{"id":"69847961533dbb4b73118a70","title":"Walk 156 Thatcham And Bucklebury Common","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2015/volume-12-apr-to-jun-2015/walk-156-thatcham-and-bucklebury-common","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 156 - Thatcham and Bucklebury Common\n\nAfter Mike's walk on Saturday 2nd May, Alexis, who joined our group in February, kindly volunteered to write the scrapbook entry for this walk - with a little help from Mike on the route description. Here is is:\n\nHow did Mike know how relevant the location of his walk would be, with the Royal arrival of a baby girl, daughter of Duchess of Cambridge of Bucklebury!\n\nTwenty happy Ramblers gathered in the carpark under starters orders to undertake a Thatcham and Bucklebury Common walk, 6 miles, classified as EASY... Whilst waiting for walkers to gather and boot-up Mike gave us a little more information on the circular route that we would be taking, indicating 2 slight hills during the walk and the promise of bluebells, plus if we made good time we would avoid any potential downpours.. Ah, and welcome to a newbie - Nichola - here on her first walk.\n\n![Walking past Wimple's Wood on our way from Hart's Hill to Long Grove Copse.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume12/images/wimples_wood.jpg)\n\nA little after 10:30am we departed Bradley Moore square heading east along Floral Way, Dunston Park, Thatcham and opposite Simmons Field took a left turn permissive path up the edge of Hart's Hill (Hill 1).\n\nAt the top of the hill some of us stopped to catch our breath and take in the view. We continued beyond a new small development to a track and turned right, passed a very narrow fence construct known to the walk leader an anti-obesity gate (hang on, squeezing through with my backpack), over a water section (water feature!) and into Wimble's wood. And we were not going to be disappointed; here we saw the first cluster of Blue bells.\n\nWe headed up a well-defined track (Hill 2) and at the top of Wimble's wood and edge of Blacklands Copse we turned left to follow a track into the village of Upper Bucklebury. In Upper Bucklebury we crossed the road and having passed the nicely named Ramblers cottage we turned right into a Quiet lane.\n\n![Walking through Blackland's Copse with the first bluebells on show.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume12/images/blacklands_copse.jpg)\n\nBeyond some thatched properties, turned left past The White House, onto a track left and left again by Sadgrove Farm up a slope (Hill 3) and left onto Briff Lane. Turned right then past a very grand looking house with pool and tennis court down manicured footpath into private woodland with our second cluster of magnificent bluebells…. Well done Mike!\n\nCrossing the woodland with Phil standing on a bridge to stop people falling through the open hole we headed up a slope (Hill 4) to Hopgood's farm. Crossed a lane here into a maze of footpaths and headed downhill to The Slade. We turned left passing a chocolate box looking thatched cottage in the Slade, turned right passing through properties to a grassy spot with many footpath options.\n\nWhat seemed a very quick lunch was taken here on the grass rather than plan B of sitting on some fallen trees. I know it was quick as I didn't get to eat my snacks and only managed half of my coffee before we were off again…\n\n![More bluebells. A dominant feature of this walk.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume12/images/more_bluebells.jpg)\n\nProceeded then through Holly Wood to a lane and into a slightly muddier wood called Ramsbury wood, here there were a few patches of Blue bells but possibly due to sunlight, they were not so impressive a sight as to the earlier sets. Here we had to traverse a few water ditches before heading up a slope (Hill 5) to a road just outside the village of Cold Ash. (No-one mentioned having to negotiate water features on route!! Glad my gaiters got an outing, not that I got my feet wet mind you!)\n\nCrossed the road down a quiet lane called Lawrance Lane, turned left to Park farm and diagonal right back on a series of paths back down to the Thatcham distributor road. We then returned via the Dunston estate back to our start point where most of us then went to the Mill pub for a well-earned drink and some had a small map reading workshop.. See our route on Bing Maps.\n\nNow I am sure the briefing was an easy 6 mile ramble…and 2 small hills, but I can assure you today my Glutes noted the 5 hills and 3 water features… but the company, the shandy, the weather and the bluebells made it all worthwhile..\n\n![Even more bluebells. We can't get enough of them.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume12/images/even_more_bluebells.jpg)\n\n(Note to self… shandy will go to your head after a 6 mile ramble and lack of snacks – I know this to be true, as not only did I volunteer to write up the editorial with help from Mike (the walker leader) but I volunteered to lead a walk and organise a social – so watch this space and only lemonade in future after walks !!)\n\n![Walking through Dunston Park farm on the last leg of the walk.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume12/images/dunston_park_farm.jpg)\n\n*See you all soon for the next walk…*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 12\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 156 - Thatcham and Bucklebury Common

