Rural Rambling

Reading to Shiplake

Download the Reading to Shiplake walk (PDF).

Water walk: From Reading train station you can join the Thames Path at Caversham Lock.  As you ramble downstream you reach Horseshoe Bridge which crosses the mouth of the Kennet and Avon Canal as it joins the Thames. From Reading to Sonning cyclists can share the Thames Path but once you reach Sonning the path narrows so is only suitable for walkers again. The walk to Shiplake takes you through beautiful rural countryside.

Winter warmer: In Sonning you will find the picturesque Bull Inn, visited by Jerome K Jerome in ‘Three Men in a Boat’. The Bull Inn is just off the path and can be accessed by walking through a small church graveyard. Alternatively you could start the walk early and reach The Baskerville in Shiplake in time for lunch, just a few minutes walk from the train station.

Length: 7 miles                                           
Time: 3 1/2 hours

Train stations: Reading and Shiplake

Stay overnight: Enjoy a night at The Baskerville in Shiplake