Walks Around Earley
The Covid-19 pandemic, its associated ‘lockdowns’ and government focus on health, has highlighted the important part that outdoor exercise plays in the improvement and maintenance of physical and mental well-being. The restrictions associated with ‘lockdown’ emphasise the need for access to public greenspace for those who do not have outdoor space of their own. Earley is fortunate in having many attractive open spaces; the Town Council are able to provide residents with information regarding readily accessible local walks.
Volunteers from Loddon Valley Ramblers have designed walks that use the extensive network of quiet footpaths and paths/cycleways around the Town. Some walking on pavements and gravel or grassy surfaces is also needed. Comprehensive route notes along with photographs and a map is provided for each walk. For the users of GPS equipment, tracks and waypoints in .gpx format are provided for some walks. The general location of the walks and their starting points are shown on a map. The routes can be downloaded by clicking on the links and then printed or used on smartphone or tablet.
Click here to view the Earley Walks Map
No | Title(Click on the walk no to download PDFs) | WCA? | Distance (m) | Distance (km) | Time | GPS |
| 1 | Maiden Erlegh Lake & Moor Copse | 1.8 | 2.8 | 1 hr | ||
| 2 | currently unavailable | 1.0 | 1.6 | 30 mins | ||
| 3 | River Loddon & the Wood of Eagles | 3.1 | 5.0 | 1 hr 30 mins |  |
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| 4 | Chalfont Park & Pearman’s Copse | 2.0 | 3.2 | 1 hr | |
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| 5 | University, Parkland & Old Buildings |  | 2.8 | 4.5 | 1 hr 30 mins | |
| 6 | Lower Earley Parks & Lake | 3.5 | 5.5 | 1 hr 45 mins | |
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| 7 | Sol Joel Park & High Wood | 2.5 | 4.5 | 1 hr 30 mins | |
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| 8 | University, Parkland, Lake & Old Buildings | 2.8 | 3.5 | 1 hr 30 mins | ||
| 9 | Suttons Bowls & Maiden Erlegh Lake | | 2.6 | 4.2 | 1 hr 30 mins | |
| 10 | Lower Earley Woods & Meadows | 1.4 | 2.3 | 45 mins | |
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| 11 | Chalfont Park & Arborfield Church A suite of 5 walks that go out of the Town, distances vary from 5.5 miles (8.8km) to 7.3 miles (11.8 km) | 7.3 | 11.8 | 2 hrs 30 mins | |
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| 12 | Thames Valley Park & the Oracle Lakes | Various | Various | Various | ||
| 13 | A Circuit of Lower Earley | 6.1 | 9.8 | 3 hours | |
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| 14 | Older Earley North & South | 8.8 | 14.3 | 4 hours | |
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| 14n | Older Earley North Only | 5.4 | 8.7 | 2 hrs 30 mins | |
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| 14s | Older Earley South Only | 4.5 | 7.3 | 2 hrs | |
Who are the walks for?
The walks will suit the young (under supervision), the old and everyone in between. School-age children will love discovering the Town and following the instructions as they lead their parents around the walks. Specialist equipment is not needed: a pair of trainers and a waterproof coat (this is England) or sunhat will suffice. Some walks, designated WCA, have been specifically designed with wheelchair users in mind.
All walks are accessible by public transport; the route notes identify the bus number and bus stop of the starting points. Appropriate car parking at, or near, the starting points is noted.
Feedback
Please report any problems with the walks to [email protected] and they will be directed to the appropriate authority for investigation. Comments about the walks should also be sent to the same address. The Town Clerk can be contacted at [email protected]
A kind “thank you”
Earley Town Council wishes to thank: Reading University (for allowing the use of its campus), Thames Valley Business Park (for permission to link to its walks), and Loddon Valley Ramblers for their knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm. Although efforts have been made to confirm the accuracy of the information provided, walks are undertaken at the walkers’ own risk.
Earley Tree Walk
In addition to the above walks, Earley Town Council has developed a Significant Tree Walk as part of its ’26 to COP26′ campaign that takes in several of the veteran trees that can be found across the town. The walk should take about an hour to complete and the Tree Walk can be downloaded here.
Wokingham Health Walks
Wokingham Borough Councils Sports and Leisure Team offer a series of Health Walks across the borough. They are led by trained volunteers and run weekly. More details of the programme can be found in this PDF. The two walks in Earley occur: 6:30pm Mondays, meeting at the Maiden Centre Car Park in Kilnsea Drive, RG6 3HE and 10am Thursdays, meeting at the Crescent Community Centre, Warbler Drive, RG6 4HB.
Reading Borough Active Travel
Reading Borough Council have produced an interactive map for active travel.
Reading University Walks
Reading University have produced a couple of walks. The Whiteknights Tree Walk takes in 25 of the most beautiful trees that can be found on the campus, and starts and finishes near the Shinfield Road entrance, although an alternative start can be made at the Earley Gate entrance.
Their latest is a self-guided nature trail around the Whiteknights campus marked by a series of signs around some of the notable habitats on Whiteknights campus. Each sign has a unique QR code which directs the walker to a URL with more information about the habitat and the species that can be found there.
Cycling Around Earley
Earley is well situated for cycling, and Wokingham Borough Council’s MyJourney team have produced a number of Cycle Maps, as has Reading Borough Council, which can be found below. As well as having a positive impact on your physical and mental health, choosing to to cycle rather than drive or take public transport can help you to save money as well as help the environment.
western-area-cycle-map-2022-compressed
Western area
wokingham-area-cycle-map-2022-compressed
Wokingham area
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Twyford/Woodley area
Reading Borough Council cycle map
Reading Borough Council also have an interactive map for active travel