National Grade: Moderate  Distance: 10miles / 16.1km  Leader: Alison and Richard  Date: April 8th 2026

The forecast of blue skies and the warmest day of the year so far helped swell the number of walkers to 24 for Alison’s re-dated walk from Mill End. We welcomed a few less familiar faces back to our group and Maria’s niece, Mel, who was visiting Maria this week. Good too to see John Murray back to walk with us. Once the slow car park ticketing machine had provided all the necessary tickets we set off in a westerly direction up a newly surfaced path through Great Wood to arrive at the pretty village of Fawley where we sat on the green under the welcome shade of a large tree to have a break. We continued past the old and intriguing village well and made our way round the large estate of Fawley Hill House, the former home of Lord McAlpine. The estate houses a railway museum since its former owner had a keen interest in railway preservation. Many items of railway heritage were seen including a section of private track with a small station and signal box. Deer roamed freely around the extensive grounds. To the side a particularly impressive bluebell display caught our attention but with the bluebells not yet in full flower this would only get better over the next couple of weeks. We picked up the Oxfordshire Way for a while heading towards Henley and passed through flocks of sheep with bleeting baby lambs. There were lovely views over the Thames valley before descending down into the salubrious streets of Henley. There we enjoyed many lunch and refreshment opportunities in Henley but most of us chose the shady churchyard to have our lunches. Some sat beside the Chantry House, an attractive yellow painted building dating back at least 500 years. 

With lunch over we gathered at the grave of Dusty Springfield before setting off to cross the bridge over the Thames and out, past the Henley Regatta construction equipment and towards Remenham Wood. A memorial plate by the path commemorated Minty, a much loved little dog that loved to roam and play there. Leaving the wood we passed through a field of rape which was in full colour already and made a spectacular sight against the rich blue sky. After a short while our route dropped down through Aston and arrived at the Thames where a group of young paddle boarders were preparing to enjoy the water. A lovely stretch of meadow alongside the Thames followed and the easy access to the river encouraged Mel to go for a paddle at the waters edge. A little further along the Mill End weir came into view. It presented the perfect opportunity for a group photo by the lock. Crossing the weir is always a thrill and it certainly was today with the turbulent waters all around. Looking across towards the northern bank was such a pretty sight. A short while after arriving back on dry land and we were back at the car park. Whilst Alison couldn’t claim responsibility for the perfect weather, it had been a delightful walk and we said our thank yous and goodbyes and headed home.

Report by Simon Thornhill