# 🥾 Walk 625 - Whitchurch, Thames Path and Chiltern Way

On Sunday, twelve of us (including visitors from the Pang Valley Ramblers and Loddon Valley Ramblers groups) met up in Pangbourne for a 7½ mile walk around Whitchurch-on-Thames, Great Chalk Wood and Cold Harbour.

The walk started by crossing the River Thames on Whitchurch Bridge, following the Thames Path signposts past St Mary the Virgin Church in Whitchurch. Here we were met by a latecomer, who had been delayed the temporary traffic lights in Pangbourne. Thirteen of us now followed the High Street as it ascended, gently at first and then gradually more steeply, through the village.

![The Thames Path through Lower Hartslock Wood.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume47/images/lower_hartslock_wood.jpg)

We turned left into a lane called Hartslock Bridleway, still following the Thames Path signposts. There were a number of large houses along the lane, some with alarming amounts of security. A few of us were speculating who and what was behind the high, spiked, metal security fences.

The lane ended and the Thames Path became a muddy footpath that made its way through Hartslock Wood. The path ran along the contours of a steeply sloping bank, giving us an almost aerial view of the River Thames.

![The steep ascent onto Hattonhill Shaw.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume47/images/hattenhill_shaw_climb.jpg)

We left the Thames Path as it emerged from Lower Hartslock Wood and we headed up Hattonhill Shaw, a small but steep hill. We stopped at the top to take in the view of the Thames as it passes by Lower Basildon and Goring-on-Thames.

Once we'd got our breath back, we continued our walk on a narrow, stony path that gradually ascended before joining the Chiltern Way. This took us along a lane to Upper Gatehampton Farm and then into Great Chalk Wood. Here the paths became really muddy! We found a suitable spot for lunch, just off the muddy path and with fallen trees to sit on while we ate our packed lunches.

![The view of the Thames from Hattonhill Shaw.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume47/images/hattenhill_shaw_view.jpg)

After lunch, we left Great Chalk Wood, passing Bottom Farm and Blackbird's Bottom on our way to Cold Harbour. Here we saw a great number of snowdrops on the verges of the paths and lanes.

We returned to Whitchurch on a long footpath that passed Furzemoor Plantation, Beech Farm and Stoneycroft Plantation before joining the B471 road into Whitchurch. It was then a matter of retracing our outward route, past the church and over the bridge back into Pangbourne. See our route on Google Maps. According to my GPS, we had done 7.6 miles with a total ascent of 1,900ft. Quite a workout!

![On the Chiltern Way in Great Chalk Wood.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume47/images/great_chalk_wood.jpg)

![Our lunch-stop in Great Chalk Wood.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume47/images/great_chalk_wood_lunch.jpg)

*Thanks go to Emma and Rob for leading this walk.*

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