Walks near Newbury by train
Berkshire · South East England
Stations: Newbury Racecourse · Newbury
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Newbury and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Newbury.
Hanborough Circular via Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire)
1 hour from Newbury, with one change.
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)
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).
Guildford Circular via Compton (Surrey)
1 hour from Newbury, with one change.
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 (30 mins in)
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).
Mortimer to Bramley (Berkshire)
30 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
Highly recommended: Little known but quietly wonderful. Beautiful rather than spectacular, in a humble village pathways sort of manner. Mostly secluded.
Ruins of Calleva Atrebatum: once a thriving Romano-British city that survived into the Saxon period. Now ghostly ruins. Includes an evocative full circuit of city walls, and what's left of a 7,000-capacity gladiatorial arena (1h15 in).
St Mary the Virgin Church: charming medieval church on the site of a Roman temple (2h15 in).
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.
Henley-on-Thames to Pangbourne (Oxfordshire)
30 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
Highly recommended: Thames riverside, ancient streets, broad valleys, beech woods, fields, small villages, alpaca farm and toll bridge.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
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.
Farnham to Blackwater (Surrey)
45 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
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.
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.
Pangbourne to Goring & Streatley (Berkshire)
30 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
Highly recommended: Woods, hilly, river and quaint village.
Woodland: a third under tree cover.
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.
Kintbury Circular via Combe Gibbet (Berkshire)
7 minutes direct from Newbury.
Recommended
1 lunch spot: the Crown & Garter (3h15 in; close to end of walk)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Blue Ball, or the Dundas Arms
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Pangbourne Circular via View of the Thames from Hartslock (Berkshire)
30 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
River Thames valley, wooded hillsides, chalk nature reserve, open fields, quiet lanes and pretty villages.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Lunch: Nowhere to eat en route — pack lunch!
3 end-of-walk rewards: the Greyhound, the Ferry Boat, or the Swan
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Sunningdale to Windsor (Surrey)
1 hour from Newbury, with one change.
Parkland, lake shores, ornamental gardens, light woodland, deer park, tree-lined avenue and historic town streets.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
Windsor Great Park (3h30 in)
Windsor (3h30 in)
1 lunch spot: Savill Garden Visitor Centre Cafe (1h45 in)
4 end-of-walk rewards: the Prince Harry, the Carpenters Arms, the Royal Windsor, or the Boatman
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Gomshall to Guildford (Surrey)
1 hour from Newbury, with one change.
Fields, wooded valley, pine woods, heathland common, stud farms and canal and riverside path into a historic town.
Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.
Abinger Roughs and Netley Park: Hidden woods with ancient trees and flower-sprinkled grasslands, just off the North Downs and Pilgrims Ways (National Trust).
Shere (30 mins in)
4 lunch spots: Shere (30 mins in) — the Dabbling Duck Café (excellent), Hillys Tea Shop, or the William Bray; plus the William IV (1h in)
3 end-of-walk rewards: the Britannia, the White House, or the George Abbot
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walks: the Saturday Walkers Club, Surrey Hills National Landscape and Blackwater Valley Nature Walks.
Oxford Circular via Port Meadow (Oxfordshire)
45 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
Flat riverside towpaths, water meadows, canal towpath, Oxford city streets, college lanes and historic squares.
Pitt Rivers Museum (2h45 in)
Oxford (3h15 in)
4 lunch spots: Wolvercote (1h15 in) — the Trout Inn, Godstow, or the Jacob's Inn; plus the Perch (30 mins in), or the Anchor (2h in)
8 end-of-walk rewards: the Lamb & Flag, Oxford, the Red Lion, the Turf Tavern, the Bear, the Crown, the Royal Blenheim, the Castle Pub, or the Jolly Farmers
Warnings: Two fifths urban. Can be flooded.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Goring & Streatley Circular via Basildon Park (Oxfordshire)
30 minutes from Newbury, with one change.
Basildon Park: An estate saved from almost certain demolition and lovingly revived (National Trust; 2h30 in; 2h30 to visit).
1 lunch spot: Basildon Park tearoom (2h30 in)
Source: Trains2Green.