A 20s and 30s Ramblers group.
An 8-mile circular stroll starting from Ockwells Park exploring the countryside and hamlets surrounding Holyport and Paley Street.
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
The starting point of this walk is Ockwells Park in Cox Green, near Maidenhead – originally part of the estate belonging to Ockwells Manor, and opened to the public during the 1980s. A large part of the park has been allocated a nature reserve and has a variety of habitats including woodland, open meadow, damp areas and a stream.
We will head along farmland tracks past Great Thrift Wood, crossing the M4 and into the Hamlet of Paley Street. Unfortunately both pubs in the village have recently closed and so we will pass straight through and onto our lunch stop near Touchen End.
After lunch, it’s across more fields and quiet country lanes to Holyport where we will stop for a drink at The George on the Green pub where hopefully we will be able to make use of the outdoor seating area.
The name “Holyport” originates from Old English horig + port meaning “muddy market-town” and it certainly lives up to its name. Depending upon how the weather is (and has been in recent days) we will make a decision at this point to pass through fields or along a short stretch of road (avoiding mud) and back over the M4. We will then walk through Little Thrift Wood before returning to Ockwells Park and the end of the walk.
Travel details
By public transport
Although these is no train station in Cox Green itself, Ockwells Park is only a 32 minute walk from Maidenhead Station. The 10:29 train from Reading arrives at 10:41 allowing enough time to get to the start point.
Alternatively there is the option to catch the number 7 bus from Maidenhead to Brill Close in Cox Green which is then just a 6 minute walk away.
By car
Please park in Ockwells Park car park. Please note that this car park can get very busy at times – alternative parking is available on streets a few minutes’ walk away.
Notes
Ockwells Park car park
