Countryside on the southern edge of Wokingham

Just to the south of Wokingham, the other side of the railway line, is some very attractive countryside. I regularly walk there, and in July 2008 I took my camera on two walks, to record an area that is under threat of being covered in houses and a main road. The first was my usual walk around Chapel Green, starting and ending at the footbridge over the railway. The second was a longer walk from Finchampstead Road, ending at Star Lane crossing on Easthampstead Road (see map below).

A few years ago another development proposal for Chapel Green was successfully defeated. But now the whole area is under threat again. The Council plans to designate South Wokingham as an area for major development, and despite huge opposition, the planning inspector has approved their plans. If this area is built over, we will lose a precious and irreplaceable natural amenity (quite apart from the damage to the town of yet more over-development) Is there no way we can save it, so that future generations can continue to enjoy what we have enjoyed? Once this lovely stretch of countryside is lost under a sea of brick and tarmac, there will be no way of bringing it back. Token strips of green between the houses cannot replace what is there now.

Both my original walks were in the summer, but the area is beautiful in the autumn too. It was particularly attractive on the day that I read the sad news that the planning inspector had not rejected the Council's plan. I was particularly moved by the combination of sun and mist hanging above the ground, so I took a couple of pictures with my phone camera. Several days later, I took more pictures with my 'real' camera along the route of the first walk. There was no sun to add drama on this occasion, but it was still beautiful, with nature providing abundant sources of interest.

Then in winter I took more pictures in the snow, including several of the Emm Brook, which had a major diesel spillage when we walked round a couple of weeks earlier.

Each section of the walks are described below with pictures. Click on the thumbnails to view the full size pictures. Click a picture to return to the thumbnails, or use the arrows to see the next or previous picture in the sequence.

Click on thumbnails to view the pictures. Click a picture to return to the thumbnails, or use next / previous arrows.

All material and pictures © 2008 & © 2009 John Harrison

Southwest and across the Emm Brook

The walk starts on the footbridge where Luckley Path crosses the railway to Waterloo. For over a century, the railway has marked the boundary between the town and the countryside here. Stand on the footbridge and look along the track, as well as out towards open country (though the trees next to the railway hide much of it from here. Over the footbridge Luckley Path continues south, but leave the main path and climb over a stile. A shady path leads down through the trees. It emerges amid luxuriant grass, with open ground on the left, and overgrown land between the path and the railway on the right. Wild flowers abound if you stop to look at them. When the path reaches the Emm Brook, there is a stile at either end of the bridge. 

The railway bounds the town	Trees beyond the railway	South over the substation	Train glimpsed from the path
Walker heading south	The stile off Luckley Path	Path through the trees	Vegetation either side
Out into the long grass	View across the fields	Rushes by the path	Meadow-sweet
Passing under a tree	Birds foot trefoil	Great hairy willow herb	Purple vetch
The stile over the stream	Path worn in the grass	Looking back at the stile

Through the pasture

Past the stream, the path goes through the meadows of Chapel Green Farm where horses graze. Look among the meadow grass, and you will see many other plants growing as well.

Horse and jumps	Footpath sign	Chapel Green farm	Dew on cobweb in the grass
White clover	Purple clover	Buttercups	Knapweed
Colts foot	More horses grazing	A scavenging crow

The track south

Here you meet a cart track that is well used in all weathers by people tending horses, as well as people out strolling, since it is part of an easily walked circuit from Finchampstead Road. Past the farm, the track is metalled as it passes Lucas Hospital. Where it turns right, take the style straight ahead towards Ludgrove Lane.

Footpath signs by the lane	Towards the town	Boys strolling	Gipsy Lane behind the trees
Hogweed growing by the fence	Walking the dog	Leading a horse	The stile by Lucas Hospital

Ludgrove Lane

You approach Ludgrove Lane along a path through the field in front of Lucas Hospital, which was ploughed a few years ago to encourage wild flowers, many of which are now flourishing. Turn left along the lane, which is a tarmac drive giving access to both Ludgrove Farm and Ludgrove School. You can walk or cycle along it from Finchampstead Road to Easthampstead Road, but a gate in the middle ensures that vehicles only use it for access. This first walk follows it for a short way, almost as far as the farm.

Path across the field	Wild flowers by the path	Yarrow	Thistles
Poppies	The town in the distance	Sheep grazing	Sheep resting

Luckley Path

Just before the farm, the lane meets Luckley Path, an ancient route that runs from near Wokingham Market Place to Gorrick Wood, north of Crowthorne. After crossing Ludgrove Lane it heads south, past the school and the market gardens, and into the forest, but we turn left and head back along it towards the footbridge over the railway where we began. The path crosses the Emm Brook, on a bridge that is good for children playing 'Pooh sticks'.

Thistle flowers in the field	Grass flowers	The stream (Pooh Sticks bridge)	Looking across the field
Undergrowth flanking the path	Trees forming a tunnel	Narrow path by the fence	Path snaking round a tree
Hedge parsley by the path	A clump of hemlock	Path nearing the railway	The view to Lucas Hospital

The second walk ...

The first walk of just over a mile, takes you around only a small part of the area under threat to the south of Wokingham. The longer walk from Finchampstead Road through to Easthampstead Road is shown below.

The lane from Finchampstead Road 

Walk down Finchampstead Road, over the Emm Brook, and take the lane on the left, just before the roundabout. You soon leave the sound of traffic behind. Passing through the gate, there are views of fields to your left. Then the lane turns sharp right by some stables.

