What we’re about
Welcome to the Berkshire Walkers (BWs). The BW group is a part of the Ramblers, a national charity dedicated to removing barriers so everyone can enjoy walking in green spaces, and to improving Britain’s most popular and least-known walking places. The Ramblers are committed to campaigning to keep our countryside open to all and to fighting for the things that matter most to walkers. The Ramblers lead the way, and the walks, for a vibrant community united by the joys of walking, helping everyone get more out of their walks.
All participants of all group events are required to adhere to our Group Charter and Ramblers Values - https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/conduct-and-safeguarding/
You can enjoy 3 taster walks with the Berkshire Walkers for FREE, after which you are required to become a member. Annual membership is exceptionally reasonable (just over £3.50pm on Direct Debit).
With membership, you can also join any of the other 500 Rambler groups, including other Berkshire groups and those nearby in Surrey, Sussex, Oxford, and Hampshire. What's not to like! Find out how to join here: https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/join-group/
Groups are run entirely by local volunteers. Local group activities can include inspecting and maintaining paths, organising group walks or running local campaigns. Each group is run by an elected committee giving members ownership of what we do locally. We have over 100,000 members.
Please note: we list a full event programme on our website of walks, socials and trips: https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Yorkshire Three Peaks in Three DaysIngleton Hostel, Carnforth
On this trip, we’ll be heading to the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, home to spectacular hillsides, waterfalls, dry stone walls, Wensleydale cheese, and more!
The walks planned by the trip organiser are described in brief below, and will be reasonably strenuous hill walking, with more ascent and rougher terrain than found in our local area. However, while these will require some degree of fitness, previous hill-walking experience is not assumed, and you’re very welcome on the trip whatever your level of experience and however long you’ve been a member.
There are plenty of options for other walks in the area, however, and other leaders are very welcome to offer alternatives to broaden the range of choices.
Please sign up via the linked form if you’d like to come (especially if you’d like space in the hostel, as these may fill up quickly!) If you have any questions before or after you sign up, please contact the organiser. As with all our trips away, you need to be a Ramblers member to take part, but members of other groups are welcome to join us.
Provisional Schedule
The main walks programme for the trip consists of a walk taking in one of the “Yorkshire Three Peaks” on each of the full days of the trip (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), though please note this is subject to change depending on weather conditions etc. Depending what time people are arriving and heading home, there may be an option for additional short walks on Thursday afternoon or Monday morning.Thursday 7th: arrival; possible short afternoon walk
Friday 8th: Ingleborough and surrounds. This will be an 8–12 mile circuit from the hostel with 600–750m ascent, depending on exact route to be confirmed.
Saturday 9th: Pen-y-Ghent and surrounds. This will be a 7–10 mile circuit from nearby Horton-in-Ribblesdale, with 500–600m ascent.
Sunday 10th: Whernside. The longest of the “Three Peak” walks, this will be a 13–15 mile circuit from the hostel, with 700–850m ascent.
Monday 11th: check out; possible short morning walk; travel home.As mentioned above, alternative offerings from other walk leaders are very welcome, or some of these may be able to split into a shorter and longer variant if there’s a second leader – please get in touch with the organiser if interested, or indicate this on the form when you sign up.
Other attractions
If you fancy something less strenuous on one of the days, there are a number of other attractions in the area, for example:- A number of waterfalls that can be seen with only a short walk.
- Show caves such as White Scar Cave and Ingleborough Cave.
- Nearby Hawes is England’s hightest market town and home to the Dales Country Museum and Wensleydale Creamery.
Accommodation
We have booked a set of rooms in the YHA-affiliated Ingleton Hostel for the group, with a total of 16 beds. These will be 4-bed rooms shared with other members of our group. The final cost for hostel accommodation for the four nights will be between £133 and £164 per person*, depending how many spaces we fill.Please sign up as soon as possible to be sure of a space in the hostel, and by 1st June at the latest! A deposit of £55 per person will be required to confirm your space in the hostel once you sign up, with the balance due in the first week of June.
