Two Nature Reserves and a Serial Murderer

Flat and mostly waterside walk through two areas recovered and reconstituted as nature reserves – View Island and Thames Valley Park.

Type of walk
Exercise - a healthy walk with some stopping points of interest. More walking/less talking

More detail
The walk begins at Reading station and crosses the Thames at Caversham Lock and weir. We look at the new community funded hydroelectric power plant and go round our first reserve, View Island. You will also learn something about one of the Victorian era's most prolific serial murderers. We go back onto the Thames Path, crossing the mouth of the Kennet by the historic Horseshoe Bridge. Further along the Thames we turn into the reserve created when the Suttons Business Park was built and explore its various environments. We return to the Kennet and Avon Canal and follow it up to Reading town centre passing Blakes Lock.

On the way back along the K & A are a couple of pubs and the town centre is packed with places to eat. Good trail or walking shoes will be fine. No lavatories along the route until we walk back along the Kennet. 

Walk length / difficulty / accessibility
11 km,3 hours / Medium / not wheelchair accessible / family friendly

Ticket price
£3

About the walk leader
Richard has been a keen walker and trekker all his life and is very involved in Berkshire Ramblers. He has lived in Reading for decades and is a great believer in walking as a social occasion. This walk is perfect for that, being very easy and undemanding.