Wet wanderings near Marlow

Date: Saturday 18th February
Route: Hambleden to Marlow and back along the Thames
Distance: 12.1 miles

After a few weekends of frosty days with clear blue skies and ominous grey skies that have threatened rain but not quite delivered, it was inevitable that we would encounter a proper downpour at some point  - and that point was today. Given that we're preparing to walk the West Highland Way, arguably we need to be prepared for rain!

Luckily we didn't have the full twelve miles of walking in the rain, just six (from Marlow back to Hambleden). This is the Marlow walk from the Time Out Book Of Country Walks Volume 2, but given that the Stag & Huntsman in Hambleden is a building site at the minute, parking up in the free car park on the road to Hambleden and starting and ending the walk there is a better option - not only do you have lots of pubs and restaurants to choose from as your lunch stop in Marlow, you also get to do the steepest bit of the walk first, heading up to the woods behind Hambleden.

This is a straightforward walk, which we have done a few times (so much so that the guide book was one of the few things to stay dry in my bag for most of the walk), combining a few hills, lots of woodland, locks, picturesque villages and a nice long stretch of Thames Path. Even in the rain it is still highly recommended (although if you want to see some slightly nicer photos and a bit more detail about the walk, check out this previous blog entry).

Note to self: don't leave your waterproof trousers at home next time though!