If hostelling isn’t your thing, you are also welcome to book your own accommodation – there are a number of options either in Ingleton itself or a short drive away, including B&Bs, holiday homes and campsites. Please do still complete the sign-up form though, so that the organiser knows you’re coming.
For those staying in the hostel, we’ll be organising to cook and eat together as on previous such trips (volunteers will be very welcome for this!) and costs will be shared amongst those taking part (likely to be around £15 each). We’ll also aim to have one evening meal out during the trip as well if we can find a suitable venue, giving an opportunity for those at the hostel and elsewhere to eat and socialise together.
Travel
Journey time by public transport from Reading is about 5–6 hours hours by train to Settle, followed by the 581 bus to Ingleton. By car it’s about 250 miles, probably taking a similar time depending on traffic, and we’ll try to coordinate car sharing among those who wish to do so.There are plenty of walking options from Ingleton itself (including Ingleborough and Whernside), or making use of local public transport (including Pen-y-Ghent). However, if we have enough cars to transport people to and fro during the trip, it will certainly expand the options for alternative walks and make Pen-y-Ghent simpler, but it’s by no means essential.
Notes
* T&Cs for hostel booking: Spaces will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis, and you will need to pay before your place is confirmed. Payment details will be sent to you by the trip organiser if a space is available, after you submit the form. Due to the nature of the group, once you have paid and secured your place, if you then decide to cancel, you will only be able to receive a refund for the accommodation once the trip is full and a replacement participant has been found to take your place – and payment has been received from all participants, including the replacement participant. If the trip is cancelled by the hostel, we will only be able to give refunds if we receive the money back from the hostel. The Berkshire Walkers account is used only to streamline payments to suppliers. In the event of a supplier failure Ramblers and Berkshire Walkers are not liable for reimbursement.Thanks to Caroline for providing photos from the area, taken on a previous visit.
- A Solent Circular: Keyhaven Marshes, 9 miles, leisurelyLymington Town railway station, Lymington
Today’s circular walk takes us from Lymington to Keyhaven through the marshes, which has been a massive haven for migratory birds for many decades. Starting at Lymington Town station, we’ll walk towards Lymington Quay, the Lido and the Yacht Haven to get to the marshes, which on a clear day offers fantastic views of the Isle of Wight, The Solent and as far as Portsmouth. This’ll take us to the quaint village of Keyhaven, where we’ll stop for lunch, and after this, we’ll take the inland route back into Lymington. We’ll then come back into Lymington through the Woodside Park and Grove Gardens, which will take us back to our starting point to finish the walk.
At our lunch stop in Keyhaven, we’ll be an optional mid-walk pub stop at The Gun Inn for those who want a pint at this point. We’ll be stopping off at the Ship Inn Lymington for those who also want a pint at the end, which is located on Lymington Quay and a 5-minute walk from the station.
Ascent: 24m.
This walk will be led by Michael v..
Please see our website for more information about the group.
TRAINS:
The recommended train to get is the 08:52 CrossCountry service that arrives in Brockenhurst at 09:58. This'll then give you enough time to get the 10:12 SWR service that arrives at Lymington Town at 10:20.
DRIVING:
Lymington Town has a small car park that has limited spaces. Alternatively, you can also park at Lymington Pier and take the train back to Lymington Town. Parking fees apply at both stations.
DOGS:
Dogs are welcome on this walk as long as they're well behaved. Please note, that we'll be walking through a nature reserve, so there are many places that dogs may have to be on a lead.
Please contact the leader directly if you are delayed on the day or can't find the group (find contact details on our website). We are unlikely to respond to Meetup comments or messages sent on the day in enough time to be helpful.
- Pace Practice - Reading to Bramley station, 18 miles, strenuousReading Railway Station, Reading
Join Georgia and Will for a 18 mile pace practice walk from Reading to Bramley. Starting at Reading Station, we will walk along the River Kennet to Theale, where we will divert off through country lanes and fields towards Bramley, which boasts the largest pilgrim stamp on the Camino.
