Walks from Wokingham

River meadows, gravel-pit lakes, nature reserves, country lanes, mixed and pine woodland, heathland, golf course, soft fruit farms and historic market town.

Time: 6h

Warnings: Flood risk in places.

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

Meadows, plantation woodland and heath, through buttercup meadows and Gorrick Plantation to the Heath Lake viewing platform. Rich in birds and wildflowers.

Heath Lake: A Site of Special Scientific Interest lake with a viewing platform, surrounded by woodland.

Warnings: Paths can be muddy after rain.

Walk details: Blackwater Valley Nature Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Skilfully avoids the busy roads around Wokingham, leading through quiet roads, fields and forest footpaths, mostly tree-shaded and largely flat. The off-road paths have uneven surfaces with one steep downhill gully; the later section can be very muddy when wet and rutted and full of tree roots. Briefly follows the Blackwater Valley Path, the Three Castles Path, and passes Simons Wood and the Gorrick Plantation.

Woodland: two fifths under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h30

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. A few sections require walking along narrow lanes with no footpath and crossing busy roads where the footpath runs out. The start of the off-road path is hard to find and unsigned. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A very urban and direct route that stays north of the railway, with a lot of walking alongside major roads but with pavements throughout and easy major crossings. Some relief via Luckley Path, Beehive Lane and a recreation area and plus a nicer footpath approaching Bracknell.

Time: 2h–4h

Lunch: A number of pubs on the main roads; public toilets and plenty of coffee and food options in Wokingham.

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a third of the walk. A quarter urban. Follows busy roads in both Bracknell and Wokingham for significant distances, including a long walk alongside the London Road and a crossing of the A329.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A pleasant route that more or less follows the River Loddon and with a half-mile of street walking out of Twyford and an unappealing pavement stretch into Wokingham along suburban streets and the busy Reading Road. The footpath through the Loddon Nature Reserve and along the river is rough in places and can be very muddy. Skirts Dinton Pastures Country Park. Passes through the Loddon Nature Reserve and skirts Dinton Pastures Country Park; starting from Winnersh shortens the dull initial stretch.

Loddon Nature Reserve: a former gravel-pit reserve between the River Loddon and a lake at Twyford, rich in wildlife with boardwalk paths.

Time: 3h–5h30

Lunch: There is also a café beside the main lake at Dinton Pastures Country Park, a short detour off the route.

Warnings: Follows a busy road for a sixth of the walk. A fallen tree may block the path close to Twyford. The Wokingham end runs next to the busy Reading Road. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Roads from station, Horseshoe Lake circuit, fields, pine woodland, heathland, golf course, soft fruit farms and market town.

Source: A variant of Blackwater to Wokingham – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Roads from station, gravel-pit lakes, nature reserves, country lanes, mixed and pine woodland, heathland, golf course, soft fruit farms and historic market town.

Source: A variant of Blackwater to Wokingham – the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).