Walk, Woodley to Twyford, 5.5 miles

21 April

A more modest little number this one, but still a bit of exercise. Took Reading Buses' 13 service from the station to The Drive stop on London Road. Walked up Shepherds Hill and crossed to the middle of the roundabout, where there are a few houses and a BP garage. Here's what the roundabout looked like in 1970, though I don't remember it then. Crossed and headed up Old Bath Road past a couple of snazzy bungalows that I wouldn't say no to, then turned right into Warren Road. Walked across the railway bridge over Sonning Cutting - I always find this bridge slightly unnerving, possibly because it's a quiet road and a partially open-sided bridge. Stopped by one of the Samaritans posters for a quick drink of water. Here's a Geograph photo of the bridge and the cutting in the snow.

Walked on through the northern part of Woodley, sitting down on a bench briefly in Woodford Park for Ruth to eat an energy ball, which seemed to revive her. Carried on to Waingels Road and turned right opposite the former Waingels Copse School onto an initially narrow footpath, opening out to run alongside a lake. Peaceful spot; we only saw a couple of anglers. Emerging from the footpath we carried on down Landsend Lane and went for a quick gander at Land's End ford, frequently in the local press after heavy rain with "D'oh, Another One's Done It" style headlines (and here's a piece in the Mail Online from 2010). There have been mutterings from locals, and possibly also the emergency services, that the next person who drives into it can just get themselves out.

Goods train seen from the Warren Road Bridge	In Woodford Park
Lake near Ashenbury Park	Land's End ford near Charvil

We crossed the Loddon at the footbridge not far from the ford and walked a short way down Whistley Mill Lane before turning left onto a footpath signposted to Twyford. Walked on under the railway and through the Loddon Nature Reserve, following a path along the Loddon to come out on the A3032 Old Bath Road in Twyford (the road used to be the main A4 before Twyford was bypassed in the 1920s). Turned right towards the town and popped into The Duke of Wellington for a reviving drink, before catching a train back to Reading.

Map of the route: