Pete's Walks- Sonning Common and Mapledurham (page 1 of 5)
If you are considering walking this route yourself, please see my disclaimer. You may also like to see these notes about the maps and GPX files.
Google map of the walkDownload GPX file of the walk
I did this circular walk of about 12.4 miles on Saturday, 3rd December 2016. It was a variation on a walk I did in October 2015, with three or four miles on paths I'd not walked before.
I parked in the small car park (just two places) at the Kennylands Millennium Green on the southern edge of the village of Sonning Common (Grid Reference SU 714795) and started walking about 9:50am. I turned right and followed the path round the edge of the green (going anti-clockwise). After turning left in a corner, I went about halfway down the next side, then went through a metal gate on the right to reach a minor road. Across this and a few yards to the right a path started down a track between two houses. Beyond these it turned slightly right to continue between fences between paddocks, then crossed an arable field to reach Bur Wood. Beyond this narrow wood, the path followed a headland between two fields of cabbages (or suchlike) to reach a gate and the drive to Vines Farm.
The Kennylands Millennium Green, Sonning Common
The start of the path to Bur Wood
The path to Bur Wood
The path to Bur Wood
The path continuing from Bur Wood
I turned right along the drive, a restricted byway, soon passing Vines Farm and continuing along a farm track with hedges either side. After following the byway for about half a mile, I crossed a lane and continued straight on down Hazelmoor Lane. I followed this for just over half a mile, to reach the wonderfully named Gallowstree Common.
The byway, approaching Vines Farm
The byway continuing from Vines Farm
The byway continuing from Vines Farm
The byway continuing from Vines Farm
Hazelmoor Lane
Hazelmoor Lane, entering Gallowstree Common
At the end of the lane, I crossed over a minor road and continued down the street opposite. Immediately I passed an old wellhouse on my right. Where the street turned left, I went right to enter a corner of New Copse. Here I took the leftmost of three rights-of-way, following a footpath north just inside the edge of the wood.
Old wellhouse, Gallowstree Common
Old wellhouse, Gallowstree Common
Gallowstree Common
The path going north through New Copse
The path going north through New Copse