(S/E) Start at the Old Bluecoat School, which is the cream building at the junction of the A4 and Harts Hill Road. Cross Harts Hill Road. Take the path that goes diagonally left (North) across Dunstan Green and then curves left along the edge of the green before returning to Harts Hill Road.
Continue along the road on your right-hand side for around 30m and then cross the road to join the footpath marked with a finger post on your left.
(1) Turn right at the T junction immediately after a footbridge over a small stream, then turn left at the T junction immediately after the next footbridge and follow the edge of the recreation field.
When you reach the roundabout, turn right along Foxglove Way, to reach Floral Way. Turn left along the foot/cycle path until you reach a foot/cycle path emerging from the left.
(2) Cross over Floral Way on your right-hand side and go through the metal kissing gate just inside the wood. Almost immediately turn right to emerge from the wood, and then turn left to cross the field diagonally (North - North-West) to a gate in the hedgerow. This is visible, just to the right of the first tree in the hedgerow, with a phone mast beyond on the skyline. Cross the next field in the direction of the mast, to a stile in the next hedgerow.
(3) The path then bears right, towards the right side of Park Farm, then drops down to a metal kissing gate in the hedgerow. The path then skirts round to the left of the farm, to a gate onto the farm access track. Turn left along the track to reach Lawrences Lane.
Turn right along the lane, then after around 100m take the footpath on the left, up some steps and towards the mast. The path skirts round the mast, bends right and continues as a track and then a driveway to The Ridge. Turn right along the road for 100m, to the bridleway sign on your left.
(4) Start along the bridleway (North-East), which is a concrete track signed Holly Slade and Broadview Farm. Immediately after the cattle grid, go through the gate on the right (East) to follow the signed permissive bridleway that goes between the ends of the gardens and newly planted trees.
When you enter the wood, continue in the same direction, and turn left at a path junction to continue parallel to the edge of the wood (do not try to follow the public footpath shown on the map going between two ponds, as this has been diverted to the route described).
(5) The path crosses a track from the farm and continues just inside the wood. Just before the wood reduces to a narrow strip, turn right onto the obvious bridleway track (the diagonal 'short cut' footpath is currently overgrown). This path is not always obvious on the ground, so keep the fence or boundary bank just to your left, until you reach the lane.
(6) Turn left (East) along Holly Lane, which passes Holly Farm House and then descends. As it starts to rise again there is a finger post marking the start of a bridleway on your right-hand side. Follow this path in the direction pointed by the sign (South-East), passing between two of the largest trees and then through a holly thicket. Continue straight on at the bridleway marker posts.
As you leave the wood, there is a finger post with many fingers. Take the footpath, which crosses the open area to the right of the house, then descends between the gardens of The Slade and rises to reach a lane.
(7) Cross the lane to the Bridleway straight ahead. At the marker post where the bridleway turns right, continue straight on the footpath, which descends to a small bridge then bends slightly right to ascend diagonally. When the path emerges from the wood into heathland, follow the small path to the right, to a small car park on a lane (Fannys Lane).
Cross the lane and take the bridleway that goes diagonally to the right (South-East). Continue along this (ignoring side paths) until you see a marker post, slightly to the right of the path. From here, cross the main byway onto a smaller one, little more than a path. Continue along this path (there are marker posts to guide you), until you reach a finger post. Take the right fork, which leads to a small car park and Brieff Lane. Turn right to the cross roads.
(8) Cross over the main road (Broad Lane) into Harts Hill Road (signposted Thatcham and Newbury). At the next junction, continue straight along Harts Hill Road (this is a busy road, but you can step onto the verge when cars approach).
Where the road bends, cross over to a track which is the start of a footpath, and almost immediately turn right along the track that is signposted as a permissive path. This track runs parallel to Harts Hill Road until it reaches some houses. Cross the driveway and continue between two fences, then follow the field boundaries downhill to Floral Way.
(9) Cross Floral Way into Simmons Field. Continue along this road to the end, then turn left at the sign saying 'Odd Nos 49-55'. Take the path that starts just after the street light and almost immediately take the right fork to cross over a stream by a small bridge.
Take the left path to cross Marsh Meadows back to Harts Hill Road, and turn left along the road to return to the start at the Old Bluecoat School. (S/E)
