Henley Wild Walk

Henley Berkshire Buckinghamshire Wild Walk Oxfordshire

Explore Henley: this varied walk Warburg Nature Reserve through the Chilterns takes in parkland, farmland and woodland Spectacular is a word often used to describe this reserve, which is set in a charming patchwork of Starting in Henley, this 21 km circular walk includes woods, scrub and flower-rich grassland in a secluded the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s (BBOWT) dry valley. With a huge range of plants, fungi and Warburg Nature Reserve. invertebrates, it’s easy to see why.

21 km/13 miles (about 5 hours) Beech trees stretch high above an open forest floor to form a There is a shorter 8 km/5 mile circular section which can peaceful, cathedral-like space. Coppice woods provide a sea of start from Nettlebed or Warburg Nature Reserve bluebells and chorus of birdsong in spring. Cowslips begin the There are additional paths through the reserve to explore annual sequence of flowering herbs that provide a carpet of further, including a Wildlife Walk; and also a visitor centre changing colour in the sheltered glades. and picnic area Stars of this floral display are the orchids such as fly, bee and How to get to the start pyramidal. Fifteen species can be found here. Some of the rarer Postcode: RG9 1AY Grid ref: SU 764 823 orchids, such as narrow-lipped and violet helleborines, prefer the shadier woodland. By bus: Check www.traveline.info for information about local buses The wide, sunny rides and open glades with chalk grassland By train: This walk starts at Henley-on-Thames railway station. are full of wild flowers in summer, including the Chiltern Check www.nationalrail.co.uk for train times gentian and aromatic marjoram and thyme. The flowers attract numerous butterflies and other insects before the woodland By car: There are car parks at Henley railway station and turns a glorious gold, orange and brown in autumn. Warburg Nature Reserve and street parking in Nettlebed and Bix Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) By bike: There is cycle storage at Henley railway station and a bike rack at the reserve BBOWT relies on the support of our members to help us look after local wildlife. By joining BBOWT you can help to secure the future of special landscapes like Warburg Nature Reserve. Please help us look after wildlife by keeping dogs on short Join us today! leads at Warburg Nature Reserve and picking up after them.

NATURE NOTES

Orchid Silver- Red kites are Fungi flowers washed are large emerge from have fritillaries tree-nesting the soil evolved are large raptors mainly in in shape orange feeding autumn. to attract butterflies mainly There is a specific insect pollinators. with black markings, which on dead animals and great variety of them in The lower petal or lip is are found in woodland and occasionally small mammals. all sorts of shapes, sizes usually the most elaborate. In occasionally the neighbouring They can be distinguished and colours. The parts we some cases, such as the bee grassland. Their name comes from the similar-sized see above ground are the orchid, it mimics a female from the silver streaks on the buzzards by their forked tail reproductive bodies of the insect to attract a male to underside of their wings. Look and reddish-brown colour. fungi: their gills or pores visit the flower. Orchids also for them feeding on bramble Look for them soaring release millions of spores that rely on specific soil fungi for in the sunny woodland rides. overhead, often in pairs or are carried by the breeze to nutrition. This specialisation Their caterpillars feed on groups. Following a re- germinate elsewhere. Below makes many orchids violets, particularly common introduction programme them is a web of microscopic extremely rare. dog-violets. there’s now a large filaments, or mycelium, in the population in the Chilterns. soil that aids decomposition of dead material.

