Bracknell - Swinley Forest

Trail through the woods

The walk begins on the edge of Bracknell at the Lookout Centre. As we arrived the car park was full of cars disgorging cyclists, kids, joggers .... However, the route quickly left the holiday camp atmosphere of the Lookout to advance on a series of pleasant woodland trails, the peace of which was only occasionally interrupted by a gaggle of cyclists or joggers.

After a while the route reaches "Caesar's Camp". In fact, as the helpful information boards reveal, this is an iron age hill fort. It was once home to a substantial community. It seems that the iron age gave way to the Romans - but there was no information on when Caesar camped here.

Caesar's Camp

The later stages of the walk involved a sustained stretch of the old Roman road, known perhaps equally fancifully, as the Devil's Highway (why?).

The final leg back towards the Lookout Centre was evidently the main drag for families out for a Sunday stroll.

Rating: three stars. Surprisingly lovely in places, but a bit crowded and over-civilised.

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

Map: Explorer 160 (Windsor, Weybridge and Bracknell).