Crockham Heath and Enborne

Looking back towards Crockham Heath

I had a meeting in Newbury in the morning and decided to tag a walk onto it. It was a very hot day and although I set out to do the longer version of this walk (6.5 miles) I ended up shortening it to about 5 when I felt myself over-heating.

The walk starts at the Craven Arms pub in the hamlet of Crockham Heath. After a stretch of road you skirt Crockhamheath Farm - and I was delighted to spot six species of butterfly within the first few minutes.

It was clearly too hot for these donkeys:


You then climb some meadows, with very agreeable views looking back, and soon reach one of the entrances to Hamstead Park (which we passed through earlier this year on the Hamstead Marshall to Newbury leg of the Berkshire Way. After enjoying the fine trees and parkland you come to St Michael's church at Enborne.



This interesting and unusual church was originally early Norman or Saxon. The south side (i.e. opposite the entrance porch) shows evidence of unsympathetic late Victorian restoration.

From here the route crosses fields to reach a bridge over the A34. The plan was to do a circuit around the edge of Wash Common, taking in the site of the first Battle of Newbury (1643), but I fairly soon returned across the bridge and then across the fields back to Crockhamheath Farm.

At one point, a narrow path with a meadow on one side and bushes on the other, was thronging with butterflies taking to the air as I passed. There was a time when as many as 20 were flying around and in front of me.

From: Pub walks for motorists: Berkshire and Oxfordshire by Les Maple (Countryside Books)

Map: Explorer 158 (Newbury and Hungerford)

Rating: three and a half stars.


Sightings

A very good day for butterflies. The six species spotted immediately were Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White, Large and Small White and Small Skipper. Later I saw a Red Admiral, a Speckled Wood, a couple of Commas and several Small Heaths. It was lovely to see so many Marbled Whites.

I also saw the now-obligatory Kite, flying very low.


Flower of the day

This Musk Mallow, with its delicate pink flowers, is worthy of a place in any flower garden.