MBRA Autumn Newsletter 2025

Hello Everyone!

 Welcome to our Autumn newsletter….

Summer has been wonderful, and our planet's most important workers were in full swing. Pollinators like bees, butterflies and beetles are the lifeblood of our ecosystems, keeping nature healthy and supporting food production. Please look after them….

Meanwhile, now there is nothing quite like the calming sights & smells of a forest in autumn, with the leaves crunching beneath your feet the rich colours of the season surrounding you…. 31 members of Mid Berkshire enjoyed a wonderful Autumn holiday in Cricket St Thomas  at the Warners Hotel….

The scene of much of the famous TV comedy “To the Manor Born,” Cricket St. Thomas was also frequently visited by Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton in earlier times. This classic18th century Georgian manor house is set in splendid parkland, with colourful gardens (designed by Capability Brown), lakes, and a unique woodland area. There is an indoor pool, sauna and steam room. It even has its own church dedicated to St Thomas. Warne rhotels also produce an entertainment programme, with games & visiting artists.

Walks were ably led by Ali M, Paul T & Robert W, who also regaled us with historical facts of the places we passed. Many members visited Stourhead, Barrington Court and Montacute House National Trust places, en-route to & from Cricket St Thomas.

Further Holidays
The Mid Berks group holidays are held in Spring and Autumn and have been magnificently managed by Maggie H. These residential holidays are well appreciated by members, not only for the chance to have extended social interactions in pleasant surroundings, but to experience the landscape in totally different places. Sometimes the weather is wet but underneath the wet-weather gear we enjoy the warm atmosphere and satisfaction of yet another walk together in the countryside.

Generally, we arrange walks for most abilities, but even if you do not want to walk, there are many other activities and places to visit.

Next Spring (2026) we will be staying in the Bembridge Coast Hotel, Fisherman’s Walk, Bembridge PO35 5TH on the Isle of Wight (Tel: 01983 873931), during Monday 23rd March to 27th March 2026. This is a magnificent beachside hotel, ideal for exploring the Isle of Wight with stunning views of the Solent. The original building dates from 1905 and has royal connections, having often been visited by Queen Mary, as well as the late Queen Mother. See more details at www.warnerleisurehotels.co.uk. Bembridge Coast Hotel from Warners website

 Prices are from £266 to £376 pp for 4 nights half board, including evening entertainment, daytime activities and the walk leaders’ expense levy. We currently have 33 people booked and deposits have been collected, but there are still rooms available for sharing.
NB. There are steps to the beach from the hotel grounds and the ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne costs £45 return per car (including up to car's capacity passengers), payable with the final balance to Maggie.

Please look at the details on the “Future Holidays – Spring Holiday 2026” page of the MBRA website and if you are interested, e-mail Maggie at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to secure a room, she will require a £20 deposit asap.

You can also find on the website, details of our Autumn 2026 holiday under “Future Holidays – Autumn holiday 2026”.

If you have never been on one of our breaks you will be made to feel most welcome, but they book up quickly, so please check our website for updates or more details www.mbra.org.uk

Mid Berkshire Walks Programme

The walks programme has really reached crisis point, as one of the few principal walk leaders is currently unable to lead due to illness, so we are not able to implement a programme for every Thursday and realistically we will only be able to post up to two per month for the moment unless things improve. We do not seem to have been able to recruit any new walk leaders for quite some time now and a number of our existing walk leaders are reluctant to continue once the latest training and certification process comes into force at the end of the year. Although the walk programme is failing, due to lack of walk leaders, the holidays which we organise twice a year could not be more popular.
In the event of no walks from our group being available on a Thursday, there are walks from other Berkshire walks available on other weekdays. The quickest way to find out imminent walks is to look on  the Mid Berks website and these imminent walks are shown. Just click on the walk selected and further details will be revealed. Alternatively, if you have a smart phone, you can search on the Ramblers App.

We are trying to extend the programme to some months in advance, to make planning easier than posting walks just a week or two in advance and some of our walks share the venues with strolls, so more of us can enjoy social activities (coffee/lunch/tea) together following the walks. There is now a growing section of our archived group walks on the MBRA website, showing details of walks, in addition to the archived holiday walks. These can be used by new walk leaders or anyone new to the district.

