I walked this route from Thatcham to Goring on an overcast day in December after a fairly wet autumn, so several footpaths were rather muddy, but all were still passable, and most roads near the route were quiet enough that it would be possible to divert around the worst sections if needed....

lpehinde

You can stop at the Rowbarge at Midgham for food & drink, or at the Aldermaston Tea Rooms at Aldermaston Wharf. Both are right by the canal towpath....

steveculshaw

Nice route, but we tend to cut across the Lower Way Playing Fields...

steveculshaw

The path to the south of Newbury Sewage Works and round past Thatcham Lakes can get extremely muddy. An alternative is after crossing the reed beds, continue north onto Prince Holt Road and follow Lower Way...

Kath Hodgson

The section of the towpath which runs from the bridge at the eastern end of Hambridge Lane to the B3421 can be extremely muddy so an alternative is to use Hambridge Lane instead which has decent pavements...

Kath Hodgson

Exiting the Nature Discovery Centre via the Community Orchard, another gravel track leads towards Lower Way where the route crosses the road into a small housing estate, finally leading to a footpath behind the church and into Thatcham town centre....

Ursula

The walk crosses the river into Berkshire and then through fields and woods to finish in Thatcham on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The walk into Thatcham was the same route as Thatcham to Tadley (see Thatad 1): a mixture of tarmacked lanes and wooded footpaths. The Slow Way crosses the River Kennet and Kennet & Avon Canal, passes the train station, and there’s an urban walk into the centre of town. There’s a footpath to the west (SU528644) which provides a more direct N-S route into Thatcham, as well avoiding the Crookham Common Road walk....

Martin Ellis

A ramble through North Hampshire along footpaths, the Brenda Parker Way, and across a nature reserve. The Slow Way then joins The Brenda Parker Way: a long-distance path across Hampshire. The real gem of this Slow Way is the Ashford Hill Nature Reserve (Photos 8 & 9). The Slow Way then leaves the Brenda Parker Way for a more direct route into Tadley....

Martin Ellis

The steepest ascent is Streatley Hill at the Goring end. The Slow Way soon enters countryside (Photo 1) to arrive at an early break point at the Cottage Inn in Upper Bucklebury (Photo 2). From Yattendon, there’s a couple of miles of countryside and woods (Photo 6), followed by a gentle ascent up White Hill. The final stretch is a rather steep ascent up Streatley Hill (Photo 7). See Aldermaston Wharf to Goring (AldGor 1) for an alternative route into Goring; east along Grim’s Ditch. The summit of Streatley Hill has three grassy labyrinths to enjoy....

Martin Ellis

The towpath is paved and gravel chiiping to another road bridge crossing, but from there is unpaved until the Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre. The road area here is quiet, though there is one relatively busy road to cross....

Paul Kettel

To avoid walking on the pavements from Thatcham town centre it is possible to walk to Thatcham station and follow the canal path from there to Newbury....

YD

From that point, it crosses the level crossing (with the option to walk over the bridge if the gates are down) and then left along the canal path. The canal path is generally level except for inclines at a couple of bridge crossings....

YD

As an alternative, continue along the towpath, passing the Monkey Marsh turf-sided lock, to Thatcham Station....

Martin Ellis

Leave the canal after Aldermaston Lock (Photo 2), crossing the Lift Bridge to reach Aldermaston Station....

Martin Ellis

A straightforward and pleasant route largely using the Kennet and Avon canal towpath. At Thatcham station the route leaves the towpath, crossing over the level crossing to follow alongside the road into the town centre - approx...

Ursula

The first section of the route follows the Kennet & Avon canal towpath through Victoria Park and out of Newbury to the Hambridge Road. The route crosses the road to continue on the towpath, perfectly walkable but no longer paved....

Ursula