Start : The John Barleycorn (RG8 9DP) Grid ref. SU 598 906
(S/E) With your back to the entrance of The John Barleycorn, cross over the road and walk down Ferry lane past Our Lady and St. John Catholic church on your left until the road becomes a track and continue down to the River Thames where you will meet the Thames path.
(1) Turn left and walk along the Thames path for about a mile, passing Little Meadow Nature Reserve and then going under Brunel’s fine railway viaduct.
(2) Eventually the path turns left, going away from the river. Follow this until a T junction of paths is reached. Do not follow the Thames Path to the right but turn left and follow the bridleway for about 100 yards before turning right up a track which runs upwards between houses.
(3) This track leads to Gatehampton Lane where you turn right and then continue along the lane for about a third of a mile where the road turns left and climbs up a hill. Follow this until a footpath is reached on the left almost at the top of the hill just before Upper Gatehampton House. Follow this path through a couple of wooden kissing gates and onto a track round the perimeter of Upper Gatehampton Farm. With the farm buildings to your right, go through a wooden kissing gate to your left and walk across the meadow to the woodland opposite. Go through the wooden kissing gate which has a plaque attached in memory of Alan Rumble who was blind and a very keen rambler but who sadly died at the age of 32. Go straight ahead on the path through the woods, ignoring paths to the left and right.
(4) At a V junction of paths, take the left hand one and proceed down an incline to a junction of paths and bear left onto the Chiltern Way Extension. Continue straight ahead on this path which goes through Great Chalk Wood, ignoring tracks to the left and right. Keep going straight ahead for 750 yards ignoring two branching paths to the left. Go through a couple kissing gates into open countryside with inclines, declines and great views of the Goring Gap. Go down the hill to a gate.
(5) Cross the playing field heading in a diagonally right direction proceed through a squeeze stile and through the alleyway into Whitehill’s Green. Follow this road as it turns left and then right to reach Reading Road.
(6) Turn left and walk down to Gatehampton Road. Turn right and then shortly afterwards, left over the railway bridge and into High Street. Continue walking down the High Street passed the shops until you reach Manor Road on the left. Walk along Manor Road until you reach the John Barleycorn. (S/E)
