One of our favourite local places to walk is Warburg nature reserve, which is managed by BBOWT (Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust). The reserve is in the Chilterns, and encompasses a mixture of native woodland and chalk grassland.
Continue reading Warburg Nature Reserve wildlife walk, Oxfordshire
*Update: the REME museum near Wokingham relocated in April 2015 and is now based in Lyneham, Wiltshire.*
We recently visited REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) museum, which is attached to Arborfield Garrison near Wokingham. REME are responsible for maintaining electrical and mechanical equipment in the British army, this includes everything from tanks and helicopters to dental tools. Whilst this might not sound the most exciting topic for kids the stand out feature for me was how family friendly they’ve made the museum.
The Nuts Challenge is presumably so called because you need to be nuts to enter. It’s an adventure race over a military assault course, although their Facebook page markets it as “a fun obstacle course”. My other half had been talking about entering an adventure race for a while, so guess what he got for his birthday…..
Continue reading A mud bath at the Nuts Challenge, Dorking, Surrey
Looking for a flat family friendly cycle route in Berkshire? Then why not cycle from Newbury to Reading along the Kennet and Avon cycle route. This is part of Sustrans route 4, and for most of the way follows the canal towpath. It’s a 19 mile stretch but easily shortened if you prefer a shorter ride.
Our journey started with a couple of train rides to reach Newbury. It was a little stressful getting four bikes on the trains, as despite it being a Sunday, they were packed with shoppers and there was no dedicated bike storage. On the second train we were blessed with a helpful conductor who helped us organise a place for our bikes and find seating.
Once in Newbury we followed the signs to the Wharf to pick up the cycle trail. We’d managed to coincide our ride with a waterways festival, so the first mile out of Newbury had plenty of walkers and families out for the afternoon.
After a couple of miles the Sustrans route leaves the canal towpath and takes you through Thatcham. Whilst you are still on a dedicated cycle path it is initially next to a very busy road, past houses and industrial units. Not the scenic and relaxing ride that I had in mind! An alternative is to stay on the towpath and walk (as it turns into a footpath only), or perhaps start the route from Thatcham railway station where it picks up the canal path again.
After rejoining the towpath you once again feel like you’re back in the countryside. We stopped for a belated picnic, and hastily ate our sandwiches as it was already approaching mid-afternoon.
Back onto our bikes again, and a quiet stretch of the canal. It was a windy day so I was glad of the decision to ride west to east as it wouldn’t have been much fun cycling into the wind. We saw quite a few birds, including grebes, coots and Canada geese but I didn’t spot the hoped for blue streak of a kingfisher at any point.
Some parts of the towpath lead directly onto roads, albeit quiet country ones. It was easy to tell when road access was getting near as the number of people we’d see would increase. A particularly busy spot was near a pub garden that backed onto the canal. I would have liked to stop there for a refreshment break but we were already pushed for time so it was not to be. Fortunately we had our water bottles with us.
Near Reading the track temporarily diverts away from the canal, past some fishing lakes, and then alongside the M4. You return once again to the towpath, with plenty of permanently moored houseboats lining the canal.
Arriving into the busy city of Reading is a shock, but the towpath held one last surprise. Along the opposite side of the bank are houses with gardens leading directly onto the canal. Every other house has a kayak or small boat ready for canal exploration. It’s great to think that a row of suburban houses has a secret canal hidden behind them.
We felt a little out of place walking back through Reading centre, amongst all of the weekend shoppers. Nethertheless I was happy to have spent my afternoon cycling rather than stuck in shops!
If you fancy a walk instead you might be interested in a Cold War Greenham Common walk, a windmill walk at Bedwyn or viewing the Caen Hill locks. All of them include various stretches of the Kennet and Avon canal.
Whilst visiting friends on the south coast we made a quick trip to the Seven Sisters Country Park, near Seaford.
The park is easily accessible from the A259 and offers walking trails, canoeing on the Cuckmere River and a valley floor cycle route. Most visitors come here to see the Seven Sisters, the name given to the chalk cliffs. If you’re hoping to photograph the classic postcard view of these, ensure you take the footpath to Seaford Head on the opposite side of the Cuckmere River.
As it was a sweltering hot day we decided to walk the 2 km easy access path down to the shingle beach at Cuckmere Haven. This appears to be the most popular option, as there were many other families and groups of language students walking the same route.
After reaching the beach, the lure of walking to the top of the first cliff was too great to ignore. The kids had no intention of walking any further on such a hot day, and stayed on the beach (with a responsible adult of course).
The path up was straightforward, although rather steep in places. We took a short break half way up, supposedly to admire the view but really it was just a convenient excuse for a breather. Looking back down we could see the artificially straightened River Cuckmere and the salt lagoon just north of the beach.
The view from the top of the cliff is one of the best in southern England. At this point I was very glad not to have bought youngest son up with me as the cliff edges are completely open and accessible to all. Visitors are, quite rightly, left to judge the safety themselves rather than be faced with fences or keep out signs.
We sat on top for a while, reluctant to leave such a magnificent view. Eventually the prospect of a cold drink at the cafe appealed and we headed back towards the park entrance. Despite it being late afternoon a bus deposited another large group of visitors just as we were leaving – I hope they enjoyed their visit as much as I did.
We visited the Seven Sisters again in 2017, this time as part of our South Downs Way walk. The view was no less spectacular!
Further info: http://www.sevensisters.org.uk
I was browsing Trip Advisor for something to do at the weekend and came across TreeRunners, which offers courses similar to Go Ape. I was pleased to find they were suitable for 6+ years (subject to a height restriction), and as they’re based in Andover, Hampshire only an hours drive from home.
Continue reading High wire adventures at TreeRunners, Andover