Berkshire Walkers (20’s & 30’s Ramblers Group)

This circular walk will take us around the lake at Virginia Water, which has been a staple part of Windsor Great Park since the 18th century. Starting at Virginia Water station, we’ll be walking along Christchurch Gardens before passing the Virginia Water Lake Pavilion to the namesake lake. At this point, we’ll then do an anti-clockwise loop to pass The Valley Gardens, Portnall Park and the ruins of Lepta Magna before returning to the Pavilion. To get back to the station, we’ll walk back along Christchurch Gardens, where the station will be on our right and is where we’ll be finishing the walk. For those who want a pint at the end of the walk, we’ll be stopping at The Rose & Crown pub, which is roughly a 15-minute walking from the station.

Saturday 14 March 2026
Start time: 10:20 am
Estimated finish time: 2:20 pm
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 13.5km / 8.4mi
Ascent: 24m / 79ft
Type: circular

Travel Details
TRAINS:
The recommended train to get from Reading is the 09:39 SWR service that arrives in Virginia Water at 10:18.
DRIVING:
Virginia Water station has a good size car park, where parking fees apply.

Dogs

• Dogs welcome on this walk, provided they are kept under control at all times and placed on a lead when requested by the walk leader.

Please see our dogs policy on our group website for more details.

Notes

• Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water.
• It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear.

Please see our group website for more information: https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/

A 10-mile, somewhat hilly circular walk around West Wycombe, taking in woodland paths, open countryside, a few classic “bottoms” (which may be muddy!), and a ridge-top visit to the Dashwood Mausoleum with views across the valley.

Advance booking is not required, but if you plan on attending this walk, please indicate this on Meetup if you can (see Website link), so others can see that there will be plenty of people going.

Pace: medium.
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Start time: 10:00 am
Estimated finish time: 4:00 pm
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 16.1km / 10.0mi
Ascent: 419.1m / 1375ft
Type: circular

Walk details
Starting from the Walled Garden car park, we’ll head south and immediately tackle a long, steady uphill lane to get the legs warmed up. We then soon reach a succession of woodland areas, passing through High Wood, Hellbottom Wood, and Great Wood, before emerging into Wheeler End. From here we skirt around the Common and pick up quiet trails and tracks, stopping for lunch along the way, before eventually working our way towards Studley Green.

From Studley Green, we’ll skirt around Beacon’s Bottom before entering one of the highlights of the day: Bottom Wood. This ancient woodland dates back to before 1600 and is home to over 700 different species of plants and animals. It’s also (as I discovered on the recce…) a place where the Chilterns like to store their mud! We’ll follow the path through the wood, passing through Plomer’s Bottom along the way.

There’s a small chance we may be able to stop for a quick drink at the Dashwood Arms Roadhouse around this point, however this will largely depend on numbers, the weather and available outdoor seating.

From here, it’s time to earn our views: we’ll climb up out of the valley, cross open farmland, then drop down again before making our way up onto the ridge for the final stretch. Our route brings us to the Dashwood Mausoleum, built in 1765 on the site of an Iron Age hill fort, and sitting next to the Church of St Lawrence - a brilliant spot to pause, catch our breath, and enjoy the panoramic views.

From the mausoleum it’s then a steep downhill all the way back to the start point, where the café at the garden centre should still be open. There are also several pub options in West Wycombe for anyone who fancies extending the day.

Travel details

By public transport
Unfortunately there is no public transport available to this walk. Feel free to use either our Facebook group (members only) or the comments section on the Meetup event page to arrange lifts – there are often members who are happy to help!

By car
Parking is available in the Walled Garden (West Wycombe Garden Centre) car park (charges apply). The Walled Garden cafe is open from 9am for anyone who wishes to grab a drink or snack before we head off. Alternatively there is the option of free parking in the National Trust car park at the top of West Wycombe Hill - however you will need to allow plenty of time to walk down the hill to the start point.

Dogs
Dogs allowed provided they are kept on a lead at all times.
Please see our dogs policy on our group website for more details.

Notes
Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water.
It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear.

Please see our group website for more information: https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/