🥾 Walk 601 - Finchampstead, Crowthorne, Wokingham

On Sunday 17th September, Joy led her fist walk for our group. Choosing an area that she knew well, and having walked through the route a couple of times before leading, meant that the walk went without a hitch.

Nine of us met up in the Simons Wood National Trust Car Park on Wellingtonia Avenue in Finchampstead and set off soon after 10:30, heading northward though mixed woodland to King's Mere. Briefly joining Nine Mile Ride, we crossed the railway bridge and left the road for a footpath into the Gorrick Plantation. This was mostly pine forest followed by mixed woodland as we continued north to Chapel Green.

Turning east, we approached Ludgrove School. A footpath heading south, past the school, took us through Grays Farm and Gardner's Green Farm, where there were a lot of poly-tunnels filled with strawberry and raspberry plants. The ones we could see were just getting ripe and looked quite tempting.

We resisted any temptation and were soon in back in the Gorrick Plantation again. Now heading south-east, we crossed Nine Mile Ride again and were in more woodland on our way to Heath Lake and our lunch-stop.

We ate our packed lunches while sitting by the lake and watching the wildlife. A few of the trees were just starting to turn to their autumn colours and there was a feeling in the air that summer was retreating into the past.

After lunch, we followed a footpath through East Berkshire Golf Club's golf course and then into Crowthorne. Passing a parade of shops, we reached Crowthorne railway station and took a footpath that followed along the railway line towards Edgbarrow Wood Nature Reserve and then crossed the tracks into Ambarrow Wood.

We could now feel a few spots of rain falling on us. The weather forecast had predicted heavy rain in the afternoon, which was yet to come.

Now heading westward, into Coalpit Copse, the rain got heavier. Passing Beech Hill and heading toward Finchampstead Ridges, the rain got heavier still. Joy made a leader's decision to cut out the final loop through Finchampstead Ridges and take a quicker route directly back to the car park. A wise decision under the circumstances.

A woodland path took us back to Wellingtonia Avenue, which we crossed and another short woodland path got us back to the car park. See our route on Google Maps. A most enjoyable walk, only slightly marred by the downpour of rain at the end.

Many thanks go to Joy for leading her first walk for our group.

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