Leaving Finchampstead Road	Gate across the lane	Northeast towards the town	Sorrel growing in the field
Morning walk

The track across Chapel Green

The lane turns into a track between fences. Camomile growing in the track contrasts with the red brick hard core. You join the route of the first walk and pass alongside Lucas Hospital. The lane turns sharp right where you can pause to look briefly into the garden. You meet Ludgrove Lane by a house restored and extended some years ago. A few yards to the west is the narrow bridge under the Guildford railway line. More or less opposite you is the broad track heading south towards Gorrick Wood.

Track across Chapel Green	Camomile growing in the track	Passing Lucas Hospital	Looking in to Lucas Hospital
Where the track joins Ludgrove Lane	Bridge under the Guildford railway	Walk this way!	The track into Gorrick Wood

Ludgrove Lane (west)

Walk east along Ludgrove Lane, joining the route of the first walk as you pass in front of Lucas Hospital. Whereas on the first walk, the views were all north towards the town, on this walk, we look south, across pasture land.

Lucas Hospital from Ludgrove Lane	Looking southwest	Blackberries in flower	Cows and calf
Bullock feeding	Majestic oak trees	Looking southeast	Where Luckley path goes south

Near Ludgrove School

Go straight on where the first walk turned left, and you pass Ludgrove School and Farm. The accommodation next to the lane was converted some years ago from farm buildings. To your left, the broad sweep of pasture continues to the east. Just beyond the school is the duck pond. It is surrounded by trees. Thirty years ago, I remember it freezing over, and the boys from the school skating on it, but normally only the ducks are there.

Student accommodation	Trees along the Emm Brook	Thistle flowers	Hens at Ludgrove
Ducks on the road	Taking to the water	Leaving wakes	View across the pond

Ludgrove Lane (east)

The eastern part of Ludgrove Lane has fewer 'chocolate box' views, with more evidence of working agriculture, and fields full of raspberries, cabbages or pens for rearing game birds, but there is still plenty of interest to see as you walk along, with views across the fields, and several glimpses of Star Lane crossing in the distance. At the end of the lane is an attractive old house.

Across to Star Lane crossing	Looking back northwest	Past the duck pond	Fields of raspberries
Game bird pens	Cabbages and flowers	View towards the town	Houses by Star Lane crossing
The end of the lane

Easthampstead Road

Turn left on the road, but before you do so, admire the parkland on the other side. As you walk along, you get views of the open land to west and east through the gaps in the hedges. Look closely for detail as well.  The road rises as you approach Star Lane crossing, allowing you final views of open country to the east and west. Cross the railway and look back towards the green fields that might not be there in future.

Parkland across the road	Walking towards the town	Southwest towards Ludgrove	West from Easthampstead Road
Convolvulus flower	Sapling oak tree	New growth on oak tree	Ragwort in flower
Star Lane crossing	East along the railway	West beside the railway	Looking towards Ludgrove

Autumn walks

I was walking down from the railway bridge to the bridge over the Emm Brook early in the morning before starting work, and although I hadn't intended to take pictures, the view was so stunning that I took a couple using my phone camera.

Mist lying over the meadow

Horse peacefully grazing

The second autumn walk

A few days later, armed with a 'proper' camera, I went to take some pictures. The landscape was beautiful even without much sun, and there was much detail to look at, even though it was long past the flower season. I followed the same route (the first of the summer walks). The pictures below are in order, but I haven't broken them up into sections, like the summer walk.

Railway disappearing into the mist	Moss and lichen growing on the bridge	Glimpse back to the town from above the style	Leaves stew the path
Trees receding into the mist	Remains of a willowherb flower head	Cobwebs on hogweed seed heads	Dewdrops on grass seeds
Path beyond the style over Emmbrook	A pair of Ash trees	Lichen growing on the fence post	Gypsy Lane viewed across the valley
Yarrow still in flower	Seed head and deadnettle leaves	Autumn fungi among the leaves	House at Chapel Green reflected in last night's rain
Morning walker near Lucas Hospital	Golden bracken	Rose hips	Path across the meadow
Someone doesn't respect the countryside!	Cows peacefully grazing	Beech leaves turning colour	Hogweed head and holly leaves
Groundsman at work	Crows roosting in the bare trees	Morning runner along the lane	The path back to the railway bridge

Winter walk

This area looks beautiful in winter as well. On the first morning after the big snow in January, I went for a walk, along with scores of others to judge by the extent to which the snow was trampled along the paths.

Walking into the wood	Emerging from the wood	The path by by the field	Droplets on the fence
Passing trees	Across the field in Chapel Green	A red kite soaring overhead	Branches weighed low by Lucas Hospital
View across the field	Walkers on Ludgrove Lane	Lucas Hospital	Looking towards the town
A friendly cow	Mixed trees beyond the fields	Walker on Ludgrove Lane	On the frozen pond at Ludgrove
The path entering the wood	Walking through the wood	Back at the railway bridge	Looking west along the railway

The Emm Brook

On the winter walk, I took particular note each time we crossed the Emm Brook. A couple of weeks earlier it was in flood as the pre-Christmas snow melted, and the south eastern tributary was heavily polluted – covered from bank to bank with diesel for several days. On this occasion, things looked more or less normal.

Footbridge near Chapel Green	Ludgrove Lane crossing the southern branch	Luckley Path crossing the southeastern branch	Ducks near Luckley Path bridge
Southeastern branch going under Ludgrove Lane	Flowing away from Ludgrove Lane

Enjoy it while you can

Make the most of this countryside while you can. The next generation may be able to enjoy these walks or see these views if the developers have their way. And take pictures like I have, so that you can tell your children how attractive it was before it was spoilt. See my views on development .

All material and pictures © 2008 & © 2009John Harrison