We would like to encourage more people to car share and some of the walks accommodate this by suggesting meeting up at a specific point. Also consider contacting people who live near you to arrange a lift. For those walkers who like to use public transport please note that if 3 (up to 9) people travel together on a train they may be eligible for a group discount. For 'bus' walks contact the walk leader to confirm bus times. Also please check bus shelter for alterations to schedules.

Recent Local Walks and Activities

24th July Exploring to the West of the City of London led by Ali M

Starting at Blackfriars tube station we had a quick look at one of the city Dragons (there are 12 in total), which are placed around the old city wall, usually near a gate on this location at the end of Blackfriars Bridge. (Photo)

  The City of London in Tudor times was a warren of narrow streets, mostly with half-timbered houses leaning over the street to ensure maximum living space whilst using less land.  Many of these streets are still there, they just have huge buildings on them, including high rise.  We started by walking up Blackfriars Lane and into Playhouse Yard where a well-known playhouse used to be used by The Kings men (which included Shakespeare).  This theatre unusually had a full roof, so was used all year round. In the days of Puritan influence, the local church complained of the noise so after the Great Fire it was not rebuilt.

Much of the West side of the city was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, but houses were mostly rebuilt on the same plot apart from where streets were deliberately made wider. (Photo)

Many churches were destroyed, some rebuilt by Christopher Wren and where funds precluded a rebuild a garden has been made instead for quiet reflection, lunch breaks or picnics for Ramblers.

Christchurch Newgate church and the hospital were built on remains of Greyfriars monastery, then destroyed by Great Fire and rebuilt by Wren.  The hospital was moved out to Surrey and the church badly damaged in WW2, so there is a garden on the site and the old church tower has become a private residence (strange..!)  (Photo)

The Old Bailey was built in 1902 on the site of Newgate prison.  Executions took place in the public outside until 1868 and then continued inside the prison.

At Amen Corner there are original houses from 17th century. 

Smithfield market was a well-known meat market but it began in medieval times as a "Smooth Field" where animals were brought to be sold for meat.  The site was also used for fayres, jousting, games etc

I was surprised to find out that public executions took place in the area before St Paul's Cathedral, one notable - Guy Fawkes.

Situated in the City from early medieval times were the many 'Liveries', the organisations that guided and controlled the many crafts upon which society depended.  Here are a few examples of their buildings. 

Physicians and Cutlers….  The former is obvious but Cutlers were skilled metal workers with all kinds of blades, swords and scalpels.

The oldest Norman church in London, St Bartholemew the Great survived the Great Fire and the Blitz and is worth a visit.  Nearby is another survivor of the Great Fire, no 41 Cloth Fair, a rare example of early 17th century merchants house.

Postman’s Park is home to a very interesting and poignant set of memorials to everyday heroes and heroines who risked their lives saving others.

The team enjoying the sculptures in Paternoster Square adjacent to St Pauls Cathedral.

Paternoster Square has grand and historic entrance through the original Temple Bar which was a ‘Wren designed building originally built in The Strand barring the entrance to the west of the City of London but was removed in the late 19th century to give better access to traffic. It then was rebuilt as an entrance to a park in Hertfordshire before it was repurchased to be reinstalled in the refurbished Paternoster Square in 2003. Two dragons, one on each side of the road now mark the original position of the Bar in the Strand and entrance to the City of London.

 Many thanks to Ali M for report & photos

Thursday 7th August Special Mid Berks Summer walk and celebratory meal led by Paul T and Monica H/ Thelma T

For our walks programme, see our website walks programme.

These two walks were special summer walks with our traditional summer celebratory meal for Mid Berks members organised by Paul T. One walk was a medium paced walk between 4 and 5 miles and another a slower paced walk of 2-3 miles. They were circular walks from the Highwayman pub in the hamlet of Exlade Street near Checkendon and both walks were in the beautiful countryside nearby. A most enjoyable walk and meal.  Page 7

Thursday 21st August Reading Two Rivers walk led by Mike R

This local circular walk started from Reading station, through the Abbey ruins and followed the Kennet down to the Thames. The Thames path was followed up towards the town centre crossing the lock, past the turbine to View Island. and then crossed the pedestrian bridge over the river to meet for lunch at The Pantry next to Reading Museum.

Bank Holiday 25th August – ‘Baguette Walk’ Led by Kathy D and Monica H.

