{"id":"69847937533dbb4b731186fb","title":"Walk 553 Calleva Atrebatum And Pamber Forest","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2023/volume-43-jan-to-mar-2023/walk-553-calleva-atrebatum-and-pamber-forest","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 553 - Calleva Atrebatum and Pamber Forest\n\nJanuary has been a wet month so far and we had a particularly wet and windy day before our walk on Sunday 8th. Sunday itself wasn't much better and there was a very heavy downpour before the start of the walk, and so I was surprised when eight optimistic (or foolhardy) walkers joined me in the Wall Lane car park near Silchester.\n\nAfter introductions, we set off toward the remains of the Roman town of Calleva Attrebatum. The rain had stopped by the time we reached it, so we were able to take in the sights and read the information boards as we circumnavigated the entire wall.\n\n![The Roman Wall to the south of Calleva Atrebatum.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume43/images/calleva_atrebatum_wall.jpg)\n\nWe detoured from the wall to look at the Roman Amphitheatre and the 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin, built on the site of a Roman temple. The alpacas that live on the farm next to the church were looking particularly wet and bedraggled today.\n\nThe rain started again as we left Calleva Atrebatum via the West Gate. We now headed south-west through soggy fields and waterlogged lanes towards Pamber Forest. To enter Pamber Forest, we had to cross a very deep puddle on Silchester Road, which called for careful timing as passing cars were creating huge bow-waves.\n\n![The 14th century church of St Mary the Virgin.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume43/images/calleva_atrebatum_church.jpg)\n\nOnce in the forest, the paths were very muddy until we reached Forest Lane, a section of track that is built up with gravel to allow forestry maintenance vehicles to transport logs, etc. The rain got even heavier as we progressed through the forest.\n\nIt was lunchtime but no one wanted to stop, so we pressed on, taking a short-cut to reduce our time in the rain. We joined the Brenda Parker Way, a muddy footpath that descended through the forest to Silchester Brook.\n\n![Each end of the bridge over Silchester Brook was flooded.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume43/images/silchester_brook_burst_bank.jpg)\n\nThis path got noticeably more muddy as we approached the brook. There is a small bridge over the brook, but the water level was so high that the approaches to the bridge were submerged, which made crossing quite hazardous. Now in Silchester Common, the rain had eased up, so we found somewhere to stop for lunch with logs to sit on.\n\nBack in Silchester village, we decided against visiting the pub as we were too wet and muddy, so made our way back to the car park by road. Not the route I'd originally planned, which involved a footpath on the Brenda Parker Way that was now completely impassable. See our route on Google Maps.\n\n![Useful pontoons crossing the stream in Silchester Common.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume43/images/silchester_common_stream.jpg)\n\n*Rob led this walk and wrote it up.*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 43\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 553 - Calleva Atrebatum and Pamber Forest

\n

January has been a wet month so far and we had a particularly wet and windy day before our walk on Sunday 8th. Sunday itself wasn't much better and there was a very heavy downpour before the start of the walk, and so I was surprised when eight optimistic (or foolhardy) walkers joined me in the Wall Lane car park near Silchester.

\n

After introductions, we set off toward the remains of the Roman town of Calleva Attrebatum. The rain had stopped by the time we reached it, so we were able to take in the sights and read the information boards as we circumnavigated the entire wall.

\n

\"The

\n

We detoured from the wall to look at the Roman Amphitheatre and the 12th century church of St Mary the Virgin, built on the site of a Roman temple. The alpacas that live on the farm next to the church were looking particularly wet and bedraggled today.

\n

The rain started again as we left Calleva Atrebatum via the West Gate. We now headed south-west through soggy fields and waterlogged lanes towards Pamber Forest. To enter Pamber Forest, we had to cross a very deep puddle on Silchester Road, which called for careful timing as passing cars were creating huge bow-waves.

\n

\"The

\n

Once in the forest, the paths were very muddy until we reached Forest Lane, a section of track that is built up with gravel to allow forestry maintenance vehicles to transport logs, etc. The rain got even heavier as we progressed through the forest.

\n

It was lunchtime but no one wanted to stop, so we pressed on, taking a short-cut to reduce our time in the rain. We joined the Brenda Parker Way, a muddy footpath that descended through the forest to Silchester Brook.

\n

\"Each

\n

This path got noticeably more muddy as we approached the brook. There is a small bridge over the brook, but the water level was so high that the approaches to the bridge were submerged, which made crossing quite hazardous. Now in Silchester Common, the rain had eased up, so we found somewhere to stop for lunch with logs to sit on.

\n

Back in Silchester village, we decided against visiting the pub as we were too wet and muddy, so made our way back to the car park by road. Not the route I'd originally planned, which involved a footpath on the Brenda Parker Way that was now completely impassable. See our route on Google Maps.

\n

\"Useful

\n

Rob led this walk and wrote it up.

\n

📸 Back to Volume 43

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}