a hill, which we ascended and stopped at the top for our picnic lunch.
When the picnic was over, we continued west, descending into the hamlet of Warren Row where we stopped off at the Snooty Fox pub for a drink and a dry off. The rain began to ease off and was just a fine drizzle by the time we left the pub.
Next we left Warren Row on a footpath heading north through the Juddmonte horse-breeding farm. The path skirted some of the paddocks and then woodland before emerging onto the A4130 Henley Road, west of Hurley. Crossing the road we continued north on another footpath until we reach the River Thames again.
We followed the Thames Path eastward, back to car park in Hurley. The rain had stopped and the sun came out on the journey home! See our route on Bing Maps.
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