{"id":2402,"date":"2022-02-12T01:26:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-12T00:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=2402"},"modified":"2022-02-08T09:05:12","modified_gmt":"2022-02-08T08:05:12","slug":"moor-green-lakes-crowthorne-berks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=2402","title":{"rendered":"Moor Green Lakes &#038; Crowthorne, Berks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\">function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=740,width=1230,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/> First published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('MoorGreen.jpg');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287201_e50895f010_z.jpg\" title= \"looking north across Colebrook Lake\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287201_e50895f010_s.jpg\" alt=\"looking north across Colebrook Lake\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51808331237_1fe7324389_z.jpg\" title= \"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51808331237_1fe7324389_s.jpg\" alt=\"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 1\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023810_5d10cc3973_z.jpg\" title= \"bracken and pines on Finchampstead Ridges\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023810_5d10cc3973_s.jpg\" alt=\"bracken and pines on Finchampstead Ridges\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809402818_98d30fef74_z.jpg\" title= \"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809402818_98d30fef74_s.jpg\" alt=\"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 2\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023885_90d9fd857f_z.jpg\" title= \"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 3\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023885_90d9fd857f_s.jpg\" alt=\"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 3\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023915_cbe4b37dde_z.jpg\" title= \"frozen leaves in the bracken of Finchampstead Ridges\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51810023915_cbe4b37dde_s.jpg\" alt=\"frozen leaves in the bracken of Finchampstead Ridges\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287426_2ce1e05673_z.jpg\" title= \"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 4\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287426_2ce1e05673_s.jpg\" alt=\"path among the heathland of Finchampstead Ridges 4\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809402923_9a67922151_z.jpg\" title= \"winter sunlight on the paddock fencing\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809402923_9a67922151_s.jpg\" alt=\"winter sunlight on the paddock fencing\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809642764_2b264cc985_z.jpg\" title= \"reedbeds of Grove Lake\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809642764_2b264cc985_s.jpg\" alt=\"reedbeds of Grove Lake\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287496_e981490120_z.jpg\" title= \"Grove Lake 1\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287496_e981490120_s.jpg\" alt=\"Grove Lake 1\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287541_a28764a9ec_z.jpg\" title= \"wintry glints on the Blackwater River\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287541_a28764a9ec_s.jpg\" alt=\"wintry glints on the Blackwater River\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287566_8e13f52449_z.jpg\" title= \"Grove Lake 2\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/farm66.static.flickr.com\/65535\/51809287566_8e13f52449_s.jpg\" alt=\"Grove Lake 2\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"javascript:pwindow=window.open('\/Walks\/prn.php?f=2402','pwin','height=700,width=1000,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes');\" title=\"Click for printable version\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/Walks\/print.gif\" align=\"right\"><\/a><br \/>\nA cold morning nipping at the nose and fingertips, and a clear blue sky fitted like a bowl over East Berkshire. The paths between Moor Green Lakes were a stodge of dark mud, but the open fleets of water winked and glittered in the low winter sun.<\/p>\n<p>Wintering wildfowl love these flooded gravel pits, packed with food and secure from disturbance. A dozen cormorants stretched their wings to dry on the stony ridge of Plover Island. Chestnut-headed wigeon with ginger foreheads sailed together in a silent company, while the white flanks of tufted duck showed up bravely in the sunlight, the brilliant gold of their eyes only revealed in our binocular lenses.<\/p>\n<p>We followed the chuckle and swish of the fast-flowing River Blackwater past contorted willows and leafless hazel whips where catkins were dangling. Soon we had left behind the eternal background screeching of black-headed gulls on the lakes, and were headed north past a paddock where a horse in a quilted winter jacket patterned with zebras snorted out twin jets of steamy breath as it gave us the sideways eye.<\/p>\n<p>Among rhododendrons, berried hollies and tall pines in the tangled grounds of Ambarrow Court we passed a frosty hollow where a huge Victorian mansion once stood. During the Second World War the Royal Aircraft Establishment took over the house and conducted top secret research here into early forms of radar.<\/p>\n<p>The railway line from Reading to Aldershot runs dead straight through the pinewoods beyond, and we followed a trackside footpath up to the station at Crowthorne, its windows extravagantly gabled like a Bavarian hunting lodge.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond Crowthorne a byway led through more coniferous woodland, before cutting south in a beeline for the heathy heights and hollows of Finchampstead Ridge.  Here on sandy soil glinting with mica chips we stood under the tall pines of a spinney at the edge of the ridge, looking out over thickly wooded country.<\/p>\n<p>Here was the place to breathe in the cold air of a winter afternoon scented with pine resin, the landscape before us a blur of bright sun striking through the misty exhalations of the forest.<\/p>\n<p>\fHow hard is it? 5\u00be miles; easy; lakeside and woodland tracks<\/p>\n<p>Start: Moor Green Lakes car park, Finchampstead, RG40 3TF (OS ref SU 806628)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Train to Crowthorne<br \/>\nRoad \u2013 car park is 1 mile southwest of Crowthorne (A321 Sandhurst-Wokingham)<\/p>\n<p>Walk (OS Explorer 160): Head towards lakes. In 700m, left (806621), following Blackwater Valley Path\/BVP). In 1 mile just before road, left through barrier (819619). In 450m cross road (821623). At next road, right (822627); ahead on path (\u2018Ambarrow Court\u2019). Cross A371 (824627, take care!). Through car park; ahead between metal bollards. At path T-junction, left; in 50m, left (red marker). In 50m, right at fingerpost to railway (827627). Don\u2019t cross; left beside line; in 250m, right across railway (825630). Left beside line to road at Crowthorne Station (823638). Left to roundabout (821637); take Restrictive Byway\/RB opposite. In 800m, left at 6-finger post (814641, RB). In 200m, left (813641, RB) for 700m to road (811634). Right; on bend, head past NT notice (\u2018FPC\u2019). Follow path to left; head for bench at spinney viewpoint (809633). Descend path on right to track crossing (808632), left. In 400m pass metal barrier (810630); right down lane to road (809627); right to car park.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Tally Ho, Fleet Hill, Eversley, RG27 0RR (0118-973-2134. <a href=\"http:\/\/brunningandprice.co.uk\/tallyho\">brunningandprice.co.uk\/tallyho<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: The Kingsley at Eversley, Reading Road, Eversley RG27 0NB (0118-907-6322, <a href=\"http:\/\/thekingsley.co.uk\">thekingsley.co.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Info: Moor Green Lakes Group (<a href=\"http:\/\/mglg.org.uk\">mglg.org.uk<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A cold morning nipping at the nose and fingertips, and a clear blue sky fitted like a bowl over East Berkshire. The paths between Moor Green Lakes were a stodge of dark mud, but the open fleets of water winked and glittered in the low winter sun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2402"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2402\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}