Farley Hill Foxtrot, 8 miles, easy/moderate

Calendar

When:

December 29, 2022 @ 10:00 am

2022-12-29T10:00:00+00:00

2022-12-29T10:15:00+00:00

Where:

Arborfield Park Recreation Ground
Arborfield Cross
Reading RG2 9QD
UK

Contact:

Jason

Walk

Circular easy/moderate gentle pace public transport Walk Winter Staycation

Come and join us for a post-Christmas but pre-New Year meander around Arborfield. This walk takes in some of the local countryside south of Reading, and has ancient woodland, quiet roads and a ford – everything you need for a post festive walk.

Advance booking is not required, but if you plan on attending this walk, please indicate this on Meetup if you can, so others can see that there will be plenty of people going.

Pace: gentle.

Walk details

This is a brand new walk from me – I went and did the recce a few weeks ago with some friends.

The walk will start with us leaving the recreation ground in Arborfield and heading out across the local fields and over the new Arborfield bypass. We get to pass through a small patch of woodlands called Long Copse and past a new solar farm. Continuing along the ancient woodland footpaths, we skirt along the outside of a woodland called Great Copse.

Further into the walk we come across Thatcher’s or Little Ford which is part of the Blackwater River – after the recent rainfall this may be quite high and fast running. Luckily we don’t need to go through it. The walk continues with us entering the well established Bramshill Plantation.

The walk will take us through the small village of Farley Hill and onto towards Arborfield Garrison. After this its a short stretch back to the start back to the Recreation Ground in Arborfield.

Travel details

By public transport

If you are coming on this walk by bus, you need to catch the no. 3 “Leopard” bus from Station Road (stop SA) in Reading at 09:10am to the “The Swan” bus stop in Arborfield, arriving at 09:41am. Once you get off the bus, it’s a short (less than 5-minute) walk to the start location.

Please check the bus timetable prior to the walk in case bus times change: https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/services/RBUS/3

By car

Free parking is available at the Arborfield Park Recreation Ground – if the car park is full you will need to find a local nearby street to park on.

Notes

Please bring a packed lunch and a drink.
It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear.
Please feel free to contact the leader with queries about the walk, or if you are delayed on the day.

Booking onto a walk

Most walks do not require advance booking, and you can just turn up on the day. We encourage those comfortable with Meetup to indicate there that you plan to come though, so that others can see there will be plenty of people there – this really helps to encourage new members to come along.
For the few which still have limited numbers, this is handled via Meetup. Follow the link to a walk’s Meetup page (or press 🎟 Register / 🎟 Tickets / 🎟), and mark yourself as attending.
Social and other events may have their own booking system – please see the event description.

Pace Guide

Gentle: led at a gentle pace with regular short breaks for water or rest. Should be suitable for anyone capable of the distance. (Expect 2–2.5 mph.)
Medium: led at an intermediate pace with fewer breaks but still suitable for most walkers. (Expect 2.5–3 mph.)
Fast: led at a quick pace with minimal breaks. May be a challenge for those with less fitness. (Expect 3 mph+.)

Speeds quoted are only a rough guide, including time spent on short water/rest stops and negotiating stiles/gates/roads etc. but not that spent on longer lunch or pub stops.