Days Twelve to Twenty-One - HENLEY-ON-THAMES TO MORETON-IN-MARSH

Day Twelve - HENLEY-ON-THAMES TO TILEHURST - Distance: 12.4 miles (19.8 km)
Wooden Horse Bridges, Henley-on-Thames
 A day of riverside walking, much of it following the Thames Path, pleasing at any time of the year, with quiet stretches in between the busy river fronts of Reading and Caversham. We pass where Oscar Wilde was imprisoned, and follow the path made by barge horses in times when much cargo was water-borne. We reach the sixth shire, Berkshire.

Day Thirteen - TILEHURST TO MOULSFORD - Distance: 11.2 miles (17.9 km)

Further riverside walking along water-meadows between villages, with tile-hung houses and plenty of opportunities for pleasant refreshment breaks. We pass what is thought to be the oldest crossing of the Thames, and find a tree linked to the primeval ‘wild wood’.

Day Fourteen - MOULSFORD TO WEST ILSLEY - Distance: 10.2 miles (16 km)
Duck pond, West Ilsley
This day on top of the Berkshire Downs provides wide skyscapes. Farmers have successfully farmed rabbits, sheep and arable crops here, but these wide, open, unfenced stretches are also ideal for the horse-racing world. We reach 150 miles along our way on the top of Hodcott Down, and end the day in the shelter of one of the isolated villages which provided food and water to both animal and man.


Day Fifteen - WEST ILSLEY TO FAWLEY - Distance: 12 miles (19.2 km)
John Piper window, Farnborough
 A day spent, at first high up on the Berkshire Downs escarpment with wide views across the Vale of White Horse, then into the dry chalky stretches of land on the dip slope. We pass isolated houses such as Lands End, and the village of Farnborough, with its gem of a church window, shown left, to reach Fawley in its high, lonely position which Thomas Hardy chose as a setting for his bleakest novel, Jude the Obscure.


Day Sixteen - FAWLEY TO ASHDOWN HOUSE - Distance: 12.3 miles (19.7 km)
Sarsen Stones, Ashdown House
 Still on the sparsely populated chalky uplands — there are no villages, no public telephones, let alone beer(!) as we travel westwards. We criss-cross the boundary and learn the reason for its somewhat surprising route midway along the dip slope. We pass a remarkable group of Neolithic burial places and end the day to be greeted by the delightful elegance of Ashdown House.

Day Seventeen - ASHDOWN HOUSE TO SEVENHAMPTON - Distance: 10.8 miles (17.3 km)

With our last chance to enjoy the ridge-top views north and west, we walk into the seventh shire, Wiltshire, and from there descend to the springline villages of Bishopstone and Idstone. Here we pass our first pub on the route since West Ilsley, nearly 30 miles to the east. On the lowlands, the River Cole forms the county boundary. Near its banks, we pass through a fast-growing community forest to end with an opportunity for tea at Roves Farm.

Day Eighteen- SEVENHAMPTON TO SOUTHROP - Distance: 14.8 miles (23.7 km)

This is a longer stretch than usual, but much of the walking is on flat, straight roads or by the quiet banks of the meandering River Thames and its tributary, the River Leach, which form parts of the county boundary. At Buscot, we cross the Thames back into our first shire, Gloucestershire. This walk could be divided into two days by including visits to see the elegance of Buscot Park, experiencing the tranquillity of William Morris’s home at Kelmscott Manor or hiring a boat on the River Thames at Lechlade. The 200 mile point is passed near to Southrop.

Day Nineteen - SOUTHROP TO GREAT BARRINGTON - Distance: 10.7 miles (17.1 km)
Bridge over the River Windrush, Little Barrington
 On the ‘home stretch’ northwards to Moreton-in-Marsh, we pass through small Gloucestershire villages. Ancient, thick hedgerows make up the county boundary. The building stone begins to reflect the fine quality Cotswold limestone beneath our feet.

Day Twenty - GREAT BARRINGTON TO BLEDINGTON - Distance: 10 miles (16 km)
Tangley Hall Conduit House
 We make more progress towards our northern destination across high farmland, through small Cotswold stone villages, with tales of highwaymen, and an ancient lane towards Bledington. Shown left is an illustration of Tangley Hall Conduit House.

Day Twenty-one - BLEDINGTON TO MORETON-IN-MARSH - Distance: 11.2 miles (17.9 km)

The River Evenlode, on its quiet, meandering course towards the Thames, first forms the boundary, which then strikes across higher land. We pass through villages where the reddish marlstone has been used. At Moreton-in-Marsh the watershed is near with the Severn Valley to the north and the Thames basin to the south. After 234 miles, we complete the circuit at the Four Shire Stone.

We walked the circuit three times, each in different seasons.
We hope you follow the route and enjoy the days as much as we did
   

Copyright, text, Elaine Steane © 2002. Copyright, illustrations, John Steane © 2002.
Written and researched by Elaine Steane. Illustrations: John Steane.