The 100 Walk Challenge, Walk 8: Greywell & Mapledurwell

This is a 7 mile walk starting from St Mary church in Greywell - there is parking on the road directly opposite the church gate. It took us just under 3 hours, and there is barely any road walking, just a few lane crossings between the footpaths. All in all a brilliant walk, with plenty of off lead time for the dogosaurs to enjoy. There were only 2 fields with livestock in, which weren’t sign posted on the fences or anything, but I have made a note here on where they are (or at least were when we walked!). Approximate postcode for the church is RG29 1DA, but you will need to ignore the last left turn (if coming from Newbury) and continue along ‘The Street’ road until you see the church on your right, and then park up on that road.

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Starting from the church gate, ignore the footpath immediately to the left across the field, and instead head through the church side gate and along the gravel path directly in front of you. Walk down until you see the church and the graveyard on your right, and with the church on your left side, follow the path through the graveyard to the footpath on the other end.

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This next part heads onto a boardwalk that runs next to a river, and through a nature reserve. You’re not on this section for too long before you reach Greywell Mill. Turn right here, along the tarmac driveway for only a minute or so, until you see a footpath sign to your left, leading onto a crop field.

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This next part is great - very open with a clear line of sight ahead of you. Follow the footpath straight ahead, with the crops to your right and the river running on the right (you can’t access it from here though unfortunately). Just keep going straight ahead here until you reach a metal gate. Head round the side of the gate and turn right onto a byway that heads up hill.

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Follow this byway all the way up until you reach a lane. Cross directly over this lane and carry on along the byway for the next section, until you reach a crossroads of tracks. We did see one vehicle up here just to warn you - presumably one of the farmers as this area is covered in crops. The junction has 5 paths, you need to take the 3rd from the right - with the wooden fencing to your right as you walk downhill. Take a look at the picture to the right for a visual aid, bearing in mind we walked on a lovely day in June! (I’d definitely recommend a sunny day for this one in any case).

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Keep going straight ahead along this path, you will reach a woodland section after a little while. There is a kissing gate on your right - ignore this, and carry on until you reach the 2nd kissing gate on the right, which you need to go through and follow as it heads uphill, with the crops to your left and hedgerow to your right.

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Carry on along this same track for a while, until you reach some farm buildings to your right, slightly hidden by the trees. There is a small track to the right, and if you head down here you will see a metal kissing gate, which you need to go through towards the lane.

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When you reach the lane, turn right and walk past the farm on your right. Keep going just for a few moments, and opposite the houses on your right you will see a footpath heading into more crop fields. Follow this up towards the wooden kissing gate at the opposite end of the field. Head through here, and continue through the next field heading towards the stile almost directly opposite the gate you have just come through. This stile, as well as all the others on this walk has a section you can lift to allow dogosaurs to pass through. After the stile, continue again through the field until you reach the other side where there is another stile. When we walked the next field was very overgrown and it did seem a little bit like it wasn’t a footpath, but it definitely is! So cross over the stile, and walk down the next field, towards the metal gate at the other end. To the right of this metal gate there is a wooden one for you to pass through. When you reach the lane, turn left - but only for a few moments! We walked too far at this point and had to turn round as the next footpath sign is a bit hidden and you have to walk up someones drive to get to the gate!! If you look closely, on your right, there is a wooden footpath sign in a bush. Follow this down the driveway and you will soon see a gate to pass through.

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After you pass through this gate, you will walk in between 2 buildings on a slightly narrow path, until you reach another wooden gate. Head through here into a field with a few different turnings. We went straight on but I think they will all lead to the same point as it’s only a small field. When you reach the metal gate on the other side, cross through and over the road to the footpath ahead.

Head onto this next footpath and up the hill, until you reach a wooden gate in the hedgerow. Head into the next field, cross over the bridleway track and head straight ahead through the grass - this was pretty overgrown when we walked in June, you just need to head towards the hedgerow in front of you. When you reach that, cross through the hedge and turn left to follow the field. It’s pretty well sign posted where the footpath is, but you follow the field round at the edge, and turn right to head uphill. The section straight ahead is marked private, and the footpath will lead you to the left, where you need to follow that next field edge. Follow the field round, ignoring an entrance to the road on your right, (and I think a tennis court unless I was going mad!). After a little while after you’ve turned left along the field, you will see a metal kissing gate on the right, pass through and continue ahead to the next kissing gate. Once through that, turn left onto the lane and pretty soon after this point, turn right onto the signposted footpath, which leads up to a kissing gate.

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From here, the track runs diagonally across the field in front of you, again this was quite overgrown when we walked. You will see a church a ways to your left. At the other end, walk through another kissing gate and follow the edge of the field downhill to the lane. Cross over the lane, and you will see a footpath to your right. This is the first field with surprise livestock in it - as the grass was quite overgrown, we didn’t notice the sheep for a while as there weren’t many and they didn’t come anywhere near us. But fair warning if you have a dogosaur that might chase them!

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At the end of this field, walk through a gate and follow a narrow track until you reach a lane. Turn right and follow the lane straight ahead until you reach a footpath (only a few moments in front of you). This soon opens into a great stretch of woodland. Ignore all the paths to your left and right and just continue on the same path until eventually you will reach a wooden gate that opens into a field. This is the second and final field that had livestock in it when we walked. My first clue was stepping in a cow pat haha! The cows saw us but didn’t seem bothered. You will see a footpath sign post, and you need to follow the arrow to your right, to head downhill and through another gate into a final crop field. Follow this field round to the right hand side, walking next to a lane which is apparently the drive to Greywell Hill House. You will come to a metal gate at the end. Head out of here and onto the road, turn left and you’re back at the church! We really enjoyed this one, so I hope you do too 😊.