Thatcham Circular via Greenham Common & Brimpton & canal

This is our route today walking from Thatcham Station to Greenham Common, then along the River Enborne to joining Ashford Hill Road. Then we follow the Brenda Parker Way to Woodhouse Farm, then join the Enborne stream again, and follow a footpath to Brimpton Church. Then we follow footpaths to a flooded gravel pit near Woolhampton, and then walk along the Kennet & Avon Canal back to Thatcham Station. The walk is 12.5 miles long and  I used Ordnance Survey Map  158 Newbury & Humgerford, also Viewranger on my phone just to check where I was.

This walk starts again from Thatcham Railway Station, where trains are frequent from both east & west. Parking may be used at the railway station too.

We cross the road that carries traffic from Thatcham towards Crookham Hill & Bury's Bank Road, and start walking along the towpath of the Kennet & Avon Canal. We pass Monkey Marsh Lock, which has an explantory notice board.

Then we come to a swing bridge, where we turn left and cross it and commence walking along a bridleway towards Chamberhouse Farm. .

There we cross the River Kennet

Then we start to climb up the hill to Greenham Common

At the top of the hill we cross a road & go through a gate & turn left and start to walk across the common with views to the valley below and across the common to the right, going to where the Old Thornford Road meets the common.

Route from Thatcham Station to Greenham Common, the red line is the walk, the yellow lines are the roads. The blue letter P is a car park where Old Thornford Road meets the Common

This is a map to show our route across Greenham Common to the River Enborne. We walk from where the red stepped line which is the bridleway from Chamberhouse Farm, over the minor road(yellow line), then along the black stepped line to near the big blue P, and the corner, then walk down to the C of Crookham Common and to where the 2 yellow roads meet. Then go to the road with the name Ford on it. Then we go along the side of the River Enborne  starting where the spot height 69 is situated.

When we meet the car park, then you have a choice either go through the gate & downhill or stay on the common & walk downhill to emerge onto the Old Thornford road where you see this sign

So as you walk down the hill you will pass a couple of houses and eventually end up on Thornford Road which is the road to the A339 to Newbury & Basingstoke. At this road, turn left, & walk to where there is a road on the right that is stopped by a gate & only open to tractors.

Here is the Ford:

There is a bridge on the right hand side unless you want a water splash!

Walk a few yards up the road and on the left is a gate with a sign on it.

So this our route along the River Enborne, the owner of the land gives you instructions.

Our route now follows the River Enborne as the red dotted line of the map explains.

We walk along the red dotted line, to where it comes to a junction of paths-one path goes straight on and over a stile,  into some woodland-that's a green shaded area with pictures of trees on it, and  another path goes to the sharp left over a footbridge, one then turns left back to Thatcham Station whilst another goes right towards Crookham. Another path goes right towards some buildings and Mill Green and a gate/stile. We are taking the path that goes straight on over a stile towards the woodland, the one described with a line underneath it.

into a field and along the right hand side of the field next to a hedge

then over another stile, with a wooden footbridge and a metal kissing gate

then across a field to a metal kissing gate & another footbridge into some woodland

As you go into the woods, there on the tree beside you is an arrow so if you are going the other way you can see where to go and not into woodland anymore

The path goes over a stile, over a footbridge & into some woodland as above, and follows a path up the woodland with red painted logs on it.

The path emerges out of the woods, goes up a field towards a gate next to a road.

As you look back the way we have just come out of the woods, you can see a track going downhill with the path going into the woods on the left.

At the top of the hill is a gateway, & stile so go onto the road & look back the way you have come at the woodland.

We are now on Ashford Hill Road, so go the left and walk on the right hand side of the road towards Goose Hill.

The map below shows the next section of the walk from here.

To start with we are walking along the yellow road to meet the Brenda Parker Way at Goose Hill House marked with a red dotted line withe red diamonds on to Woodhouse Farm. Then we turn left, walk down a yellow road, then along a bridleway to meet the River Enborne again & walk along it to almost the spot height of 63, but then take the bridleway (a red stepped line), to Brimpton Church, marked as a black circle with a cross on it-a church with a spire.

So this is Goose Hill Farm

Here is a sign pointing away from the road named the Brenda Parker Way which we are not following in this direction but walking along the road first

As we go along the road, there is a track on the left with a sign

So down the track we go, until we come to a wooden gate, then go straight across the field in the same direction as the path we have just come down

Now we walk next to the River Enborne again to a concrete road, (tyhere is also a bridge over the Enborne, but don't cross it), we turn right & go up the concrete road and come to a track on the left. with a series of signs.

Note the Brenda Parker Way sign pointing to the left

We now walk along a track next to the river again, then next to a field, through some woodland, over a footbridge and out of woodland next to a field.

The path follows the field edge and eventually comes out on a narrow lane near Woodhouse Farm.

Looking back the way we have come the sign has the Brenda Parker Way sign on it.

This path at the road goes right uphill, buy we turn left & go down hill.

We go past a house on the right, then down a lane, round a corner and eventually a bridleway goes off to the left with a sign.

The bridleway is going towards the River Enborne and soon crosses it and comes out onto a track, with a metal kissing gate on the right hand side which we are going through.

So now we follow the River Enborne again

The path goes along the edge of fields, into and out of woodland, onto a track towards the road from Brimpton to Baughurst. Here there is a track uphill.

The track passes a school then a graveyard to come to a path on the right which we follow passing Brimpton Church.

Down the path we go around the church yard and onto a track towards a road

At the road, turn right, go past a public house, then left along Enborne Way through a small housing estate to a footpath, then turn left then right & walk downhill towards a road.

The map above shows this route, out of the church road, right, then right again, then left through the housing estate, and along the red dotted line to the yellow line, which we cross and walk to cross another red stepped line to cross the Roman Road ( course of)

On reaching the road, turn right, go along the road looking for a track to the left and the name of this house

When I last walked this route there was no footpath sign indicating this route along this track which is also the driveway of this house. Looking back from this track across the road you will see where you have walked from

This is our route now from Brimpton to the canal near Woolhampton

Our route is the red stepped line, that goes from Brimpton, crosses another red -stepped line, crosses the path of a former Roman Road, meets & crosses another red-stepped line & ends near an old gravel pit where it goes along a red dotted line around the lake towards a large blue 'P'

this is the second crossroads, with a track to the right and a signpost.

 and another this way to the left.

But we are going straight on

As we come near the gravel pit, now a lake, you will see a footpath sign on a wooden post pointing to the right.

We go along another track, & where a track goes off to the left we go straight on along the side of the lake

Just keep on going around the lake, then go along a footpath towards another track.

The map above shows the path around the lake, and left along a stepped bridleway to join the Kennet & Avon Canal where there is a green dot.

The path crosses a footbridge and comes out on a wide track where we turn left

Soon we come to a view of the lake

We follow the track passing another lake to find the a swing bridge over the Kennet & Avon Canal again and the towpath back to Thatcham is the last part of the walk.

 So this  is the walk back to the Thatcham Station along the red dotted line of the towpath of the canal, passing several locks, gravel pits, and sluice gates with the overflow water going to join the River Kennet.

So that's that walk, another walk like that I can put together later which will be a little shorter & go an alternative route to Brimpton & around it to join the canal between Midgham Station & Thatcham Station near that spot height of 63 on the above map.