THE WALKERS GUIDE : BOXING DAY
What a great way to walk off the festive feast, than with your family on boxing day. NWN brings you the first ever Turkey walk, a wonderful walk for all the family, through areas of outstanding beauty, history and extraordinary wildlife. Turkey walk: 6 miles
Directions - For Full PDF Map Click Here
Leaving the Nature Discovery Centre, head south with the lake on your left. At the corner of the lake, head west across the junction of tracks, signed Reedbeds. When the track bears left, continue straight ahead along a small path under the electricity wires.
Follow the path through the reedbeds, crossing two small streams, until you reach the river and canal. At the canal towpath, turn right to go over a bridge. Pass the railway. Keep to the right along a track following the footpath sign until you come to a lake created from a disused gravel pit on the right. Continue on the track up the hill.
Turn into the car park for BBOWT’s Bowdown Woods Nature Reserve on your left. Take the path in the top corner of the car park and follow it up a slope between two banks until you reach a fence on your right. Follow the path along the fence. When you reach a T-junction, turn right on a Tarmac path.
When you reach the car park, walk along the Tarmac drive to Bury’s Bank Road. Cross the road onto Greenham Common. Turn left onto a small path through the gorse, heading for a flagpole.
Before going left, you might detour ahead to the old Airfield Control Tower. Re-join the walk at the flagpole, walking east along the Common on a wide gravel track. After some distance, take the left fork and follow this path as it goes through the trees. Keep the lakes on your right until you come to a gate on your left. Cross the road and head down the gravel bridleway. Turn left at the metalled track and cross the River Kennet to Chamberhouse Farm.
Continue ahead between the hedges to the canal. Our walk turns left on the towpath, but you might detour right along the towpath to Monkey Marsh lock. Head back along the towpath to the next lock, Widmead. Just after, turn away from the canal through a gate. Cross the railway being extremely careful and walk straight ahead back to the Centre where our walk ends.
Brought to you in association with the Travellers Friend
Look out for
Approximately 40 species of insect feed only on reeds. Look out for the bloody-nosed beetle that gets its name from emitting a blood-like substance from its mouth when it feels threatened.
The Old Bomb Site on the left of the path was used as a wartime munitions
site. A military structure was demolished and the bricks left provide shelter
for lizards, snakes and small mammals. Near the control tower is a map and information about the Common. The present tower was built in 1951 and updated in the 1980s. The tower is now a refurbished Grade II listed building.
This has been restored as an old traditional ‘turf-sided’ lock using modern materials. South of the lock, there is a ‘pillbox’, a Second World War defence structure.
