Directions

Nat Grid Ref: SU887851

Location:
Cookham is about three miles north of Maidenhead on the A4094. The Old Swan Uppers is in The Pound, which is an extension of High Street, a short distance from the railway station.

From M40 Junction 3, head south on A4094 through Woodburn and Bourne End to Cookham. Turn right into High Street and follow ahead to The Old Swan Uppers.
From M4 Junction 7, follow north to 7A, then left onto A4 towards Maidenhead. After about 2 miles, turn right onto A4094. After about 3 miles, , at Cookham, turn left into High Street and follow ahead to The Old Swan Uppers.

Public Transport:
Regular rail services from Reading and Paddington to Maidenhead then change onto branch line which, on Sundays, runs an hourly service through Cookham. The Old Swan Uppers is in The Pound, a short distance to the east of the station and before reaching the High Street.

Maps:

Route & Question Sheet

STARTERS 
Can be seen from in front of the pub (on the pub side of the road) across the complete width including car park entrances.

1.	Forget about designer ale The elderly drinkers are quaffing pale
2.	Appearing daily, like sun might be Round in shape, to help you see
3.	Henry made a golden bowl For John, p-progress was the goal

STAGE I 
Turn left out of pub, cross road at speed bump just beyond 'Spencer's'. Then left, following road on RH side. Go through white gate, along path and over bridge. Continue to war memorial where stage ends. (Stanley Spencer, the artist, lived in Cookham, and his name appears on the memorial. Also you'll see a commemorative plaque on his house further along, on RH side of High Street).

4.	Self-service it must be …
5.	… I've let few go free
6.	Unchained melody? Hooks there, certainly
7.	Present day bridge club's quick and dirty Done and dusted by seven-thirty

STAGE II 
There's just too much stuff in the High Street, so there are no clues untile reaching the T-junction.
Keep ahead, following High St to the T-junction at end (house "Wilmcote" is on the corner). Turn left and follow road round to left (towards church). Go right, through churchyard, taking LH path. There are no answers inside the churchyard. Go through kissing gate and continue to river. Turn left along towpath. Stage ends at bench in memory of Stanley Hazelton.

8.	A red card from the fifty-two Total signifies which to you?
9.	Open gate: before you do Who's among the names on view?
10.	Under where the branches flop Grill the gammon, then you stop

STAGE III
Follow the towpath for some way, until stage ends at National Trust sign 'COCKMARSH'

11.	Mm, a place to rest right now …
12.	… Cow bell sounds, use feed somehow
13.	An aid in detection Makes use of reflection

STAGE IV
Keep following the towpath, which passes through several kissing gates and under a railway bridge. Stage ends at the pub 'The Bounty'. (If you'd like a refreshment stop, this is the place).

14.	Just read what's underneath If your pen has come to grief
15.	Starts to wind inland Nursing calloused hand
16.	Old fruiterer's call? (or "20 a pound" they'd bawl)

STAGE V
Continue along towpath and go through kissing gate at end of 'WINDWHISTLE'. Then keep ahead, still along riverbank, with field open on left. At the next gate, do not go through, but turn left, with ditch on your right, following the line of trees. (The prominent mound in field on your left is an ancient Bronze Age burial site). When ditch and trees bear right, keep ahead, then cross footbridge. Turn left on reaching path below hillside. Go through couple more gates until you reach railway bridge, where stage ends.

17.	With these grades there's no denying A fourth-rate pole, they are implying
18.	Sort of bush that brings to mind A famous Way from '69
19.	An old bird who went walkabout Brought her boyfriend's anger out

STAGE VI
Go through kissing gate to left (ignoring gate straight ahead). (Not strictly on the route, but there is an interesting dedication of oak tree to children of Dunblane further to the left just here). Now take path on right (on RH side of ditch) for some distance. When path splits, keep to RH side, then turn right following footpath sign. Through kissing gate, then along narrow path with trees on left, fence on right. Pass along RH side of hedge that appears in middle of track. Stage ends at lane.

20.	Ribbed sox are in disarray Somewhere for flighty types to stay
21.	Alf Garnett in the USA An irritation when you play
22.	Bin Laden has no heart, it's clear Potential hidey-hole right here

STAGE VII
Turn left, then at road junction go straight ahead along fenced footpath. Continue through kissing posts and between gardens. Follow the road back to junction with 'The Pound'. The stage and Q/Walk end at this point. Turn right, retracing your steps from stage 1, till you reach the pub.

23.	T-shirt that would give you pain Canned Heat were on this again!
24.	Personalised by Awdry Now looking sad and tawdry
25.	Corpulent with drink are we So double the security

Answers

1. The Old Swan Uppers ('wan' in 'the old suppers')
2. Mirror (cf. Sun, daily paper)
3. JAMES BUNYAN, licensee (Henry J, John B, authors)
4. Sign showing 'No Waiting at any time'
5. FLEET VIEW house-name (anag.)
6. Posts with hooks but no chains
7. Bridge presentation in 1929
8. Four of Hearts (4 hearts on shutters)
9. 'Peng' dedication just before churchyard (hidden in oPEN Gate)
10. COOKHAM END under willow tree
11. 2000 design in framework of bench (MM = 2000)
12. MOORING FEES DUE (moo + ring + anag.)
13. RADAR padlock (method of detection; also palindromic)
14. 'INJURED SWAN?' sign (pen = female swan)
15. Winch (first letters)
16. PLUMBOB on padlock (bob = 1 shilling)
17. Lots of Ds around telegraph pole
18. Blackberry bush (ref. 'Blackberry Way' by the Move)
19. Gate in memory of 'Fieldfare', Henry Bridges Fearon (anag. 'her boyfriend's anger')
20. Bird boxes (anag.)
21. Bunker on golf course (ref. Archie Bunker in 'All in the Family')
22. OSMA DRAIN INSPECTION CHAMBER (Os-a-ma bin Laden)
23. Single track road (singlet + rack + ref. 'On the Road Again' by Canned Heat)
24. Old railway wagon (ref. Rev. Awdry's stories)
25. Chubb and Yale on same door (chubby + ale)