BINFIELD ENVIRONMENT GROUP WALKERS PACK

Local Walks For You to Enjoy and Share

With thanks to Mike Coker for remastering these maps in 2018

Binfield Walk Pack – Walk One

Pope’s Meadow and village centre – 2.5 kilometres

This walk includes two grassy paths which can be muddy after rain. For families with buggies it is recommended that you take the shorter route.

Start at the Pope’s Meadow Car Park on St Mark’s Road. Pass to the right of the copse that you see down the slope and leave the meadow through the gate at the far right (north-west) corner. Turn right into Murrell Hill Lane. At the top you will pass Whitehouse Farmhouse (a Grade II listed building originally built in the 16th Century). Turn left here along Foxley Lane.

After 100 metres turn right at a bollard along a tarmac path that leads to Benetfeld Road. Follow Benetfield Road until you read a tarmac path on the right by a post-box. Take this path, turning left at the next path junction to pass to the left of the tennis courts. The single-storey building to your left is the Binfield Parish Council Office (A). There is a car park here which you could use as an alternative start.

The path brings you to Benetfeld Road again. Turn right and pass Binfield Primary School. Before the road reaches the roundabout turn right along a path to pass to the right of the village library. On the far side of the roundabout you will catch a glimpse of Binfield Place (a Grade II* listed building, parts of which date to the 16th Century). Just after the library turn right and follow the path round the front of the Oakmede Place shops (B) to cross Terrace Road South at the pedestrian crossing. Our route turns left here, but if you want to shorten the walk by 300m or fancy a coffee and cake at Crema (C) turn right and follow the road south (Crema is on the left about 100m further on).

If you are following the main route and have turned left after the crossing, you will come to the roundabout in the village centre. Turn right and follow the road downhill past the Coop (D). This building used to be the Royal Standard public house and some evidence of its former use is still visible. Turn right into Emmets Nest. When this road bends right continue straight ahead down the tarmac lane. Where the lane ends at a wooden gate, cross Emmets Park to join the footpath opposite. At the top of the hill stop and admire the view on your left over to Buckinghamshire, before turning right to follow the path between wooden fences to eventually come out on Terrace Road South. Turn left. People following the shorter route re-join us here.

Pass Daruchini (E), formerly the Roebuck public house, and Newbold College, the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Before the junction with Popeswood Road cross what is now St Marks Road and continue along it, passing St Marks Church on your left. Your starting point, Pope’s Meadow is a little further along the road.

Walk Two

Binfield Walk Pack – Walk Two

Wicks Green and village centre – 1.5 kilometres

This walk is all on gravel paths or tarmac and is suitable for families with buggies.

Start at the junction of Forest Road and Terrace Road (the roundabout in the centre of the village) diagonally opposite the Co-op (A). Walk northwards along Terrace Road North passing some interesting buildings. Just after you pass Chase Gardens on the right, look out for a timber, render and brick building. Hall House is a Grade II listed building parts of which date from the 15th Century. Shortly afterwards you will come to a post-box. Turn left here. If you miss the turning you will reach the Victoria Arms (B), re-trace your steps (perhaps after checking out this charming pub and its beer garden). Pass the doctor’s surgery (C) and turn right along a footpath leading to Stevenson Drive. As you turn onto the footpath you will see some new houses built in and around the old walled garden of Binfield House. The builders have carefully restored the wall providing a degree of additional privacy to some of the new homes.

Walk along Stevenson Drive until you come to a small gravel public car park on your left. Follow the gravel path that leaves the car park from its north-east corner by an information board. This path will take you anti-clockwise round the edge of this attractive park. At the time of writing the park has a trim trail, a zip-wire and a playground for older children. When you get to the far corner of the park, you have a choice. You could go through the gate and then follow the road (Wicks Green) round to the left. However, we recommend that you continue anti-clockwise round the park now on a newer gravel path. When you reach the pond (dry at the time of writing) continue straight ahead into a smaller park (Silver Jubilee Field). Go past a second playground (this one for younger children) and leave the park through a gateway on the right. Turn left along Wicks Green.

Pass Monks Alley (this becomes a green lane and is part of the Binfield Bridleway Circuit) and Binfield House (this 18th Century building is now an old people’s home). Shortly after Binfield House turn left on to a tarmac path. Keep straight ahead until you come to an open grassy area (where you will see the road you walked up earlier on the far side). Turn right to walk along the west edge of the grassy area. When you reach Forest Road, turn left to return to the junction where you started.

Walk Three

Binfield Walk Pack – Walk Three

Wicks Green and Billingbear – 3 kilometres

This walk includes two grassy paths which can be muddy after rain. It is not recommended for buggies. Dogs should be kept on leads in the Billingbear section.

Start at the car park on Stevenson Drive. Travelling north from the village centre on Terrace Road North pass The Victoria Arms and turn left at the roundabout onto Stevenson Drive. Follow this road round to the left and immediately after a mini roundabout the gravel car park is on the right.

On the north side of the car park (right side as you drove in) take the gravelled path past an information board and around the edge of the park to the north-west corner. Pass through a small gate and turn right along Wicks Green. Pass Wicks Green Cottages (a Grade II listed building originally built in the 16th century). Take the footpath on the left, into the field opposite the cottages, and follow the right-hand field edge almost reversing your previous direction.

