The White Lion at Crays Pond (01491 680471)

Web site: http://www.thewhitelioncrayspond.com

Distance: 7 miles from Goring village centre

Time: Allow 4 hours plus time for eating and drinking at the White Lion

Walking Conditions: Mainly off road through woodland. Several stiles. Could be muddy in places. Not suitable for pushchairs

Parking: Goring Village Car Park. (Pay & Display charges may apply. Please check notices)

Route: Leave the car park by the main entry road and turn left along Station Road. At the junction with Red Cross Road continue straight across to the gate into the station. Walk along the platform and cross the footbridge to emerge through the main entrance into Gatehampton Road

Turn right and cross to the footpath. Continue until you come to a driveway leading to the Shepcot Playing Field and Tennis Courts. Walk up the drive and onto the playing field just left of the tennis courts.

Strike out for the top right hand corner of the playing field. (You may need to take an indirect course if there is a game being played on one of the pitches). In the corner you will find a path climbing left alongside a field

It is worth stopping once in a while on the way to the top of the hill to view the Thames and Streatley Hills behind

Continue along the path that follows the left of the field, passing through a gap into another field, still keeping to the left and eventually descending steeply to a stile at the edge of The Great Chalk Wood
(Take care as there are rabbit and fox holes alongside this path)

Go through the gate and after a short distance another. Again, take care of the rabbit holes and watch out for low branches. Follow the path which widens as it climbs into the wood. Continue through a grassy glade flanked by bracken and back into the wood. Where the paths cross continue straight ahead until you reach another path coming in from the left

Against your instincts turn left down this path and in about 75 yards turn right and follow the path which climbs fairly steeply passing through Bottom Farm. This track widens into a tarmac roadway and finally you arrive at a main road. (B471). Taking care to face the oncoming traffic, turn left and walk along the road for a few yards before crossing to a marked footpath across a field. At the end of the path turn left along the B4526 to arrive at Crays Pond

The White Lion can be easily seen from the pond, but you MUST book if you want to eat at this very popular pub, otherwise enjoy a beer in the garden

When you are refreshed, you can either return the way you came, or return to the cross roads and turn right along the pavement towards Goring. When the pavement runs out continue along the road, facing the oncoming traffic. In about 100 yds turn right down an unmade track which starts off flat but then descends steeply over chalk and flint into Old Elvendon Wood

Note: if there has been heavy rain the track lower in the wood may be flooded and in extreme conditions could be impassable

When you reach a minor road turn left and at the top of a short rise go right through a gate onto a chalk track. When the track turns sharp right go straight on alongside a field on the left, with woods on the right, and a fine view down the Elvendon Valley with the Priory nestling below

Legend says that there was once a tunnel connecting the Priory with the Monastery that was attached to the Norman Church of St Thomas that stands by the River Thames in Goring

The path leads into Wroxhills Plantation and eventually emerges onto Beech Lane from where there is another fine view of the Berkshire Downs on the other side of the Thames and also of Didcot Power Station

Turn left along the stony track until you reach a minor road. This is Icknield Road which forms part of the ancient Icknield Way. Turn left and follow this road back into the valley, passing the Fire Station

At the junction with Elvendon Road cross to the opposite footpath and turn right, then left, just before a phone box, up a footpath that passes a playing field and eventually emerges into Lockstile Way

Continue straight ahead until you strike Wallingford Road from where you can see the railway bridge. Cross the bridge and go down the High Street and left into the lane to the car park beside MaryS

E-mail us and tell us if you liked this walk, or if you encountered problems with directions or expectations, by clicking here

Go back to main Routes page