Maidenhead Commons trail
This moderate 6.9 mile circular walk heads south from Pinkneys Drive through to Pinkneys Green and Winter Hill Road Woods before stopping at the Brick and Tile Works and the beautiful mixed woodland of Maidenhead Thicket, once a hot-spot for highwaymen.
Total steps: 12
Total steps: 12
Start point
Pinkneys Drive car park
Step 1
From the car park, turn left onto a wide track before the road. Follow the track through woodland for 300m. Emerging from the woodland continue straight through the meadow, towards the left of a line of birch trees. Cross the lane, heading for a gap in the left corner of the common. Continue between the trees until you reach Lee Lane, with Sweeps Cottage to your left. Cross the lane onto Pinkneys Green and walk for 750m towards the far left-hand corner.
Step 2
Pass through a gap by a footpath sign onto a drive. Follow the drive to the A308 Furze Platt Road. The Arbour Public House is to your right and the Golden Ball Public House to your left. Cross the busy road when it is safe to do so and head half left towards the red telephone box near the entrance to Golden Ball Lane.
Step 3
Turn right, following the Chiltern Way Berkshire loop signpost. Walk along a gravel drive, passing to the left of a large white house named Fairwinds. Where the gravel drive enters a property, keep straight ahead, passing between some wooden rails. Here fork left, entering the western half of Winter Hill Road Woods and follow the woodland path north.
Step 4
Cross Winter Hill road when it is safe to do so, heading right into the eastern half of Winter Hill Road Woods. Continue south through the woodland. Go left after the first kissing gate and right after the second. Walk along the field margin until Malders Lane, then take a right. Look out for the National Trust sign for the entrance to the old Brick and Tile Works Nature Reserve.
Step 5
From the Nature Reserve's gate, turn right down Malders Lane. At Hindhays Farm, turn right, crossing the yard, through the gate to the path ahead. Follow the path, go through the gate by some farm buildings and continue until reaching a gravel drive. Follow the drive until the main road. Cross the road with care, then turn right, following the footpath. Where the path meets the road, cross. You are now on Pinkneys Green. Turn left, following a path to the right of a large tree and towards the corner of a thicket to the edge of a cricket field.
Step 6
Keeping the cricket field on your left, head across Pinkney Green until reaching Lee Lane in the corner. Cross the road, turning left on Lee Lane, past the Pinkney Arms until the road curves right. Cross the road, joining a footpath that crosses a small meadow. Continue along the path, through a small wood for 100 metres until Camley Park Drive. Cross to the footpath. Take the left-hand path, following the left-hand edge of Pinkneys Common for 850 metres. Where the Common tapers to a point, go through a gap in the hedge to meet the A4, Bath Road.
Step 7
Cross the main road to the left of the mini roundabout, continue along the pavement. After 90 metres, branch left along a path through a wooded area. Cross Atwood Road, opposite a shop and post box, turning right along the pavement, following it beneath the A404 underpass. On the other side of the underpass, just past the mini-roundabout, turn right to cross over the road, following the signs to Claire's Court School along the lane opposite.
Step 8
Before reaching a car park, turn left taking the middle of three footpaths ahead, heading into the wooded area of Maidenhead Thicket. Follow the path through the woodland for 800 metres. When you reach Cherry Garden Lane, turn right, then immediately left, keeping a large white house on your left. Follow this lane a short distance to reach the A4 Bath Road. The Shire Horse Public House will be on your left.
Step 9
Taking care, cross Bath Road, following the path straight ahead into the woodland. Continue straight ahead, look out for two joining paths on the right. The first is signposted, the second is not. At the second path, take the less obvious path to your right between two closely spaced trees. After 30 metres you will reach the site of a Bronze Age bowl barrow.
Step 10
From the bowl barrow, retrace your steps to the main path and turn right. After 100 metres you will see a Y-junction in the path ahead. Take the right-hand fork, taking another right across a small ditch and furrow. Follow the path for 250 metres until you reach a wide open woodland glade.
Step 11
At the crossroads take the left fork; following straight. The right fork will lead you to the old larch plantation, currently being converted to Native Woodland and managed glades. If you explored the old larch plantation retrace your steps back to the crossroads and continue north past the bench following the track, taking the next left fork into a grassy clearing which is Robin Hood's Arbour.
Step 12
Cross Robin Hood's Arbour diagonally until a clear track with an avenue of trees, turn left towards the Lodge. 150m before the Lodge, turn right. Follow the path until a four-way signpost. Take the path opposite, marked as the Maidenhead Boundary Walk. The path descends to a lane. Walk under the A404, ascend the path on the other side. When you reach the road cross and continue along the path ahead. After 100 metres turn right. At the next junction, turn left to return to the car park.
End point
Pinkneys Drive car park
Trail map
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Get in touch
Pinkneys Green, Pinkneys Drive, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6QD
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