BOOKING REQUIRED: Mapledurham House and Chiltern Way loop, 10 miles, Leisurely

This walk requires advance booking via Meetup and is limited to 30 walkers. Please do not turn up without booking, only sign up if you intend to come, and cancel in good time if you can no longer attend so that someone else can take your place.

This 10 mile circular walk from Reading centre features views of the River Thames, a visit to the grounds of the 12th century Mapledurham Estate, plus a section of the Chiltern Way on the return route.

The walk heads out of Reading town centre, into Caversham and onto a stretch of path both along and near to the River Thames. Our destination is the village of Mapledurham, home to the striking 900 year-old St Margaret’s Church, as well as Mapledurham House, a Grade 1 listed building. Its grounds, where we may have our lunch stop, also feature a working water mill.

We’ll start our return journey with a short climb through Park Wood, overlooking the Thames, and along a section of the Chiltern Way which skirts the edge of Mapledurham golf club. Passing through the villages of Chazey Heath and Toker’s Green we'll reach the edge of Caversham, where we’ll get a fine view from a small (suburban) hill.

The last section of the route involves another green area of Caversham - Balmore Park - which leads us to Fox and Hounds pub, where we can stop for a drink. The Fox is a ten minute walk over the Thames from our end point at Reading station.

Saturday 17 January 2026
Start time: 10:45 am
Estimated finish time: 4:00 pm
Difficulty: Leisurely
Distance: 16.1km / 10.0mi
Ascent: 175m / 574ft
Type: circular

Please note: the walk starts at the NORTH (Caversham side) entrance to the station, so please follow signs to Caversham from within the station, or go through the pedestrian tunnel from the town side. Please DO NOT wait at the town entrance to the station.

Please wear strong, suitable footwear for walking uphill on footpaths as the ground is likely to be muddy and slippery in January. Please also bring a packed lunch and plenty to drink.

Travel details
By public transport
Train services from Bracknell, Wokingham and Newbury are running and arrive close to the walk start time on this day.
By car
The multi-storey car park next to the walk start point costs £10 if staying up to six hours. Parking is also available in the Oracle shopping centre a 15 minute walk away.

Features

• Refreshments available (Pub/cafe)
• Accessible by public transport
• Car parking available
• Dog friendly