First steps of 2023: Blackwater Valley and Simon’s Wood, 5.5 miles, easy

Calendar

When:

January 1, 2023 @ 1:00 pm

2023-01-01T13:00:00+00:00

2023-01-01T13:15:00+00:00

Where:

Crowthorne station
Crowthorne
Crowthorne RG45 6NZ
UK

Contact:

Zak

Walk

afternoon Circular easy gentle pace public transport Walk Winter Staycation

Brush off the new year cobwebs with this short walk along the Blackwater Valley, including the Moor Green Lakes nature reserve, and through Simon’s Wood.

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. Ascent: 72m.

Walk details

From Crowthorne, we’ll follow the railway south towards Sandhurst, before following a short section of the Three Castles Path to join the Blackwater Valley Path, which we then skirt around the side of Finchampstead Ridges before walking through the delightful Simon’s Wood past Heath Pond, on our return to Crowthorne.

Although the paths are mostly good and flat along the valley, there will be a little bit of up and down elsewhere on the route, though nothing too steep, and (as always at this time of year) there may be some mud though hopefully not too much.

Travel details

By public transport

Take the 12:41 train from Reading (or 12:50 from Wokingham) arriving into Crowthorne at 12:56. The walk leader will be on this train – if it is delayed then the start of the walk will be too.

From the opposite direction, take the 09:57 from Guildford (or intermediate stations), arriving into Crowthorne at 12:59, and cross over the road bridge to the other side from where the walk will start.

There are hourly return trains in both directions.

By car

Parking is available at the station, where charges will probably apply. Otherwise, please park legally and considerately elsewhere in Crowthorne. The walk will start on the east (St Francis Close) side of the station, opposite the car park and adjacent to platform 1.

Notes

Please bring a drink and a snack.
Please note: there is NO lunch stop on this walk.
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.