WHAT'S ON
Michael Bennett
Phone: 0118 9844818
Mobile: 07887 982618
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Please feel free to bring a friend or neighbour on any of the Reading Central Corps Walks.
Disclaimer
Persons who accept the invitation to join the walks I plan do so entirely at their own risk. Neither I nor The Salvation Army can be held responsible for any injury to or loss by any person accompanying me, how ever they might be sustained
Michael Bennett
We will meet at 10.15 for a 10.30 start in the Mortimer Village Car Park opposite the Horse and Groom public house in Victoria Road, Mortimer. You can call me on my mobile if delayed on your journey. We will wait if you are not too far away.
From Junction 11 of the M4, take the A33 towards Basingstoke, but very soon turn right where it is signposted to Mortimer, amongst other places. Keep following the road to Mortimer for about 4 miles. (Do not get confused with Stratfield Mortimer or Mortimer West End). The car park is on the right set within a large green area. Another route to Mortimer, from the West of Reading, is to take the Burghfield Road from the A4, just beyond Prospect Park. After about 4 miles, at a roundabout, follow the sign post to Tadley and Mortimer. On shortly coming to a double mini roundabout, take the road signposted to Mortimer and Silchester. Then, after ¾ mile follow a curve to the left where other roads join. This becomes Victoria Road, where after another ½ mile you will see a large red brick Church on the right. The entrance to the car park is on the left just past this, opposite the Horse and Groom pub.
We have used this starting point a couple of years ago, but this is a completely different walk. It is about 3.5 miles long, but there are some slopes and a couple of stiles to cope with. Sticks night be an advantage on this walk.
This is a varied walk through common land, woods, and arable farms. Windmill Common is so called because a mill was erected there in the 18th Century, but the Lord of the Manor, against the wishes of the local vicar, planted the area with Scots Pine. These trees kept the wind off the sails and by 1937 the mill had gone, but the pines remain! Wokefield Common is now more of a wood than a common, as again, trees were planted on it. The path we will take affords excellent views of Wokefield Park House (see picture), an 18th century mansion, (where reputedly Queen Victoria once took tea in the garden!) which, from 1900 to 1936, was owned by Alfred Palmer of Huntley and Palmers fame. Since then it has been extended and in 1987 it became a Conference and Training Centre.