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The Wokingham Way 4 - Shurlock Row to Coppid Beech

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 3 hours 06 minutes

Length 10.0km / 6.2mi

Route developer: Loddon Valley Ramblers

Route checker: Pat Perridge

Start location Southern end of Shurlock Row
Route Summary From the outskirts of the small village of Shurlock Row this section of the Wokingham Way goes through Billingbear Park, and then skirts around the edge of Binfield. It ends at Coppid Beech at the western edge of Bracknell.
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Getting there

The start of the route is served by bus routes 4 - Maidenhead Town Centre - Woodlands Park - Paley Street - Shurlock Row - Waltham St Lawrence - White Waltham http://www.courtneybuses.com/timetables.html. The bus stop is outside the Royal Oak pub in Shurlock Row.

The end of the route is served by bus route 190 - Bracknell - Wokingham - Reading -  http://www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/berkshire_thames/journey_planning/route190/  and 151 - Bracknell - Binfield - Wokingham - http://www.thames-travel.co.uk/bus151/bus151.htm from the bus stops opposite the Ski Centre on John Nike Way.

To return to the start of the route from the end, take Bus 190 (First in Berkshire & Thames Valley) to the Bracknell Bus Station (Bay 4). Then transfer to Bus 4c (Bay 3) for Shurlock Row and alight at the bus stop outside the Royal Oak pub in Shurlock Row.

There is limited parking at the start of the route on The Street and at the end of the route on Old London Road the beyond guest house.

Description

[1] From The Street at its junction with the B3018, The Straight Mile, cross the B3018 into the lane to Baldasarre Farm passing the farm buildings on your right. Pass through metal kissing gate on track and continue over the bridge to cross the M4. 20 yards beyond the bridge, turn right and follow a path with a hedge running on the left. Go through the entrance to Billingbear Park. After 500 yards, at blue notice, turn half right towards solitary fenced tree marked with a white arrow on trunk. Continue on the driveway with a fence on your left and a hedge on your right. At some buildings, turn left and enter a narrow fenced path, then after 100 yards turn right through a kissing gate at a brick building. Continue along the driveway for 800 yards to the junction with the B3018. Turn left along the verge and when the road turns right, go straight on past Billingbear Lodge on your left, shortly reaching a T-junction. 

(A) Billingbear was a manor owned by the Bishop of Winchester and then the Crown until 1549 when King Edward VI granted it to Sir Henry Neville, a younger brother of the 5th Lord Bervagenny. He built a fine red brick Tudor mansion. The heirs to the Nevilles were the Lords Braybrooke and Billingbear was their chief residence until the 3rd Baron inherited Audley End in Essex. Tragically Billingbear Park was devastated by fire in 1924. The shell was torn down and no longer remains leaving only the parkland and 9 hole golf course.
 
[2] Turn left along the road (Maidenhead Road) and follow it uphill for about ¾ mile. After passing Hilcombe on the right, turn right into the bridleway (Green Lane). Follow Green Lane down and then up the hill. Just after passing Tippens Wood Farm on right, turn left onto a track signed Binfield Bridle Circuit (Monks Alley). Follow the track, which becomes tarmaced, past Angel Farm to a T-junction with a road (Wicks Green). Turn right along Wicks Green to a roundabout.
 
[3] At the roundabout, cross Forest Road into Benetfield Road opposite. Take the fourth turning on right, Roughgrove Copse, and take path to right of No 9. Go right around the pond to exit onto the road (Foxley Lane) and then turn left. Proceed past a 40mph sign until reaching white fences with 30mph signs, then after 100 yards turn right onto Murrell Hill Lane. Continue down here and 60 yards beyond The Maples, turn right down a gravel track and pass through a squeeze stile. Follow the footpath sign to the left along the narrow track with a field on the right (note sculptures in the private land on the left). Veer left through another squeeze stile and continue right before shortly reaching another stile on left (ignore gate to the right) and go diagonally across the field towards a gap in the trees opposite.
 
At the stile, follow the path straight on, passing to right of a lone oak tree and downhill past old gate posts. Continue straight uphill to a fence, behind which is a path at right angles to your approach. Enter this path by the stile at the right hand end of it and go down the fenced path to the Coppid Beech roundabout. At the roundabout, turn left on the pavement and walk up the hill following the B3408 sign for Binfield. Pass Bracknell Forest and Binfield signs. Where the tarmac pavement ends opposite a bus stop, cross the dual carriageway with care and walk up to Old London Road, then turn left to the Coppid Hill Guest House.
 
If you wish to continue with the next section of the Wokingham Way, the route continues from the public footpath beside Coppid Hill Guest House.
POI information No details available.
Notes

OS Map: Landranger 175, Explorer 159

Acknowledgements

Route 4 from The Wokingham Way - http://www.wokinghamway.co.uk

The Wokingham Way is a series of attractive walks which make up a complete circular tour around Wokingham Borough, from the River Thames, north of Henley to the River Blackwater. It was put together by Loddon Valley Ramblers, with the aim of designing a long-distance walk which followed the Wokingham Borough boundary as far as possible, but with the overriding goal of developing walks which would be attractive. It is a very varied and interesting route. All other sections of this route can be located on the routes finder.
 
Pond, Billingbear Park © (Andrew Smith) / CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Pond, Billingbear Park
    Pond, Billingbear Park
    By - © Copyright Andrew Smith and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence (see acknowledgements)
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