{"id":"69847924533dbb4b7311859c","title":"Walk 710 Great Bedwyn Ham And Shalbourne","path":"walks/scrapbook/by-year/2025/volume-52-apr-to-jun-2025/walk-710-great-bedwyn-ham-and-shalbourne","contentMarkdown":"# 🥾 Walk 710 - Great Bedwyn, Ham and Shalbourne\n\nEight willing and wonderfully engaged walkers turned up at Great Bedwyn for the 10+ mile walk on Saturday 10th May. True to the description the walk came in at close to 12 miles - not a bad estimation! Beautiful sunshine greeted us as we headed out of Great Bedwyn and this was to be continued throughout the day.\n\nAfter fairly easy walking we commenced a walk on footpaths that were rarely traversed. Fortunately the mud that was prevalent on the recci had largely dried up - which was fortunate as for stretches we were walking on what were previously runoffs. We emerged from the forest/bushland and then followed a brook for a considerable time before heading through Mt Prosperous, which was the home of the legendary agricultural engineer, Jethro Tull. (See his Wikipedia biography)\n\n![Group photo on dry soil near Mt Prosperous.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume52/images/group-photo-bedwyn.jpg)\n\nOur next stop was the hamlet of Ham where lunch and drinks was had on the back deck of the local pub - a recommended stop. After visiting the ancient church of All Saints we moved onto Shalbourne and then through Poseidon Estate and into Bedwyn Brail.\n\nAfter confirming that we had reached 10 miles we then moved into Bedwyn where we were greeted by the bells of the local church, the very impressive St Mary's. After a quick squiz through the front doors, and a conversation with what was the best man, we realised that we had stumbled across the wedding of the owner of the local manor - who generously asked us to join the wedding! The best man was his son and the groom was seventy-seven years old, proving that there is hope for all of us.\n\n![Entering the picturesque village of Shalbourne.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume52/images/entering-shalbourne-village.jpg)\n\nA cooling drink was then had at the Three Tuns hotel.\n\n![Approaching St Mary's Church, Great Bedwyn.](https://www.berksww.org.uk/scrapbooks/volume52/images/st-marys-church-great-bedwyn.jpg)\n\n*Thanks go to Ian for leading the walk and writing it up, and to Karen for providing the photos.*\n\n## 📸 Back to Volume 52\n\nReturn to volume index","contentHtml":"

🥾 Walk 710 - Great Bedwyn, Ham and Shalbourne

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Eight willing and wonderfully engaged walkers turned up at Great Bedwyn for the 10+ mile walk on Saturday 10th May. True to the description the walk came in at close to 12 miles - not a bad estimation! Beautiful sunshine greeted us as we headed out of Great Bedwyn and this was to be continued throughout the day.

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After fairly easy walking we commenced a walk on footpaths that were rarely traversed. Fortunately the mud that was prevalent on the recci had largely dried up - which was fortunate as for stretches we were walking on what were previously runoffs. We emerged from the forest/bushland and then followed a brook for a considerable time before heading through Mt Prosperous, which was the home of the legendary agricultural engineer, Jethro Tull. (See his Wikipedia biography)

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\"Group

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Our next stop was the hamlet of Ham where lunch and drinks was had on the back deck of the local pub - a recommended stop. After visiting the ancient church of All Saints we moved onto Shalbourne and then through Poseidon Estate and into Bedwyn Brail.

\n

After confirming that we had reached 10 miles we then moved into Bedwyn where we were greeted by the bells of the local church, the very impressive St Mary's. After a quick squiz through the front doors, and a conversation with what was the best man, we realised that we had stumbled across the wedding of the owner of the local manor - who generously asked us to join the wedding! The best man was his son and the groom was seventy-seven years old, proving that there is hope for all of us.

\n

\"Entering

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A cooling drink was then had at the Three Tuns hotel.

\n

\"Approaching

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Thanks go to Ian for leading the walk and writing it up, and to Karen for providing the photos.

\n

📸 Back to Volume 52

\n

Return to volume index

\n"}