# 🥾 Walk 368 - Pangbourne, Mapledurham Lock and Tidmarsh

We joined the Pang Valley Ramblers on Sunday 17th February. So did quite a few people from several other local groups, making nearly thirty of us! Such was our number that there wasn't room for all of us to park in the same car park.

Our large party made our way through Pangbourne, from outside the village hall, to the Thames Path at Whitchurch Bridge. We followed the Thames Path through Pangbourne Meadow for a couple of miles. There were plenty of other people out and about, enjoying the sunshine. The resent dry weather meant that the footpaths were in reasonably condition. (I led a walk here last December, when the paths were much more muddy.)

![Crossing some marshy ground at Pangbourne Meadow.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume27/images/pangbourne_meadow.jpg)

Along the way, we saw fishermen on the river banks and boats making their way along the Thames. One particular craft looked rather home-made, with an open plywood box cabin on a raft, powered by an outboard motor. (See picture) Arriving at Mapledurham Lock, we stopped to open flasks of coffee and admire this well-kept, picturesque lock.

On finishing our refreshments, we left the Thames Path and headed south to Purley-on-Thames. Walking through the village, we crossed the main road and then left on a footpath through fields and mixed woodland. Skirting Mosshall Wood and Vicarage Wood, we had a little bit of road before reaching Sadler's Farm.

![An unusual home-made craft and fishermen on the Thames.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume27/images/homemade_boat.jpg)

This was a slight detour, added by the leader to avoid a longer stretch of road walking with such a large group. Looping round and crossing the road again, we were now in Sulham Wood. Here we followed a footpath that gradually descended through the woodland, into open fields, and followed a brook to Tidmarsh.

Another short section of road walking got us to a footpath that followed the River Pang to Pangbourne. Leaving the river, the footpath became a lane, emerging in the centre of Pangbourne, just a short distance from the village hall car park. It was now clouding over, so we'd made the most of the weather by starting early and not stopping for lunch. See our route on Google Maps.

![The weirs at Mapledurham Lock.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume27/images/mapledurham_lock.jpg)

*Thank you to Diana of the Pang Valley Ramblers for leading the walk.*

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