Cookham Circular, 14 Mar
Travel: Elizabeth Line to Maidenhead about every 15 minutes. 9.47 at Paddington arrives Maidenhead 10.26. Change to platform 5b for the 10.34 hourly service to Cookham arriving 10.41.
Note the suggested 10.02 alternative main line option on the programme now leaves Paddington at 10.08 leaving only 4 minutes for the change at Maidenhead. The latest mainline option from Paddington to Maidenhead is therefore the 9.37 to Didcot.
Freedom pass is valid on the Elizabeth line to Maidenhead. The edge of the travel zone is West Drayton. All need to buy a return train ticket from Maidenhead to Cookham.
The walk: approx 9 miles
The majority on woodland and field paths and some country lanes with no stiles or climbs of any great energy. There has been flooding on the Thames path and some extremely muddy areas in the woods, and our walk will therefore no longer go near Bourne End for lunch. Instead we will explore the attractive village of Cookham Dean at lunchtime, dropping down to Winter Hill before returning to Cookham. There are still some muddy ad boggy areas where poles might be useful.
There is no longer an easy drop out point, but there is a simple alternative route of about a mile returning to Cookham stationfrom the lunch stop.
The afternoon can be extended by about a mile by exploring Cookham which has options for refreshments. The Stanley Spencer Gallery is open until 4.30, last entry 4pm.
Return train at 14 mins hourly from Cookham, change Maidenhead. There is an alternative bus service.
Lunch: Cookham Dean. The friendly locally run pub has limited indoor space and is partly booked for rugby viewing. We have a table for only 8 people and therefore only the first people who contact Tony by Friday will be guaranteed an indoor space (non-members contact walks@morleyramblers.uk. Unless your booking is confirmed you will need to bring your own lunch. The pub and adjacent church has lots of outdoor seating. The church may be open and there could also be an option of the lounge bar at the nearby hotel.