# 🥾 Walk 522 - Twyford Brook and Charvil Country Park

On Saturday 11th June, we had a social event at the Twyford Beer Festival, which raises money for a male cancel charity. As with previous years, we've combine the social event with a walk - the walk coming before the beer festival, for obvious reasons!

Australian Ian, who leads many walks for us thought that combining a walk with a few beers sounded like his sought of thing and volunteered to lead the walk. Ian's walks are generally 10 - 15 miles long, so it was quite a change for him to lead a short walk (6 miles) so that there would be plenty of the afternoon left for the festival.

![Ponies near Stanlake Bridge.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume40/images/stanlake_bridge_ponies.jpg)

Starting from Twyford railway station, thirteen of us followed Waltham Road, past Stanlake Meadow recreation ground, where the beer festival marquees could be seen.

A footpath through a small housing estate brought us out into countryside. Ian seemed to be very popular with the local ponies! We came across an ancient oak tree, which could well be over 1000 years old, judging by the diameter of the trunk. A branch had very recently broken (since Ian had done the recce for the walk) and was blocking the path. A small detour was required. After following Hogmoor Lane, we reached Whistley Bridge, where we crossed the River Loddon.

![The ancient oak tree.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume40/images/stanlake_ancient_oak.jpg)

Now in Charvil Country Park, we were surrounded by water. We followed the 'Old River', which is a branch of the River Loddon, as it weaved its way past many ponds and lakes. Sensibly, we avoided the ford at Giddy Bridge, taking a detour to use a footbridge.

We stopped for our picnic lunch in a field before crossing under the railway and entering Loddon Nature Reserve, which also had its fair share of lakes and ponds. We emerged from the nature reserve onto the Old Bath Road, which we followed back into Twyford and returned to the station. Some went home at this point, whereas the rest of us, having worked up a good thirst, walked the short distance to the beer festival where we met up with some other BWWs who had not been on the walk.

![Crossing a wheat field near Hogmoor Lane.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume40/images/hogmoor_wheat_field.jpg)

*Thank you to Ian for leading the walk.*

## 📸 Back to Volume 40

Return to volume index