A village in heaven - Cookham via Burnham's beeches (14 miles)

Cookham to the artist Stanley Spencer felt a village in heaven. There he was born, lived and worked, and painted the unseen.

Nestled on the banks of the River Thames, Cookham is home to swans who since the 12th-Cent have participated in an annual swan-upping ceremony, and have their own King's Swan Marker who may be seen in the village. Home too to the mysterious Tarry Stone, possibly a boundary stone. A bench is provided behind to sit and ponder why.

Along the way, Burnham Beeches is a renowned ancient forest, leading to the first folds of the Chilterns
Burnham Beeches - Woodland Trust

Leave threatened tube strikes all behind. Anyone who can reach the Elizabeth Line can reach the walk.

TRAVEL: Both the walk start and finish points may be reached by the Elizabeth Line and/or trains from London Paddington. Walk starts 10.35 from BURNHAM station where the organizer will meet people. Walk ends at MAIDENHEAD. Sample fare: off-peak day return ticket to Maidenhead is £11.45 with a Network Card or Groupsave.

How to join?

• The walk is entirely free of charge;
• You only arrange for your own travel and pub expenses;
• Understand our terms and conditions below (the "IMPORTANT" part);
• Understand how to stay safe outdoors, as you will be responsible for yourself. See our quick safety tips:
  https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section!

IMPORTANT
Please bear in mind this is a free of charge, self-guided trip with a hobby group. It is not organized by a business nor any entity with commercial purposes.
Any trip details, travel advice, route planning, instructions and other content in our group merely represent our shared personal knowledge, research and suggestions as outdoor enthusiasts. As this is no business, there is no "product", "service" or "package" and also no "tour guide", "operator" or "walk leader".
Each participant is responsible for their own safety. Even if some of us are very experienced walking outdoors, nobody assumes responsibility for any kind of injury, damage or loss that may happen.
Despite this, we take extreme precautions and all trips we plan are very safe, fun, highly educational and popular. Our experienced members volunteer their time and effort to shape a pleasant and quality adventure for everyone :-)
By participating you acknowledge and agree with this disclaimer.

Here are our tips on staying safe during outdoor trips:
https://www.meetup.com/Free-Outdoor-Trips-From-London/about/

TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATION, INSURANCE
Although we provide detailed suggestions, each participant is expected to arrange their own travel and (if required) accommodation - this gives everyone the freedom and choice to join from wherever they want and stay wherever they want. Anyone interested in travel or outdoor insurance should also arrange this on their own. As mentioned above we always take extreme precautions, but some people may still feel safer if covered.
We advise not to buy tickets until the day. People getting tickets from the same station are encouraged to meet early on the day to benefit from discounts such as GroupSave.