(S/E) Start from the small car park at the front of the pub (not the large car park at the back). With your back to the pub, you’ll see Lands End Lane ahead heading off to the left. Follow this lane for around 400m.
(1) When you reach a T-junction in the road, turn left and walk down the quiet lane “Beggars Hill Road” for another 400m until the road gets thinner, bends to the right slightly and turns into a footpath. After 200m this footpath bends to the right and enters a residential area with houses either side.
(2) After another 200m the path meets a busy road called Mohawk way, cross this road carefully and continue to follow the footpath straight ahead. This path soon forks and you need to take the path to the left of the fork with a row of houses on the left. This concrete path then emerges from the residential area and you need to follow this straight ahead through the park with the field to your right and houses to your left. Follow this all the way until it reaches the end of the park with the busy Mohawk Way ahead of you.
(3) Turn right on the path at this point and then follow it down towards the far corner of the field with the busy road to your left. The path then forks. Take the left fork that goes down towards a gate next to the busy road. Go through the gate before carefully crossing the busy road and then turn right and follow the footpath that tracks Mowhawk way. After about 200m you will then reach the large roundabout and here you follow the path around to the left. Once you are around the corner, walk about 10m and then take a footpath going up a slope to your left. You will then see the Museum of Berkshire Aviation ahead of you which you can visit if you wish. Otherwise, turn right at the top of this slope and follow the footpath ahead. After about 100m this footpath meets a cycle track that is heading down to your left. Walk straight ahead onto this cycle path and follow it until it bends to the left and then hits a T-junction.
(4) Turn right at this T-junction and walk straight ahead on this concrete track. Follow this track for around 800m with glimpses of a river to your left through the trees until you reach a lovely bridge and the entrance to the Dinton Pastures Country park on your left. Cross this bridge and go straight ahead. There is a bench there where you can sit and enjoy the lake, but then you have to follow the path that bends off to the right. Follow this path between two lakes for around 400m until it bends to the left around the back of the main lake.
(5) After the lake, another path joins from the left behind you and you need to keep going straight ahead for another 50m until you see a small bridge on your left. Go over this bridge and walk towards the lake ahead before immediately turning right to continue along another path with this new lake to your left. After around 300m you will see a picnic area and an excellent play area on your right. Keep straight ahead and follow the path that tracks alongside the lake to your left.
(6) After 800m you’ll pass the Activity Centre on your right and then the path bends to the left around the top of the lake. Follow this windy path tracking the lake to the left for another 500m or so until you see a big turning on your right with a large tree and a path going slightly downhill.
(7) Turn right here and go down the slope. Follow the path as it bends to the left for another 100m or so until you see a Dinton Pastures Country Park sign at another fork. Take the right fork (which is pretty much straight ahead) and follow this path with another lake to your right for 300m.
(8) This path then emerges onto a busy road (Sandford Lane). Cross this carefully and then go through a gate on the other side (slightly to your right) onto another footpath. At the immediate fork in this footpath take the left fork and walk on ahead with the River Loddon on your left. Follow this path with the river to your left for around 2000m until it reaches the quiet Whistley Mill Lane road.
(9) Turn left onto this road, walk over a small bridge with white rails and then carefully walk ahead for around 500m bending to the left about half way. When you see a small white bridge and footpath on your left, take this path, cross the bridge, go over the stile and into the field. Walk through the field with the trees to your right, aiming for another white bridge at the far corner of the field. When you reach the next bridge, cross it and then follow the path for another 50m or so until it emerges into the Heron on the Ford car park.(S/E)
