Directions

Nat Grid Ref: TQ 663828

Location (Either)
1, M4 to J8/9, follow signs to Henley, then take A4130 Wallingford road. Just before Nettlebed go left and follow road through Highmoor & Stoke Row then left to Checkendon. After passing church on right, pub is a little further on the left.
2, Continue on motorway to J11 and follow road into Reading, over Caversham bridge and take A4074 Wallingford road. Turn right at Woodcote and approach the Four Horseshoes from the south, the pub is on RH side of road before you reach the church.

Public Transport
There appears to be a bus service (X40) that runs from Reading station to Wallingford (via Woodcote) on a Sunday, about every 2 hours, with eg 1125 or 1325 departure from Reading in the morning and eg 1855 or 2055 back from Woodcote in the evening.
Please visit www.thames-travel.co.uk for more details.

Map

Walk Information
A bit of a milestone this year, our twenty-fifth walk as organisers, quite a few stiles and a couple of steepish climbs, but with rewarding Chiltern views. There is a car park and large garden with kids' play area. The pub is open all day with Brakspear's beer and food served 12 to 3pm. Roasts always available, also daily specials such as scampi, sausage and cheesy mash, pasta napolitano, chilli con carne, etc.

Route & Question Sheet

Starter clues

1,	The first, if out for all of the second May do the third to you, it's reckoned.
2,	Old-fashioned request To lay arms to rest.
3,	Locals on Sundays visit this spot? It could be where the vicars plot.

Stage I
Left out of pub, keep to LH side of road (please take care with traffic, there are no answers until you are up on the raised bank on LH side). After a short while, at bend in road, take footpath left across field. Stage ends at far side of field.

4,	Emanates from an easterly state And travels at a very slow rate.
5,	Sounding ancient, on the rocks E.g. Dr Liam Fox.
6,	Why hikers in shorts may have squealed Just after crossing the field.

Stage II
After leaving field, turn right on wooded path and keep ahead until reaching road again. Cross over and turn left, keeping to the RH side of the road as far as junction with lane on right. Turn right and continue to Croft Cottage, where stage ends.

7,	Horsy types prepared for a fight? They have an excuse for being uptight.
8,	One's daily brew, when thoroughly stirred Helps forge the nuptial path, we heard.
9,	Old Hopalong? That's going back! Four characters that you must track.

Stage III
Continue ahead, ignoring firstly the turn-off to the farm on right and also ignoring the LH option at the RIGHT OF WAY fork a little later. Path continues between trees, gradually going downhill. (There is a fine view to the left across the local countryside - you may catch a glimpse of the Didcot cooling towers through a gap in the trees at one point!). Stage ends where path emerges from wood at T-junction.

10,	Reading's defence, now they've reached the top Need a goal like this to stay clear of the drop.
11,	Good news for the Greens we see Their stuff's organic, obviously.
12,	An alphanumeric sum The result of HUX + 1.

Stage IV
Turn right along path, then after about 120 yards, go left over stile and diagonally across field with pond on your left. At far corner bear right under archway made from branches. Over stile at end of path, then continue as far as trough on right, then straight ahead to stile at far side of field about 20 yards up from RH corner. Over stile, up slope, through gate and into wood, then go up steps with wooden handrail on right. Turn right at top of steps and follow wooded path downhill. Stage ends at footpath sign at the bottom of the slope just before an overgrown crossing path.

13,	No decent matador errs When this event occurs.
14,	If pixie's cheeks are black and blue He used the farther of the two.
15,	Swung into place for you By an old French rowing crew.

Stage V
Don't bear left here but keep straight ahead on overgrown path into the wood (take care with stinging nettles, we'll try to chop these down a bit for you). Now follow steepish path uphill through wood. Keep ahead on this well-marked path, ignoring turn-offs until eventually reaching road. Bear left up this road. Stage ends about 150 yds beyond furniture-maker's premises, by wooden gate on left.

16,	Ed got a poker hand to tease With a prial of Fs and a pair of Es.
17,	Down they clearly go And land on the floor below.
18,	Of this you can be sure Every lock is secure.
19,	Up-market place for fruits de mer They may accompany dealers there.

