Walks near Maidenhead by train

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the route — explore as you like! Plenty of options for lunch — no need to reserve a table. It's an easy walk from the station to the beautiful, vast (and free) grounds of the finest example of English baroque architecture. For a somewhat extortionate fee you can also visit the house, but you'd probably want a whole day for that.

Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.

Blenheim Palace

Woodstock

Time: 3h30–7h

3 lunch spots: Woodstock (1h30–3h in) — the Crown, the Back Lane Tavern, or the Star Inn

1 end-of-walk reward: the George and Dragon

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

Beginner-friendly: No coast or river to follow, but pretty straightforward long lines nonetheless, and Watt’s Chapel provides a lovely reward for reaching the midpoint of the circuit. The lunch stop is a simple café in the vicinity of Watt’s Chapel, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Watts Chapel: A spectacular Arts and Crafts memorial chapel decorated by Mary Watts.

Watts Gallery

St Catherine's Chapel Ruins

Guildford

Time: 3h30–7h

1 lunch spot: Watts Gallery café (1h30–3h in)

5 end-of-walk rewards: the Withies Inn, Ye Olde Ship Inn, the Britannia, the White House, or the George Abbot

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

Similar walk: Walking Post (inc. GPX).

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).

Highly recommended: Thames towpath, open riverside meadows, quaint brick-and-flint hamlet, ancient woodland, wooded hillside terraces, parkland estate and Georgian market town.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Time: 5h–10h

1 lunch spot: the Stag and Huntsman (2h–3h30 in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Bull on Bell Street, or the Old Bell

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Thames riverside, ancient streets, broad valleys, beech woods, fields, small villages, alpaca farm and toll bridge.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 5h–10h30

1 lunch spot: the Red Lion (1h30–3h30 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Greyhound

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Little known but quietly wonderful. Beautiful rather than spectacular, in a humble English village pathways sort of manner. Mostly secluded.

Remnants of Calleva Atrebatum: includes ruins ofthe original walls, and a large amphitheatre where gladiatorial combats entertained up to 7,000 people at a time.

St Mary the Virgin Church: on the site of a Roman temple.

Time: 3h30–6h30

1 lunch spot: the Calleva Arms (1h30–3h30 in; excellent)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Bramley Inn

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

Similar walk: Reading to Basingstoke Community Rail Partnership.

Highly recommended: Deer park, heathland, MOD training area, Iron Age hillfort, reservoirs, stream valleys, woodland, nature reserve, wet meadows, lakeside sandy shores and common.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 5h30–11h

1 lunch spot: the Foresters (2h30–4h30 in)

1 end-of-walk reward: the Crown and Cushion

Warnings: MOD closures apply.

Source: Trains2Green.

Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.

Highly recommended: Woods, hilly, river and quaint village.

Woodland: a third under tree cover.

Time: 3h30–7h

3 lunch spots: Streatley (2h–4h in) — Pierreponts, or the Swan at Streatley and the Coppa Club; plus the Bull (2h–4h in)

2 end-of-walk rewards: the Miller of Mansfield, or the Catherine Wheel

Warnings: Relatively busy.

Source: Trains2Green.

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).

Part-wooded ridges, open pastures, wildflower nature reserve, Thames river meadows, beech woods and Thames-side villages.

Time: 4h

Warnings: Can be muddy.

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

Undulating downs, Thames-side views, Ridgeway path, chalk hills and quaint villages.

Time: 5h30

Warnings: Steep descents.

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

Stile-free bridleway through High Wood and Shiplake Copse (bluebells in spring), Binfield Heath village and the Thames Path past Shiplake Lock.

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: 2h30–5h

Lunch: The Baskerville pub by the station; a village shop at Binfield Heath roughly midway.

Walk details: Round Reading Walk.