Woolhampton, Aldermaston and the Kennet

 

Aldermaston Village

I found this walk in the recent edition of the Ramblers magazine. Merv and I set out from the Rowbarge Pub at Woolhampton, heading initially to the west, and walked around a large lake, and adjacent to two smaller ones.

We headed east and south to Shalford Bridge and then along a road towards Aldermaston, passing an airfield on the way. Over to the right we could see the imposing buildings of Padworth College, an independent, co-educational, mainly boarding school with many overseas students.

Our encounter with Aldermaston was fleeting as we crossed the main road and followed a muddy track called Fisherman's Lane. At the end we crossed a river race at Padworth Mill.

It was not far from here to the substantial Aldermaston Lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal. FRom Wikipedia I learned that it was built between 1718 and 1723 and was originally turf-sided, but enlarged in the mid-eighteenth century and given scalloped brick walls. It was altered in 1984 when the walls were raised to the full height of lock as part of its restoration.

The original height of the scalloped walls is marked by a line of blue bricks. The scalloped lock at Aldermaston is thought to be one of only two in the country.

It remained only to follow the tow path to reach Woolhampton Lock (and the Rowbarge pub). It was a very pleasant stroll and it was interesting to spot this World War Two pill box. It is unusual in that most of these - many still present along the canal - was made of brick, the others are all (?) concrete.

Map: Explorer 159 (Reading, Wokingham and Pangbourne).

Conditions: dry, cloudy, cool.

Distance: 7 miles.

Rating: four stars.

Combe Gibbet and Buttermere

                                                                     Combe Gibbet

There has been a bit of lapse in recent months, largely because my wife had a nasty accident (happily she is largely restored now). When I did resume walking with my friend Merv, we did some walks which were enjoyable for exercise but didn't offer very much visually. Recently however, we have had a couple of walks worthy of being blogged: today's starts near Combe Gibbet at Inkpen. 

The gibbet was erected in 1676 for the purpose of gibbeting the bodies of George Broomham and Dorothy Newman and was only used for them. The gibbet was placed in such a prominent location as a warning, to deter others from committing crimes. Broomham and Newman were having an affair and were hanged for murdering Broomham's wife Martha, and their son Robert after they discovered them together on the downs.  Unfortunately for the lovers, the murder was witnessed by "Mad Thomas", who managed to convey what he had seen to the authorities. A replica gibbet marks the site now.

We parked on the western edge of Walbury Hill and headed west along the ridge. It was largely grey, but suddenly the sun came out allowing this delightful picture of the fields to the north.

A little further on, after passing the Gibbet on the right, there was a lovely view of the closed valley which lays to the south. Sadly, the sun had gone in by now.

We headed west along the ridge, along the Test Way, a fine 44 mile walk which I completed in November 2018. The Test Way head south after a short while, but we continued along the ridge, passing Ham Hill after a bit over a mile and then also heading south. This brought us to the scattered settlement of Buttermere.

Passing the farm, we soon reached the pretty, but tiny, church. 

 Inside the church a plaque provides useful background.

We then followed a track to the south east passing a curious building which looked like a bar (and may therefore account for the success of Buttermere). We followed this by skirting a field full of cows (with horns - was any of them a bull?).

We walked beneath the wonderfully misnamed Sheepless Hill ...

 

... and then headed north along the Test Way to return to where we started.

Distance: 7 miles.

Map: Explorer 156 (Newbury & Hungerford)

Rating: 4 stars.