Yellow 2 - Binfield Heath & Shiplake Woods D

About trip

This circular walk, of about 4 miles in length, is through the quiet and pleasant farmland and woodland to the west of Shiplake. Within the route is described a shorter alternative of 3¼ miles.

The directions below start from the Recreation Ground (limited parking) at Binfield Heath (Grid Ref. 746786), but the map of the route may suggest other starting places. For further topograph­ical features of the area, see the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder map 1172 'Reading'. Please observe the Country Code; in particular, keep to footpaths, keep dogs on lead across farmland and leave all wild flowers for others to enjoy.

With your back to entrance to Recreation Ground, turn right along road and shortly at Post Office, fork left along unmade road, Heathfield Avenue. Just after first pair of red brick cottages on left, fork left into fenced and hedged tarmac path to reach gravel track ahead. Now continue straight on and shortly enter field by stile, then go half right through middle of field to hedge at side of field, here bear left to follow edge of field keeping hedge on right. Pass into next field through gap in hedge and at bottom of descent enter woodland strip over stile ahead. After stile at top of climb, keep straight on through middle of field to stile into High Wood, here continue ahead on waymarked (painted white arrows) woodland path.

Emerging from woodland, keep straight on along gravel track with fence of paddock on right, then after kink in track, pass Upper Bolney House' on right and continue on concrete road. Where road bends left, at property 'Little Spinneys', turn sharp right through gateway and through middle of field, passing under power lines, to reach right-hand end of woodland ahead - Shiplake Woods, part of the Forestry Commission's Chiltern Forest.

Continue ahead along track and on emerging from woods to follow broad grassy track, look left along here for distant views of Bowsey Hill on far side of Thames Valley. At junction with broad track turn right along it for about 200 yards to a bungalow, here turn left and follow edge of field with hedge on right to road ahead. Cross over road to near corner of 'The White Hart' car park - here is the choice of route.

The 4 mile walk passes to left of 'The White Hart', but for the 3¼ mile walk continue along road past the pub for about 100 yards, then turn right up steps to follow path along top of bank parallel with road. Rejoin road shortly before field entrance. After about 300 yards along road, immediately before red tiled and white painted property 'Dormons', turn right over stile and along edge of small field. After stile ahead, turn half left though middle of field to another stile to right of large tree, here pass in front of two red brick bungalows and continue on gravel track to return to start.

To continue the 4 mile walk, pass through gap in hedge of car park and continue through middle of field to double power line poles at left-hand end of copse. Now turn half right with copse on right to next power line pole, here turn half right up through middle of field. After crossing grass track, keep straight on with field boundary nearby on right to enter Shiplake Copse in far right-hand corner. Entering woodland, bear slightly right to follow gently climbing path, then move up bank on right, to follow edge of two fields (divided by iron ‘kissing gate') with hedge and trees on left. At road ahead, turn right along road and when in sight of road junction at Binfield Heath, at metal barrier on left, enter other entrance to Recreation Ground and turn right across grass to return to start.