\n

After Mike's walk on Saturday 2nd May, Alexis, who joined our group in February, kindly volunteered to write the scrapbook entry for this walk - with a little help from Mike on the route description. Here is is:

\n

How did Mike know how relevant the location of his walk would be, with the Royal arrival of a baby girl, daughter of Duchess of Cambridge of Bucklebury!

\n

Twenty happy Ramblers gathered in the carpark under starters orders to undertake a Thatcham and Bucklebury Common walk, 6 miles, classified as EASY... Whilst waiting for walkers to gather and boot-up Mike gave us a little more information on the circular route that we would be taking, indicating 2 slight hills during the walk and the promise of bluebells, plus if we made good time we would avoid any potential downpours.. Ah, and welcome to a newbie - Nichola - here on her first walk.

\n

\"Walking

\n

A little after 10:30am we departed Bradley Moore square heading east along Floral Way, Dunston Park, Thatcham and opposite Simmons Field took a left turn permissive path up the edge of Hart's Hill (Hill 1).

\n

At the top of the hill some of us stopped to catch our breath and take in the view. We continued beyond a new small development to a track and turned right, passed a very narrow fence construct known to the walk leader an anti-obesity gate (hang on, squeezing through with my backpack), over a water section (water feature!) and into Wimble's wood. And we were not going to be disappointed; here we saw the first cluster of Blue bells.

\n

We headed up a well-defined track (Hill 2) and at the top of Wimble's wood and edge of Blacklands Copse we turned left to follow a track into the village of Upper Bucklebury. In Upper Bucklebury we crossed the road and having passed the nicely named Ramblers cottage we turned right into a Quiet lane.

\n

\"Walking

\n

Beyond some thatched properties, turned left past The White House, onto a track left and left again by Sadgrove Farm up a slope (Hill 3) and left onto Briff Lane. Turned right then past a very grand looking house with pool and tennis court down manicured footpath into private woodland with our second cluster of magnificent bluebells…. Well done Mike!

\n

Crossing the woodland with Phil standing on a bridge to stop people falling through the open hole we headed up a slope (Hill 4) to Hopgood's farm. Crossed a lane here into a maze of footpaths and headed downhill to The Slade. We turned left passing a chocolate box looking thatched cottage in the Slade, turned right passing through properties to a grassy spot with many footpath options.

\n

What seemed a very quick lunch was taken here on the grass rather than plan B of sitting on some fallen trees. I know it was quick as I didn't get to eat my snacks and only managed half of my coffee before we were off again…

\n

\"More

\n

Proceeded then through Holly Wood to a lane and into a slightly muddier wood called Ramsbury wood, here there were a few patches of Blue bells but possibly due to sunlight, they were not so impressive a sight as to the earlier sets. Here we had to traverse a few water ditches before heading up a slope (Hill 5) to a road just outside the village of Cold Ash. (No-one mentioned having to negotiate water features on route!! Glad my gaiters got an outing, not that I got my feet wet mind you!)

\n

Crossed the road down a quiet lane called Lawrance Lane, turned left to Park farm and diagonal right back on a series of paths back down to the Thatcham distributor road. We then returned via the Dunston estate back to our start point where most of us then went to the Mill pub for a well-earned drink and some had a small map reading workshop.. See our route on Bing Maps.

\n

Now I am sure the briefing was an easy 6 mile ramble…and 2 small hills, but I can assure you today my Glutes noted the 5 hills and 3 water features… but the company, the shandy, the weather and the bluebells made it all worthwhile..

\n

\"Even

\n

(Note to self… shandy will go to your head after a 6 mile ramble and lack of snacks – I know this to be true, as not only did I volunteer to write up the editorial with help from Mike (the walker leader) but I volunteered to lead a walk and organise a social – so watch this space and only lemonade in future after walks !!)

\n

\"Walking

\n

See you all soon for the next walk…

\n

📸 Back to Volume 12

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}