Idyllic Berkshire walk through one of Britain’s largest areas of rare …

Take a drive up the A329 from Reading and you'll stumble across some of Berkshire's most stunning countryside. In a county so packed full of heritage and beauty spots, Streatley and Lardon Chase are in particular worth a mention.

A three-mile walk in the area around Streatley village offers the perfect experience of almost untouched countryside. There are panoramic views of both the Chiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs, while the short trail also allows you to experience one of Britain's largest areas of endangered chalk grassland.

Starting at Lardon Chase car park, the National Trust ^[1] walk takes you through Common Wood before heading along the River Thames towards Streatley village. Here you can stop off for a quick break, as the route then takes you over the river and back towards Lough Down before ending back at Lardon Chase car park.

It's described as moderate in difficulty and is just shy of three miles in length. It should take about one hour and thirty minutes and is ideal for dog walkers.

Here is the full route below.

Start point: Lardon Chase car park, RG8 9RD

1. Leave the car park by the road entrance. Cross the road (B4009) to a footpath taking you into the National Trust woodland called the Holies. Follow the path up a short slope by a hand rail. The path soon widens to become a clear track through the woodland. In late spring look for carpets of bluebells in the adjacent woodlands. The track soon starts to dip towards a gate as it crosses the head of a dry valley to your left called The Coombe. Continue straight ahead through the gate.

2. Soon the track starts to curve to the left, and on your right, the woodland gives way to open acid grassland with views to the south.

3. Continue on the obvious track passing through two gates and ignoring any side paths. At the second gate you will emerge at the top of a broad dry valley. This is the Holies Down Wildlife Conservation Site. Continue to follow the main track down into the valley. After passing through another gate bear right long a short uphill stretch as the track heads for the side of the valley. Follow the track around the curve of the side of valley around to the left.

4. At the foot of the hill, in the far corner of a wood, there is a gate. Go through the gate to follow a permitted footpath running parallel with the main Reading ^[3] Road (A329). Continue until the path meets the Reading Road.

5. Taking great care, cross the road and continue in the same direction for 219 yards (200 metres) until you reach a sign-posted footpath on your right. Follow this path between paddocks, hedges and fences until it emerges into Vicarage Lane. Turn left and follow the lane for 150 metres until you reach the High Street in Streatley. Turn right to reach the river bridge where you can enjoy fine views of the River Thames ^[4] and Goring Lock. If you wish to explore Goring village, continue across the river, otherwise, go straight to step 7.

6. Explore the village of Goring and the riverside at your leisure. For a suggested route, continue along the High Street to Manor Road. Here turn right and continue until you reach the junction with Ferry Lane. Turn right again and follow Ferry Lane to its end. Continue in the same direction a footpath until you reach the Thames Path. Turn right once more and follow the Thames Path until you meet the road bridge. Turn right again, past Goring Mill to reach some steps on your left which take you back up to the bridge. Turn left to cross the River Thames back to Streatley.

7. From the bridge, retrace your steps and continue up Streatley High Street on the southern (left) side. Look out for Streatley Church and Streatley Meadow on your right. Streatley Meadow was purchased by the local community in 2011 and conserved as open space. At the far end of High Street, cross the main road using a traffic-light controlled crossing opposite the Bull Inn, and with great care, follow the narrow Streatley Hill road past the Bull Inn. There is a pavement on the left side of the road after you pass the inn. Continue up Streatley Hill until you pass the Old School House on your right. At this point, cross the road and follow the track between fences, garages and houses to reach a gate on your left leading into Lardon Chase. Go through the gate and take the steep, grassy path straight up the hill. You will eventually reach the first of two wooden benches at the top. Here you can enjoy a fine view across the Goring Gap and the River Thames, with the twin villages of Streatley on the nearside of the river, and Goring on the far side.

8. To visit the top of Lough Down, follow the hedgerow behind the bench to the left to reach a gate in the corner of the field. Go through the gate to overlook Lough Down with distant views to the north. If visibility is good, you should be able to see the twin wooded hills called the Wittenham Clumps, one of which has an Iron Age hillfort on its summit. When you are ready to continue, return through the gate and turn right. Keeping the hedge on your right, follow the path to the Lardon Chase car park where you began the trail.

References

^{^} National Trust (www.nationaltrust.org.uk)
^{^} Cannabis plants found by police following suspected gas leak (www.sussexlive.co.uk)
^{^} Reading (www.getreading.co.uk)
^{^} River Thames (www.getreading.co.uk)