# 🥾 Walk 592 - Turville Heath Circuit

On Sunday 16th July, ten of us met up in the Warburg Nature Reserve car park. It's an interesting drive to get there, along a twisty, narrow and potholed lane, but we all found it in time for a ten o'clock start. This seven-mile walk promised lots of hills and a cooked lunch at The Barn at Turville Heath. A table had been booked for us by our walk leader, Ann. Normally we all bring packed lunches to walks, so this was a treat.

We set off and immediately went uphill on a steep footpath through the nature reserve to Lodge Farm, gaining 275 feet of height on the way. Our route then joined the Oxfordshire Way, crossing a field and entering more woodland at Maidensgrove.

Soon we were heading downhill through Pishillbury Wood. Then it was uphill again through a field up to Pishill House. There seemed to be a big party going on here. A track had been laid to allow cars to enter a field behind the house, where there was a makeshift car park and a number of large bell-tents.

![Walking through Pishillbury Wood on the Oxfordshire Way.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/pishillbury_wood.jpg)

Heading downhill from the big house, we passed Pishill church, tucked away in woodland, and crossed the B480 road. Leaving the Oxfordshire Way we headed east and uphill along a narrow footpath that brought us out on to Hollandridge Lane.

Crossing the road, we descended into a farm and then uphill again across a large field. From the top, we could see Stonor Park, a game of cricket being played near Stonor, and the neat rows of tents at Pishill House.

Passing through a wrought iron gate, we crossed parkland into Turville Heath. Here we found a wooden bus stop that had a long shelf of books. We briefly sifted through the titles and one of our members found a book suitable for his grandchildren. Turning left at Turville Grange, we soon arrived at The Barn at Turville Heath.

![Crossing Balham's Farm on our way from Pishill to Turville Heath.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/balhams_farm.jpg)

We had an excellent lunch at this unusual restaurant. There were wooden tables in one barn, and some outside. The food was prepared in another barn. Repurposed vehicles were used throughout the place. A barbecue had been made from the front-half of a Land-Rover, the cake counter was made from a tractor and there were sections of a Morris 1000 Traveller decorating the quadrangle!

After lunch, we crossed though Summer Heath to Southend, where we joined the Shakespeare's Way, which took us through Kildridge Wood and into Stonor Park.

Stonor Park is a deer park and we did see a few. A small group of Fallow Deer and a White Deer were grazing quite close to the footpath. They must be used to people walking by as they casually looked at us and carried on grazing.

![Following the Shakespeare's Way to Stonor Park.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/kildridge_wood.jpg)

Stonor House looked impressive and there was a family-friendly play area next to it. I haven't been inside the house, but I'm told it's worth a visit. As we passed through the park, we saw that a circus was set up at the edge of the park by the B480 entrance. A strangely out of date form of entertainment, but just about still going.

A walk along the road through Stonor village brought us to a footpath that was part of the Chiltern Way, which we followed westward and uphill (again) though wheat fields and pasture up to Park Wood.

Emerging from the other side of Park Wood, we were back at Lodge Farm, and a few of us recognised that we'd been here in the morning. Soon we were descending the steep hill we'd come up at the start of the walk. The walk finished about ten minutes before the rain started, so we'd escaped getting wet, despite the forecast.

![Some fallow deer and a whiter deer in Stonor Park.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/stonor_park_deer.jpg)

Our walk was 7.2 miles with over 1000 feet of ascent in total. A good workout, plus a good lunch! See our route on Google Maps and OS Maps.

![Stonor House as seen from the Shakespeare's Way in Stonor Park.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/stonor_house.jpg)

![The Chilton Way near Upper Assendon Farm, near Stonor.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume45/images/chilton_way_stonor.jpg)

*Thank you to Ann for leading this walk and organising the lunch.*

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