The Thames at Goring and Streatley - 7/10 miles hilly

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/e/4/c/event_238811852.jpeghttp://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/e/6/a/event_238811882.jpegWe are exploring a particularly fine stretch of the Thames, as it reaches a gap between the Chiltern and the North Wessex Downs.
This walk includes sections of 3 of Britain's great trails: the Thames Path, the Chiltern Way and a small section of the Ridgeway.
It starts at the pretty village of Goring and immediately climbs onto the Chiltern Hills, and one of the highlights of the walk will be to visit the Hartslock nature reserve (http://www.bbowt.org.uk/reserves/Hartslock) and see the late spring/early summer flowers. Next to the reserve is a great picnic spot where we can have a picnic lunch with great views over the valley and the river below (pictured above).

Other highlights will be the railway bridge over the Thames, built by Brunel for the Great Western Railway, and the picturesque Goring Mill.
The first part of the walk is about 7 miles long and we'll be back in Goring by the early afternoon. We can then find a pub or get drinks or ice creams at the shops.
If you are tired by this point you could stay in Goring, but the fittest among us will go on to the second part of the walk for 3 miles, which climbs onto the North Wessex Downs on the South bank of the Thames, for more great views and landscapes.

As Goring is about 45 miles away, it will make sense to car share.
The instructions for the car share are:

• if you are interested in car sharing, answer the question when you RSVP by giving your starting point in Surrey, for example 'Guildford'. I am starting from Cobham.
• then have a look if anyone else has a similar or close starting point. You can then get in touch through the Meetup Email or Greetings facilities to arrange to meet and share the ride and agree on petrol money.
• please do not use the Post facility, as we do not want to get dozens of emails.

Parking: we meet at Goring Station. The car park is paying, even on a Sunday, about £2. There are however free street parking spaces in nearby streets.

If you are in London, you can of course take a train straight to Goring and Streatley and meet us at the station.

£2.00 for the WiSy pot, as usual.