Walks you can reach from Cookham by train

Beginner-friendly: Cross the river, make sure it’s on your left, and keep walking all the way to Marlow! You can't go wrong.

Waterway: two thirds along the River Thames.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Lunch: There’s nowhere to eat en route so either pack a lunch or eat in Marlow at the end — there are many cafés, pubs and restaurants there.

4 end-of-walk rewards: the Bull Inn, the Old Brewery, the Prince of Wales, or the Marlow Donkey

Warnings: Very popular and busy. Be warned that the river bank is prone to flooding, making sections of the route impassible — if that happens there will be many other ramblers who you can follow for the alternative route.

Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).

Similar walk: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

Thames riverbank, tranquil meadows, overhanging trees, ancient villages, wooded hills and Georgian market town.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Thames riverside path, wooded escarpment views, short steep hill and pretty 18th-century town.

Warnings: Riverside can flood.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Reverse direction: Slow Ways (inc. GPX).

River Thames, water meadows at Cock Marsh, the village of Cookham Dean and the Winter Hill escarpment viewpoint.

Winter Hill: a well-known escarpment viewpoint with far-reaching views across the Thames towards Cliveden.

Cock Marsh: National Trust riverside water meadows and common grazing land beside the Thames at Bourne End.

The River Thames: England's best-known river, whose towpath (the Thames Path National Trail) carries long stretches of nearly every walk in this set.

Time: 2h–4h30

Lunch: The Mole and Badger pub at Cookham Dean.

Warnings: Some steep hills; crosses a golf course (watch for flying balls).

Walk details: Round Reading Walk.

Recommended: A scenic, mostly traffic-free route using waterside and green paths out of Maidenhead through Braywick Nature Reserve, then crossing the Thames on the Summerleaze footbridge to follow a wooded stretch of the Thames Path and before leaving the river at Boveney to cross meadows and pass under railway arches into Eton. Mostly flat apart from the bridges; can get muddy after rain in Braywick Park and along the riverside. Passes Dorney Lake; no refreshment stops between Bray and Eton, though there are picnic places. Take a toilet break at Braywick Leisure Centre as facilities are sparse afterwards.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 3h–6h

End-of-walk reward: Plenty of refreshment options in Eton, with Windsor just across the river.

Warnings: The riverside path is rugged and can get very muddy after rain. Cycle barriers on the Cut Foot Bridge. Direct access to the river along a long stretch — watch for tripping hazards.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Recommended: A beautiful, mostly traffic-free route via Bray, Dorney and the Jubilee River, leaving Maidenhead on green paths through Braywick Nature Reserve, crossing the Thames on the Summerleaze footbridge, passing Dorney Lake, then following the Jubilee River on a flat, well-maintained cycle path with lakes and bird hides and before a final busy-road stretch into Slough. Mostly good path; can get muddy in Braywick Park and along the river after rain. Passes Dorney Lake, a venue for the 2012 Olympic Games; carry refreshments as options are limited between Bray and Slough.

Time: 3h30–6h30

Lunch: Two refreshment options at Dorney mid-way: a garden centre cafe and the Palmer Arms pub.

Warnings: A brief section joins the road with no segregated footpath (quiet). The final stretch along Windsor Road into Slough is busy and a bit unpleasant but safe. The Jubilee River path is rugged and can get very muddy after rain, with little shade.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A beautiful walk with views and woodlands, quite idyllic in many places. An undulating route with some long climbs and steep parts (around 30%), mostly on woodland paths and a few minor single-track roads, joining the Chiltern Way and passing through Horton Wood and Keep Hill Wood. Stairs, gates, narrow and a few overgrown paths and fallen trees to hop over; finishes across The Rye park. Joins a stretch of the Chiltern Way and sensibly tunnels under the busy A404. The Rye has a picturesque watermill.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Time: 3h–6h

1 lunch spot: the Three Horseshoes

Warnings: Long, steep climbs and some narrow, overgrown paths; a footpath may be closed for tree felling near Marlow.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Fine views. Riverside path and with gentle gradients.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Time: 2h–3h30

Walk details: Railwalks.

Fine views, big skies with kites. A varied and beautiful walk through woods, fields, deer parks and manicured parkland, with hills, fine views and many red kites, ending with suburban streets into Maidenhead. Good paths but lots of stiles and kissing gates, narrow rooty paths and steep in places; squelchy and likely very muddy in winter. Follows parts of the Chiltern Way and Thames Path; High Wood is managed by the Berkshire College of Agriculture, which asks walkers to keep to the designated path.

Time: 5h–9h30

3 lunch spots: the Olde Bell, the Honey Pot, or the Rising Sun

Warnings: Several stiles and kissing gates; narrow rooty paths, steep in places, can get very wet and muddy in winter.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Rewarded with a semi-circular bench with stunning views. Attractive stretches of the Thames Path and the Chiltern Way through woods, bookended by urban walks, with some lane walking and woodland mud and steep rooty woodland paths and steps. Mostly shaded by trees. Follows part of the Thames Path and the Chiltern Way Berkshire Loop. A short, very steep detour leads to Hedsor Church of St Nicholas for views to Lord Boston's Folly.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Time: 4h–8h

Lunch: Cookham makes a good midway break with shops, cafes and public toilets.

Warnings: There is a stretch along the busy A40, which must be crossed without a pedestrian crossing. Narrow kissing gate and steep rooty paths.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Mostly quiet residential streets, narrow lanes and field footpaths and with some stretches on roads that lack a pavement. Largely under tree cover.

Time: 4h30–9h

Warnings: Braziers Lane has no pavement and only a narrow road edge; make yourself visible to drivers, and reflective clothing helps in poor light.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A rural route on a mixture of footpaths, byways, bridleways and quiet country lanes, with gates but no steps. It skirts Bracknell via parks and an underpass, runs through woodland and across fields and finishes through Braywick Park Nature Reserve. Footpaths through woods can be narrow and lined with thorny bushes. Passes Frost Folly wildlife park and Braywick Park Nature Reserve. The route lacks a pub at its mid-point, but there are pubs in Warfield and Holyport.

Time: 4h–8h30

Lunch: Two pubs off the attractive Holyport village green.

Warnings: A short stretch of fast-traffic road (Drift Road) with uneven grass verges, though the route turns off it quickly. Narrow woodland paths with thorny bushes — a jacket helps. Few benches outside the towns.

Walk details: Slow Ways.