This was a traditional Bank Holiday walk usually organised by the late Jean Hall which terminated at the Black Horse Checkendon for a drink and a baguette for lunch. It was inspired by Monica H and Kathy D that we should 'relive' the occasion in memory of Jean who died last year and celebrate the life of our prolific and adventurous walk leader for many years. Two circular walks were organised from the Black Horse Checkendon, a leisurely walk or 2.5 miles and a moderate walk of 4 miles, both hilly. Both walks were well attended. The Black Horse Checkendon, is a delightful gem of a traditional English pub hidden among the country lanes of Checkendon, surrounded by wonderful countryside.  

Thursday 28th August Rushall Manor Farm – Bradfield – Pang Valley led by Robert W

A 5.5 mile circular walk of moderate pace, through an area of outstanding natural beauty, starting at Rushall Manor Farm and walking down to the River Pang. After following this downstream to Bradfield, we left the river and passed through Greathouse Wood to return to the start. A beautiful walk and a beautiful summer’s day!

Thursday, 4th September Bucklebury Common and Area led by Monica H and Thelma T (stroll) and a 5+ mile walk led by Paul TA pleasant 2-3 mile slow stroll from Bucklebury Common led by Thelma and Monica. The ground was hard and rutted in places, but suitable footwear was worn. A 5+ mile walk leaving at the same time was led by Paul T.

Thursday, 18th September led by Robert W Arborfield and Loddon Valley
A circular walk from Arborfield Cross through the Arborfield byways, taking in meadows near the banks of the Loddon before gradually climbing up to Kenney's Farm and along the edge of Great Copse before returning over the Observer (the “Green”) Bridge. We had a short snack stop en-route & the opportunity of refreshments afterwards at the extremely popular Henry Street Garden centre.

Thursday, 25th September. A London City and Docklands Tour led by Terry P and Robert W

Firstly, a huge thankyou to Robert for stepping in for Mike at the last minute to help Terry lead the walk when he was unable to continue. It involved a trip to London, so we had an earlier start, meeting in Reading at 09:15 at the train station. This was an interesting and varied London city walk starting from the Monument and heading north to the iconic buildings in the heart of the city, old and new side by side, plus sculptures en-route. We headed down to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge by the Thames for a short lunch break before we proceeded through the iconic St Catherine’s dock and followed the ornamental canal route up through some of the Docklands to Tobacco Dock and onward to Shadwell Basin in the east where we boarded the train to return to Reading. The walk was flat and easy but about 5.5 miles in length. - keep a watchful eye out for Terry’s YouTube slide show! Coming soon!

October 6th – 10th Mid Berks Autumn Holiday at Cricket St Thomas

There were walks arranged for everyday thanks to the hard working efforts of Ali, Robert, Paul, Monica, and Thelma but some of the walks were hindered by footpath problems ........

Some problems experienced by our intrepid walkers on Ali’s holiday walk (Ali has reported)

Huge fallen tree completely blocking path

 However, these problems were overcome in one way or another and made the walks even more exciting and memorable! A fantastic holiday with unbeatable weather-wonderful!

Well-being Walks

More than 90,000 Ramblers walks take place across Britain every year, providing a setting for social connections to be made. More than half of these group walks are Ramblers Well-being Walks. These short, free guided walks are often prescribed by healthcare professionals to improve physical health but increasingly as a powerful way to combat loneliness and isolation.

Our Ramblers group walks & Well-being walks would not be possible without our fantastic walk leader volunteers. The National Body wants to make sure that every walk leader feels recognised, confident & supported. Consequently, they have developed the Ramblers’ Walk Leader Handbook & Training Log to help new leaders & refresh experienced leaders. Access both on the Ramblers website at ramblers.org.uk/walk-leadership

Footpaths

Ramblers’ walkers are encouraged to report any problems they find with footpaths, such as broken or dangerous stiles, blocked or overgrown paths, or fly-tipping. All problems will be dealt with by the relevant local authority. Nowadays, it's quite easy to report problems online with most authorities. A photo of the problem usually helps. The local authority for Mid Berks Ramblers area is West Berkshire. Most of our walks take place in West Berks, Oxfordshire (which includes South Oxfordshire), Hampshire or Wokingham District. Click on a link to take you to the appropriate reporting page.

The University of Reading started some work in July, as part of the £1 million investment to improve access & green space, by improving pathways, creating new tracks, drainage, gates & verges, at their old site in Arborfield and will see the creation of a new public footpath linking the Eastern Relief Road to Cutbush Lane. Phase 2 of this project will restore existing habitat & introduce protective measures for the existing wildlife. This project comes as part of the wider Shinfield Studios development, located at the Thames Valley Science Park, to deliver the biodiversity net gain in connection with the construction of the studios. Further details can be obtained from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephoning 0118 378 3577.

