# 🥾 Walk 462 - Aldermaston and Padworth Common

Sunday 20th June: From Aldermaston Wharf across the Kennet at Padworth Mill and joining Fisherman's Lane to emerge at Aldermaston and then continue on our path across farmland where encounters with long, lank herbage and an agitated herd of cows and their offspring made for a lively start on an overcast morning.

We welcomed the sodden but secure path south alongside Paices Wood country park and finally emerged onto the A340 at the edge of Tadley. A brief inspection of AWE perimeter fence and a by-way took us east and we eventually emerged by the SSSI Decoy Heath. Its abundant Damsel and Dragonflies sadly not airborne.

South then to the Hants/Berks boundary at Padworth Common where we took lunch, got slightly lost and headed south on tracks and over farmland to reach the ruins of St John the Baptist church. Once sited in what was known as Ufton Nervet but now in Ufton Green (a long story).

![Wading through a jungle of bracken.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume36/images/bracken_forest.jpg)

Onward to reach the Kennet towpath at Tyle Mill and back to Aldermaston Wharf past the alas temporarily closed Kennet Trust tea-room. See our route on Google Maps.

All seemed to enjoy the walk despite the going being harder than expected for the time of year and further than advertised.

![Group photo on the Aldermaston and Padworth Common walk.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume36/images/padworth_common.jpg)

*Thank you to Keith for leading the walk and providing the write-up.*

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