At a t-junction of paths turn right and follow the left hand edge of a much larger field up the hill. When you reach a road (Carters Hill) turn right. After a few metres look right to get a view across Binfield towards Surrey. Carry on along the road and at a drive on the left turn along it. This drive is also signed as a footpath and part of the Rambler’s Route (a black arrow with three heads on a white background). The Rambler’s Route is a 26 mile circuit of the countryside around Bracknell, and full details can be found on Bracknell Forest Council’s website. Walk up the drive past Orange Hill House. As the lane bears right, pass through a gap in the hedge on the left and cross the field to a gate and stile. As you cross into the next field enjoy the view to the north-east. Follow the hedge on the left to Billingbear Lane. Turn left and follow the lane through the hamlet of Billingbear looking out for views on your right across the Thames Valley to the north-west.

When the road reaches a t-junction turn left walking on the grass verge past the walled garden of Billingbear House (an 18th Century building in a lovely parkland setting) until you reach the path on the right that you came up earlier. Follow this downhill, going straight ahead when you reach the path junction in the smaller field. When you reach Wicks Green you will see the gate back into the park on your left.

Walk Four

Binfield Walk Pack – Walk Four

Billingbear and Hill Farm – 4.7 kilometres

This walk includes two sections which can be muddy after rain. It is not recommended for buggies. Dogs should be kept on leads in the Billingbear section. This is a lovely walk with great views on a clear day and can be combined with a visit to the Jack O’ Newbury public house.

Start at the car park on Stevenson Drive. Travelling north from the village centre on Terrace Road North pass The Victoria Arms and turn left at the roundabout onto Stevenson Drive. Follow this road round to the left and immediately after a mini roundabout the gravel car park is on the right.

Take the gravel path from the north-east corner of the car park, passing the information board. This path will take you anti-clockwise round the edge of this attractive park. At the time of writing the park has a trim trail, a zip-wire and a playground for older children. When you get to the far corner of the park, go through the gate and cross the road to the left to join another path that follows the edge of two fields climbing up to join Carters Hill road.

Turn right and follow the road until you come to a drive on the left. Walk up the drive past Orange Hill House. As the lane bears right, pass through a gap in the hedge on the left and cross the field to a gate and stile. As you cross into the next field enjoy the view to the north-east. Follow the hedge on the left to Billingbear Lane.

Turn right and follow the road downhill until it meets a larger road. Cross this carefully to take the bridleway on the far side. Follow this tree-lined track, catching occasional glimpses of Allanbay House to the left, and All Saints Church and it’s rectory to your right, and climb up to Hill Farm. Turn right. The path becomes a road that takes you past an archery club (home of the Bowmen of Warfield) and Binfield Football Club (home of The Moles). Turn right at the T-junction opposite the cemetery gate to reach the main road. Follow this in the same direction, crossing it when a footpath appears on the far side, and then turn left along Forest Road North, but not before looking back at All Saints Church. If you have time, the church and its graveyard are worth exploring. Parts of the church date from the 14th Century.

Walk down Terrace Road North, passing the Jack O’ Newbury, until you come to a road (Wicks Green) on your right. Follow this road, past a set of Almshouses, until you come to the gate back into the park. Follow the gravel path back to the car park.

Walk Five

Binfield Walk Pack – Walk Five

Blue Mountain and Jocks Lane – 4 kilometres

This walk includes one section which can be muddy after rain, but it is still suitable for families with buggies. This is also a good route for dog walkers.

This walk starts at the Jocks Lane Recreation Area, where there is a car park, toilets, shop, play areas, tennis courts, crazy golf, table tennis tables, etc. This is also the home of Jocks Lane Miniature Railway (A), which offers rides for children of all sizes on bank holidays and the second Sunday of every month.

Take the riverside path at the far side of the recreation area (past the “station” for the miniature railway). Ignore a footbridge across the Cut on your right and follow the left bank of the river until it rises to meet a road (Temple Way). On this section of the walk watch out for wagtails (pied and grey), herons, and, if you are very lucky, kingfishers. Cross Temple Way carefully, to join another section of path opposite. There is a traffic island to your right if you have children, dogs or bikes with you. Follow the path along the left bank of the river for a short while, turn left ignoring a footbridge to the right, and then shortly turn right to follow this path along a tree-lined path that runs between Binfield Manor and the housing estate (that at the time of writing is being built on what was the Blue Mountain golf course).

Eventually you will reach Forest Road. Our route turns left here, to climb gently up a hedged path. However, it is worth looking up Forest Road to see (or even stopping for refreshment at) the Stag and Hounds (C). Parts of this pub are amongst the oldest buildings in the village, and at one time this was regarded as the centre of the royal forest. The building used to be a royal hunting lodge reputedly stayed in by Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. It became a coaching inn in the 1700s and was described by the 18th Century travel writer, William Cobbett as “a very nice country inn”.

Back on our route, follow the path, separated from Forest Road on your right by a lovely old hedgerow (if you are lucky you may see bullfinches, an increasingly rare sight) until you reach Wood Lane. The first section of Wood Lane is now no more than a gravel track, but used to be a through road. Turn left to eventually pass a new school (King’s Academy, D) on your left and a golf driving range (B) on your right. At this point the path becomes a road. Follow this, passing the old Park Farmhouse on your left and Pope’s Wood on your right. The Binfield poet Alexander Pope is said to have whiled away many an hour in this copse.

Follow Wood Lane to its junction with Temple Way. Cross Temple Way using the traffic island on the left and then go through the gap in the hedge just to the left into Hitherhooks Hill. Go straight ahead along this road until you see a tarmac path on your right with wooden fences either side. Follow this through to Jocks Lane and then turn left going gently downhill to eventually return to the recreation area.