Pete's Walks - Sonning Common and Mapledurham (page 5 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.
A path continued on the other side of the lane, soon entering Wyfold Wood and heading eastwards with an edge of the wood nearby on my right. After a few hundred yards the path went through a gap in some wooden railings and immediately turned right, still close to another edge of Wyfold wood on my right. After about half a mile, having just passed by a cricket pitch on the edge of the wood, I reached a corner of the wood, where I exited from the wood and turned left along a street in Gallowstree Common. Just before reaching a crossroads there was an old well on the left.
The path going east, just inside Wyfold Wood
The path going southeast, just inside Wyfold Wood
The path going southeast, just inside Wyfold Wood
The path going southeast, just inside Wyfold Wood
The lane through Gallowstree Common
The old well at Gallowstree Common
I went straight on at the crossroads, but immediately stopped to eat my packed lunch on a convenient bench. I then continued down Hazelmoor Lane, soon leaving the houses of Gallowstree Common behind. At one point I saw a Buzzard flying over the huge field of stubble to my left. After about three-quarters of a mile I came to another crossroads, where I went straight on down a hedge-lined byway. After about another half a mile I passed Vine's Farm on my left.
Hazelmoor Lane
Hazelmoor Lane
Hazelmoor Lane
The restricted byway continuing southeast to Vines Farm
The restricted byway continuing southeast to Vines Farm
The restricted byway passing Vines Farm
One or two hundred yards past the farm (where the byway turned right) I turned left onto a footpath.This followed a fence on my right between more stubble fields, and then went through a narrow belt of trees, part of Burr Wood. It then crossed another stubble field, before running between fences with paddocks either side to bring me back to Sonning Common. I crossed a road and entered the Millennium Green, turning left and following a curving path back to where I'd parked.
The start of the path to Burr Wood
The path continuing from Burr Wood
The path continuing to the road on the edge of Sonning Common
The Millennium Green, Sonning Common
This was a rather flat walk, apart from the steep climb out of the Thames Valley. It was interesting for me as some of the paths I'd only walked in the opposite direction once or twice, so I was getting some views I'd not seen before. It was a shame it was such a grey day, as always I'm sure I'd have enjoyed it more if it had been sunnier. The fact that I was very tired after an on-going run of bad nights also didn't help.