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 (1h in)

Woodstock (1h30 in)

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

3 lunch spots: Woodstock (1h30 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: Beautiful Arts and Crafts creation of Mary Watts (1h45 in).

Watts Gallery (1h45 in)

St Catherine's Chapel Ruins (30m in)

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: Watts Gallery café (1h45 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: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

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).

Beginner-friendly: A gigantic well-signposted park. It’s completely fine to deviate from the suggested route — explore as you like! The lunch stop is a simple café, so no messing around with booking a table in advance.

Windsor Great Park

Windsor Castle (15m in)

Windsor (4h30 in)

Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

3 lunch spots: Windsor Great Park (2h30 in) — the King And Castle, or Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe; plus Water Lilies at Windsor Great Park (2h45 in)

3 end-of-walk rewards: the Two Brewers Pub, the Prince Harry, or the Royal Windsor

Source: Trains2Green.

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: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: the Stag and Huntsman (1h45 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: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: the Red Lion (1h45 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 (1h15 in).

St Mary the Virgin Church: on the site of a Roman temple (2h15 in).

Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

1 lunch spot: the Calleva Arms (1h45 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: 7h30 (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)

1 lunch spot: the Foresters (2h15 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: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

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

Time: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

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: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)

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: 7h (5h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)

Warnings: Steep descents.

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