Protecting local wildlife Berkshire Buckinghamshire The route Oxfordshire

to Twyford to Reading A4155 STAGE 7 Lambridge Lane to Henley 0 100 200

A321 N metres railway station to Maidenhead Henley Follow the lane round to the right and turn left on to A4130 -on- Gravel Hill, which leads down to the Market Place in 1 Henley town centre. Turn right on to Reading Road, Station Road Thames then left on to Station Road to the railway station. STAGE 1 Gravel Hill Reading Road Start to Henley Park

Northfield End STAGE 6 From Henley-on-Thames railway station, turn right on to Station Road and follow River Thames Bix to Lambridge Lane Thameside beside the river, then bear left on Turn right on to Rectory Lane, past the church, carefully cross the A4130, go past Bix Manor and to New Street. Turn right on to Bell Street and to Marlow continue to the road junction. Take the bridleway in at the double mini roundabout, bear left on A4130 A4155 to Lambridge Wood, turn right on to footpath. Follow to the A4130 Northfield End. After 350 metres, the footpath, beside an earth bank, down through take the footpath to the right next to the 7 Golf course beech wood. Go straight on at the cross-paths and school playing fields, climbing through wood, at the next path junction. Just before the main path then across parkland to Henley Park. starts to descend steeply, take the smaller path to the right down to a large depression, then up following Look for evergreen box trees in the wood, the edge of the wood, through a small plantation. Go and green woodpeckers in the parkland. Lambridge Wood straight across the golf course on to Lambridge Lane. Henley 2 Park Look for evergreen holly and, in spring, STAGE 2 helleborines growing in the wood. Henley Park to Middle Assendon Lower B480 Assendon A4130 Carry straight on past Henley Park and Cottage STAGE 5 on to Pond Cottage; cross the road and Bix Nettlebed to Bix continue over pasture, between paddocks, Manor Middle Take the track (Catslip) on the left beside to Fawley Farm then through a gap in the hawthorn Assendon the houses, then straight over the road hedge before descending over pasture to 3 (to Crocker End) on to the bridleway. a wooded path. Turn left at the lane and Churchyard Follow the bridleway straight on through follow it to the B480 at Middle Assendon. 6 Bix the planted woodland and across the Little field to Bix village. Look for whitebeam in the lane. Bix Bottom Farm Listen for chiffchaff and willow warbler singing from the woodland canopy in STAGE 3 spring and summer. Middle Assendon to Warburg Nature Reserve Valley Farm Turn right, past the Rainbow Inn and take the Remains second road on the left. Follow the road along the of church valley bottom for 2 miles passing Little Bix Bottom Bix Bottom Farm and Valley Farm. On the left the remains of St Catslip James Church are worth a stop. The ruined church Crocker End dates from the 12th century and was abandoned Soundess to Stonor Pages 5 in 1875. It is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument Farm House 4 and Grade II listed building. Continue up the lane to Lodge Nettlebed to Wallingford WARBURG NATURE RESERVE. Farm WARBURG Soundess and Oxford NATURE Farm Listen for red kites calling while soaring over the tree RESERVE A4130 covered ridge, and look for the many orchids on ‘The Maidensgrove Range’ at WARBURG NATURE RESERVE in summer. to Watlington B481 STAGE 4 Warburg Nature Reserve to Nettlebed Nettlebed – Warburg circular section From the visitor centre, take the road back out towards Bix and after 100 metres Starting in Nettlebed, follow the main route turn right beside Pages Farm on to the restricted byway. Follow this flinty track (section 5) through Catslip, then as you cross the uphill, keeping left as the track forks, past Soundness House. Continue past the field approaching Bix, turn left after 200 metres on to the footpath to wood. Follow the footpath turn for Crocker End to the next road junction under the large oak. Bear right for arrows down to Valley Farm at Bix Bottom. Then Nettlebed village, or straight over (half left) to continue on the route. follow the main route to Warburg Nature Reserve Listen for drumming woodpeckers in spring, and look for animal footprints and back to Nettlebed (sections 3–4). in the soil beside the track.

WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS J F M A M J J A S O N D KEY Orchids on the chalk grassland at Warburg Nature Reserve 4 4 4 4 BBOWT Nature Reserve Dawn chorus of woodland birdsong 4 4 Railway station Silver-washed fritillary gliding around sunny glades 4 4 4 Bus stop 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Majestic trees at Henley Park Parking Beech woods and fungi in autumn colour 4 4 4