Stage VI
Keep ahead along the lane. After passing a couple more cottages, take footpath signposted Checkendon on right. Cross a stile, then follow wooded path which bears round to left. Continue along this path with railings on LH side until eventually reaching gate to churchyard on left, where stage ends.

20,	Required: the initials of one Who recently notched up a ton.
21,	Fermé à clef, mais qui révéle ici? …
22,	. … In pennies, new upon old will find me.

Stage VII
Take the path through the graveyard (there are no answers on gravestones), then after passing through lych-gate at far end, turn right and follow the road back to the pub.

Note: you may wish to have a look round the beautifully kept church, where there are some nice old wall paintings, amongst other things. It seemed to be open each time we've been past.

23,	Reading this (for Alice) might be fair game But shouldn't he be in an oval-shaped frame?
24,	Silky soccer skills he'd show But that was twenty-five years ago …
25,	Twenty-five walks - now the last clue this year: A new model of Ford you can't get here.

Thanks for coming along to our twenty-fifth walk. Today's 25 clues form an acrostic which spells out a special quiz-walk dedication.

Young Walkers Questions

There are 8 clues to solve… one at the pub, then one on each stage of the walk.

Starter clues

1,	For ponies, this would be a treat They like to put them on their feet.

Stage I

2,	Something the car driver obeys This month has this number of days.

Stage II

3,	Did the three little pigs live over here? The wolf has been huffing and puffing I fear.

Stage III

4,	This sign has lost its end, it's wrong But it gets fixed a bit further along.

Stage IV

5,	The cows say moo And guzzle here too.

Stage V

6,	This man's mixed-up I think He's saying "OO HELP I'M PINK"

Stage VI

7,	Do they need to visit the vet's? Because they have two scary pets.

Stage VII

8,	Could be the oldest place we passed The first two letters are the same as the last.

Answers

1,	SUNDAY ROAST
2,	BRAKSPEAR
3,	WATCH LIVE SPORT HERE (anag. WHERE THE VICARS PLOT)
4,	Virginia creeper
5,	OLD RECTORY (Old wreck, Tory)
6,	Thistles
7,	THE CHESTNUTS PMT
8,	BRIDLEWAY (anag. DAILY BREW, also bridal way)
9,	POHD on drain cover (hidden (rev.) in OLD HOPALONG)
10,	Small goal frame in kids' play area
11,	HAMMONDS FARM (i.e. Hammond organ)
12,	Ivy (i.e. next letters in alphabet)
13,	Bulrushes
14,	Carved wooden mushroom/toadstool-shaped seats at side of path
15,	SUPPLIED BY NORMAN COX & PARTNERS on gate
16,	DANGER OF DEATH KEEP OFF (anag. ED GOT A POKER HAND + FFF + EE)
17,	LETTERS vertically on letter-box
18,	ELIS on padlock (first letters)
19,	WHEELER'S house name (fish restaurant; also 'wheelers and dealers')
20,	HRB 1906 above door of cottage
21,	SQUIRE on padlock (hidden in MAIS QUI REVELE)
22,	Pond (i.e. P on D)
23,	Inscription on church window for ERIC HENRI KENNINGTON (i.e. Kennington Oval)
24,	S. BOWLES name in porch at lych gate (ref. Stan Bowles, footballer)
25,	FOUNDRY COTTAGE (anag. FORD YOU CAN'T GET)

The acrostic (formed from first letters of each clue) reads: "TO LES, WHO ORGANISED OUR FIRST"

Les Bradbury, who died this year, organised the first walk that we attended (The Fox at Keston, 10th May 1981)

Young Walker Answers

1,	FOUR HORSESHOES pub sign.
2,	30 mph speed limit on road sign (30 days in September)
3,	Falling-down farm building on far side of field
4,	CYCLISTS CROSSING sign with last letters missing
5,	Animal trough in field
6,	PHILIP KOOMEN sign at building on side of road (mixed up letters)
7,	BEWARE OF THE DOG and BEWARE OF THE CAT signs outside cottage
8,	Church