A 20s and 30s Ramblers group.
This 8-mile linear autumnal walk will set out from Maidenhead, East Berkshire, and along the wooded banks of the mighty Thames to the picturesque towns of Windsor & Eton.
Advance booking is not required, but if you plan on attending this walk, please indicate this on Meetup if you can (see Website link), so others can see that there will be plenty of people going.
Pace: medium.
Walk details
We will meet outside the North main entrance of Maidenhead station. From there, there will be a mile of road walking before we reach the glorious river Thames and cross the stone arches of the 17th century Maidenhead bridge. We will cross under another exciting bridge: Brunel’s railway bridge, which when built was an engineering sensation and boasted the widest, flattest arches in the world. It was also featured in Turner’s “Rain, Steam and Speed” painting!
Once we’ve contained our bridges-induced excitement, the rest of the walk should be a very straightforward route along one bank of the Thames all the way to Windsor & Eton. As we pass under the many branches of trees reaching over the river, we can enjoy the sights of locks, weirs, boats and birds. We can also wistfully gaze on the many grand riverside residences and even stop to explore and admire the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Boveney: a humble riverside survivor from Anglo-Saxon times that served boatmen and boasts some remarkable, well-preserved wall decorations.
Depending on our timing, we will choose a pleasant riverside spot to enjoy our well-deserved lunches. We will be nearing Eton when we catch glimpses of the Windsor racecourse across the river and, as we come out into the green space of Brocas park, the splendour of Windsor Castle should be spread over the quaint skyline.
We shall end our walk at the George Inn, a welcoming 18th-century pub waiting for us soon after we pass the first houses of Eton. For beer lovers, this is the flagship pub of the Windsor & Eton brewery but there are drinks and food for all tastes. After we’ve enjoyed our well-earned refreshment, the walk will have ended and walkers are free to enjoy the sights and charms of Windsor & Eton. To get back to Maidenhead, we will cross the river to take the short walk to Windsor & Eton Central Station. From there, it’s a rapid journey to change at Slough and a quick return to Maidenhead from there.
Travel details
By public transport
There are regular short train journeys hourly between Reading and Maidenhead. I recommend the 10:37 journey from Platform 15, which reaches Maidenhead at 10:53. From Windsor & Eton Central (NOT Windsor & Eton Riverside), there are two trains hourly back to Reading. If we reach Eton around 14:00, there is a train at 14:29 which arrives in Reading at 15:11. All journeys between Windsor and Reading feature one change at Slough.
By car
Maidenhead station has a car park. From the car park, you will need to turn left down Shopperhangers road, past the South entrance to the station; then turn left again under the bridge to arrive at the meeting point. From Windsor, you can get the train back to Maidenhead.
Notes
Maidenhead Railway Station
The George Inn, Eton
