29/06/11 - One Walk, Two Counties

Distance - 4 Miles Walking, 4 Miles on a train
Caches - 12
Train Fayre - £0
Interesting World War 2 Artifact - A Pill Box
Walk Inspiration

Goring to Pangbourne - Home by train

Down in the Reading Area.  I can either stay at a soulless Holiday Inn or look for something with a bit of atmosphere and culture.  Having walked from Reading to Pangbourne previously, I decide to extend my river Thames knowledge and add Pangbourne to Goring into my experience bank. 

When I stayed in Pangbourne last time, my hotel was hotter than the sun and next to railway line.  I decide to reverse the walk and stay in a different place, walking from Goring to Pangbourne this time. My hotel is the Miller of Mansfield.  Its a tradional English Pub.  Nicely decorated room that I know is meant for two people, as there are two fluffy bathrobes on the bed.  However, the toilet is in the corner of the room with no door.  Now I don't know about you but going away for a romantic weekend is not going to go down to well when you see you other half parking the breakfast, is it?

Turn you back love, I need to drop the kids off at the pool.

Incredible.  I can see my fellow american travellers choking on their bagels at this lack of human decency.

This minor discomfort (and I'm on my own, so as long as I dont catch myself in the mirror) is soon forgotton by the quality of the walk.

Goring is the winner of Village of the Year (south) in 2011. It is easy to see why.  Its also in Oxfordshire - and as Pangbourne is in Berkshire, this walk will take me into two counties.  I head down to the river and its beautiful.  First stop is the old wooden bridge and cache number 1.

Goring Bridge

I am heading downstream.  There is no end of great architecture and Paul Daniels has a house down here somewhere.  You'll like that, but not a lot.

This fella is so posh he has a detached dining room - in the sky.

But this fella cannot afford a Lawn Mower

From a navigational perspective, this walk could not be easier.  The vista opens up a bit and I can see where I could have walked, the Chiltern Hills.  When I come back here again (alone, as there are some things a wife shouldn't see), I will head out onto these hills.

Next time I'm in Goring, I'm up there.

There are caches every 500 yards.... Including one at the railway bridge which will bring me home tonight.

Taxi for Mappiman

The walk continues and I hadn't paid too much attention to the route but it does eventually go inland (althought still on the Thames Path) up a decent climb with woods between me and the water.  Its here that I discover another WW2 artifact.  Its funny how there is continuity on these walks..... on the weekend it was a false airfield, today its a pill box.  I do think however, if the Hun had made it this far up the Thames, taking London, the war would have been over.  British fortitude at its best.

Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler?

After another stiff climb, its a tarmac road all the way down to Whitchurch on Thames.  I am instantly greeted by the Greyhound.  I was tempted to eat here, but as I was the only punter, I went for a packet of bacon fries in their garden.  The starter of the gods.

I bloody love walking

I didn't have to wait long for my tea.  Out the door of here, and down the road and there is the Ferryman.  This is positively heaving with people and I pop in, peruse the menu and convince mein host to replace the pepper sauce on the steak with a couple of fried eggs. Which he does at no extra cost.

Now, all that remains is to get the train back to Goring.  This involves crossing the river and into Berkshire - over a bono fido toll bridge but free to foot passengers and then dealing with British Rail.

Pangbourne Toll Bridge

This sign could save a brummies life on Stourport's Bridge in the Summer.  Then again, its probaly better where it is.

Follow the road back to the Station.  Next Challenge.  The ticket office is closed.  The automated ticket machines are all broken.  The platform indicators aren't working.  I use the information machine on the platform - thankfully, the station is empty - and I swear I am routed to India.  "Which Station are you calling from?" - I reply "Pangbourne".  Explain my position and she says "Oh just get on the train from platform 2 - if the ticket man comes, just pay him". 

He didn't come, so I hit the pubs of Goring smug in the knowledge that I got something for nothing.  This is extended to free wireless in the hotel so I can blog my walk. 

Life is all good - free eggs, free train travel, free wireless broadband, free access to the throne - unencumbered by such social niceties as privacy.