Maintaining public rights of way across Wokingham borough

Two operatives cover almost 300 miles in a year - about the distance from Wokingham to Newcastle - using brush cutters, ride-on mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters and chainsaws for fallen trees on public rights of way, including footpaths, bridleways and byways each year. This ensures they remain open, safe and accessible for all users. So far this year the team has completed work in Remenham Parish Council, including the Thames Towpath & are now progressing through paths in the Wargrave Parish Council & St Nicholas Hurst Parish Council areas.

Sonning riverside path before and after

A once muddy Thameside path near Sonning has been completely resurfaced, restoring access to a scenic riverside route that can now be enjoyed year-round. This upgraded path now forms part of a network of circular walks from Sonning village, offering safer and more accessible walking routes for residents and visitors. The work was funded by the Ramblers Path Improvement Fund, with access provided by the University of Reading across its farmland. Over two days in September, 60 tonnes of resurfacing material was laid, improving over one kilometre of public footpath.

With around 145 miles of public rights of way across the borough, volunteer-led projects like this play a vital role in helping to maintain and improving our walking routes. The council work with local organisations and volunteers to help keep the network clear, so if you notice an issue on a public right of way, such as overgrown foliage, please report it. To explore the borough’s rights of way network, visit the interactive map on the council website.

You can report footpath problems anywhere in England and Wales through the National Ramblers or locally to the Mid Berks Footpath secretary, with details, for onward forwarding to the relevant authority.

Health and Safety

Walking is generally a low risk activity, although the weather can prove to be a hazard!! So please dress appropriately. Statistics indicate that the main hazards are slips & trips, so please take care when negotiating roots, ruts & mud, etc. If you would like to submit an interesting photograph from one of your walks, just forward to Brian H or the walk leader, but please ensure that anyone in the photo or whose name is mentioned, doesn’t mind it being published on the website / in the newsletter. There is a consent form for any project, particularly involving children on the National website. These are part of the General Data Protection Regulation – an Act of Parliament.

We send our very best wishes to our Chairman, John O,
who is currently recovering from double pneumonia
 

 National News

Changes to membership fees from 1 October 2025
At the Ramblers, we are committed to keeping membership great value while continuing to champion access to the outdoors for everyone. Each year, the National body reviews our fees to make sure we can keep delivering the benefits all our members enjoy.

This year, like many charities, we are continuing to face rising costs. After careful consideration, the board of trustees has agreed a minor increase to membership fees to help us to continue to offer these benefits whist protecting the places we walk.

Annual individual membership will increase by £2 — from £43 to £45. The changes will take effect from 1 October 2025 for new members and on the date of the next renewal for existing members. Further information will be shared with members in the October member newsletter.

In Case of Emergency cards (ICE)
 These are available free of charge for all Rambler’s Walk Leaders to distribute to participants on group walks. The cards record essential medical information & emergency contact details in case of an emergency. Please collect yours next time you are on a Ramblers walk.

Help the Ramblers improve your access to the countryside
Help us fight for fairer access to nature by writing to your MP.

Freedom of Information requests submitted by the Ramblers have uncovered more than 140,000 stiles across the path network in England and Wales - that is an average of one stile every mile. And with a 2023 YouGov survey finding that 25% of people said physical barriers, like stiles, prevented them accessing the path network, that means millions are facing preventable barriers to enjoying the outdoors.

The National body are campaigning for an Access to Nature Bill to remove these barriers and make the outdoors accessible to everyone. To help make this happen, they are asking people to contact their local MP, sharing your experiences of the problem and urging them to support the Bill as the solution.

There is an easy-to-follow guide on the Rambler’s website to guide you through writing to your MP.

The Walk Magazine
Following feedback on last winter’s trial of a digital format of Walk magazine, we understand just how well-loved the magazine is in its printed format. But, to prevent passing on rising costs, we need to balance this with the full impact of steep rises in paper, printing and postage prices, as well as our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint.

So going forwards, your physical version of Walk will land on your doormat every four months instead of every three, bringing the Ramblers into line with other similar charities, including the National Trust and English Heritage. Alongside the printed magazine, our monthly email newsletters will keep you up to date with all our news, guides, inspiration and campaigns. These channels allow us to communicate updates and stories about our work in faster, greener and more shareable.

