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Winchester Group

We are the Winchester Ramblers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.

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Overview

I hope you can join me on this walk which has a variety of scenery.

The morning starts with a walk through rural countryside and woodland as we skirt Greenham Common.  The route then takes us to Greenham Common itself to see the remains of the nuclear cruise missile bunkers, the decontamination suite, the longest runway in Europe and the control tower. 

Lunch is at the control tower where you can either buy a sandwich at the cafe, or bring a picnic. There will be a bit of time to see the wonderful view from the observation deck of the control tower.

In the afternoon the route takes us north to the Kennet and Avon canal where we walk along the tow path, and a couple of locks, before heading back to the car at Crookham Common.

Thursday, 21 November 2024
Start time:
10:00 am
Estimated finish time:
3:30 pm
Difficulty:
Moderate
Distance:
17.7km / 11.0mi
Ascent:
50m / 164ft
Type:
circular

There will be some road walking along a fairly quiet road in the morning, bit most of the paths are good. There is an overgrown section with nettles but I am hoping the nettles will have died down by the time we do this walk.

Features

  • Refreshments available (Pub/cafe)
  • Toilets available
  • Car parking available
  • Dog friendly

Starting point

Grid reference:
SU 52520 64504
Nearest postcode:
RG19 8EJ
what3words:
bulge.hobby.mailers
Start time:
10:00 am

Crookham Common Nature Reserve car park. From Winchester the journey time is about 40 minutes. Take the A34 going north and exit at Tot Hill Junction. Follow B4640 towards Newbury to junction with A339 and the Swan pub at Newtown, turn right towards Thatcham. On A339, at third roundabout take the first exit onto Thornford Road and continue to T junction. Turn left and the car park is immediately on your left, opposite a reservoir.

Join the Ramblers and enjoy

  • unlimited free access to 50,000 Ramblers group walks
  • a library jam-packed with thousands of tried-and-tested routes
  • a welcome pack teeming with top tips plus our Walk magazine
  • exclusive discounts from our partners
  • knowing your support is opening up more places to walk and helping more people discover the joy of walking