Please note: this walk is linear, so you will need to return home/ to Reading by train.
This walk is a good opportunity to try out the walking pace required to complete the 25 mile August challenge linked here: https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/event/25-miles-for-25-years-25-miles-strenuous/?instance_id=4543
The pace of this walk will be 3-3.5mph in preparation for the 25 mile walk. Those who are unable to keep up with the pace, may be asked to drop out at Theale Station.
Start time: 9am at Reading Station South Side (Main Entrance- near Three Guineas Pub).
Estimated End Time: 4pm (dependent on pace) at Bramley Station.
(Trains run back to Reading or towards Basingstoke)
Transport
If you plan to drive, the recommended place to park is the car park on the north side of Reading station, where parking fees apply. The walk will start from the South Side of the Station.
As this is a linear walk, you will need to take a train back from Bramley at the end of the walk.
Additional info
Please note: This walk will be fast paced- around 3-3.5mph. Those who are not keeping the pace at the start of the walk, may be asked to drop out at Theale Station, due to the length of the walk. A reasonable level of fitness is required for this walk.
Please bring a packed lunch, as we will incorporate a short lunch stop and any snacks/ water you need for the route.
Sensible walking shoes are a MUST for this walk.
Please see our website for more information about the group.
Please contact the leader directly if you are delayed on the day or can't find the group (find contact details on the Ramblers website). We are unlikely to respond to Meetup comments or messages sent on the day in enough time to be helpful.
- ELIZABETH LINE: Canary Wharf and Greenwich Park, 8 miles, moderateCanary Wharf Station , London
Today’s walk takes us through some of London’s vibrant riverside neighbourhoods that combines modern cityscapes with the historic landmarks of London’s Docklands. We’ll be starting at Canary Wharf station, where its skyscrapers dominate the skyline, before heading towards the Millwall Inner and Outer Docks and towards Mudchute Park. After this, we’ll walk through Millwall Park towards the Greenwich Foot Tunnel, where we’ll follow it under the River Thames and towards the Cutty Sark to head towards Greenwich Park via Queen House and the RMS Titanic memorial. Once in Greenwich Park, we’ll do a loop through it with a lunch stop at the Royal Observatory before heading to our 1st pub stop at the Trafalgar Tavern.
After the pub stop, we’ll enjoy the riverside atmosphere and striking architecture, with the Victorian Docklands blending next to the path with the modern view of Canary Wharf across the Thames. After some time, we’ll curve towards the O2 Arena and walk along the top edge of the Greenwich Peninsula, where public art installations and creative spaces line the path. Following this round, we’ll head towards the heart of the Greenwich Peninsula as we make our way towards our finishing point at the IFS Cloud Cable Car.
As this walk’s mostly on paved paths and pavements with some unsurfaced footpaths around Mudchute Park, it’s strongly recommended that you wear comfortable footwear to fully enjoy this walk. For those who want a 2nd pub stop at the end of the walk, we’ll be stopping off at The Oiler Bar for a pint, which is a short ride on the cable car over to the Royal Victoria Dock. Please note, that a single ticket for the cable car costs £6.50 per person.
This walk will be a joint walk with the Metropolitan Walkers.
Ascent: 52m.
This walk will be led by Michael v..
Please see our website for more information about the group.
TRAINS:
The recommended train to get is the 10:00 GWR service that arrives at Paddington at 10:26. This'll give you enough time to get the 10:41 Elizabeth line service that arrives at Canary Wharf at 10:58.
DRIVING:
Due to the cost of ULEZ and parking in London, it’s strongly recommended that you don’t drive into central London. Alternatively, you can park at the car park next to Reading station, where parking fees apply.
DOGS:
Dogs are welcome on this walk as long as they're well behaved.
Please contact the leader directly if you are delayed on the day or can't find the group (find contact details on our website). We are unlikely to respond to Meetup comments or messages sent on the day in enough time to be helpful.