 Other Local News

The COVID Memorial Wood
6,700 trees will grace a new wood in Finchampstead, a memorial for all those lost or affected by the COVID epidemic. 117 varied species, including hazel, English oak, & wild cherry, have been donated by the Woodland Trust. Biodiversity near the Eastern Relief Road Work has begun on a major biodiversity project near the Eastern Relief Road in Shinfield, designed to enhance local green spaces and improve public access to nature. A £1m project led by the University of Reading comes as part of the wider Shinfield Studios development, which is located at the University- owned Thames Valley Science Park. The initiative will provide new pathways for walking and cycling, enabling better access to green spaces. Wildlife will also benefit from the restoration and creation of valuable habitats along the River Loddon Corridor, including grasslands, woodlands, reed beds and meadows, encouraging the fauna typically found in natural environments of this kind.

The first phase of the project is now underway and will see the creation of a new public footpath linking the Eastern Relief Road to Cutbush Lane, which will aim to provide residents and visitors with safer, more sustainable travel options and better access to nature. Phase two, tipped to begin early next year, will introduce soft landscaping, including planting, fencing and protective measures for existing flora, further enhancing the area’s ecological value.

For public safety, access to university land from the Eastern Relief Road will be restricted until the phase one works are complete, but all pathways and roads will remain open.

Phase one of this project is expected to be completed by mid-December.

Thanks to vital volunteers in Maiden Erleigh
A huge thank you to the Wednesday Volunteer team from Earley Environmental Group, who joined forces with Earley Town Council Rangers for a morning of hands-on conservation at Maiden Erlegh Nature Reserve, locally known as Moor Copse. The team worked hard clearing gullies throughout the woods, vital channels that help manage rainwater, prevent erosion and support biodiversity. Their efforts are helping protect this cherished woodland habitat for future generations.

Next time you visit the nature reserve, take a moment to appreciate the hidden work that keeps it thriving.

Reed beds take root at Charvil Country Park
During the last six months, Berkshire countryside team has been enhancing habitats at Charvil Country Park, focusing on Canberra Lake and the Heronry. Thanks to full developer funding, they have removed excess trees and scrub, regraded the banks to create shallower edges, and planted 5,000 reed plants in newly created shallows. Protective fencing has also been installed to shield young reeds from grazing waterfowl.

 Although the reeds are newly planted, in just a few years these areas will become rich wetland habitats. They will offer shelter for fish fry and invertebrates, nesting spots for warblers and waterfowl, and feeding grounds for herons, kingfishers and even bitterns. Once fully established, the fencing will be removed, leaving behind a thriving natural space that supports biodiversity and improves the park’s ecological value.

Keep Britain Tidy
The environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has revealed the parks and green spaces that have reached the high standards required to win a coveted Green Flag Award this year. The Green Flag Award scheme has been running for almost 30 years, recognising and rewarding the best green spaces across the country, and is considered the international benchmark of quality for parks and green spaces. This year more than two thousand parks and green spaces across the UK received a Green Flag Award, a new record number and six beauty spots in and around Reading were among the lucky winners.

Whitenights at the University of Reading received the Award. Alongside the university buildings, the property encompasses the Whiteknights Lake, conservation meadows, and woodlands. While the campus is private property, a public right of way runs from Earley Gate to Shinfield Road. The Whitenights property dates back to the Norman Conquest, when it was called the Manor of Earley, and today it covers 123 hectares which support several designated Wildlife Heritage Sites.

Woodford Park in Reading's Woodley neighbourhood has also received a Green Flag Award, marking the eighth year running that the local park has been a recipient of the award. There is a special 'Garden of Remembrance' within the park that opened in 2000, a non-denominational space were the names of lost loved ones can be inscribed on brass plaques, with the space providing "a place for quiet contemplation".

Another Green Flag Award in our local area went to Linear Park in Reading's Calcot neighbourhood. Linear Park has a woodland, river basin, and meadow, as well as activity spaces like play areas, sports pitches, and a basketball court. The park can be accessed by foot, bike, bus, or car - although it is worth noting that the large car park is locked at dusk.

 If any members would like to comment, submit walk or membership related items and/or photographs we would love to hear from you please contact Catherine by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ,

 Best wishes to you all and happy safe walking

Catherine,