Hurley Loop Walk
This riverside village near Maidenhead has some nice local trails and a noteworthy ancient pub.
This circular walk from the village takes you to the Ashley Hill Forest and the Hurley Chalk Pit Nature Reserve before a riverside walk along the Thames.
The walk starts in the village and follows country lanes and footpaths south to High Wood and Ashley Hill Woods. There's some nice woodland trails here and climb to Ashley Hill.
The route then follows trails north west to Hurley Chalk Pit Nature Reserve. The small reserve includes woodland, scrub, grassland and hedges. There's also 15 species of butterfly, including common blues and gatekeepers to be found here.
From here you follow paths north to the river where you can pick up the Thames Path National Trail. The riverside path will take you east back to the village.
Postcode
SL6 5LX - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locationsHurley Ordnance Survey Map 
- view and print off detailed OS map
Hurley Open Street Map 
- view and print off detailed map
Hurley OS Map 
- Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking
Hurley Open Street Map 
- Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking
Walks near Hurley
- Maidenhead Thicket - Enjoy a short walk through the pretty Maidenhead Thicket located on the western outskirts of the town
- Maidenhead - This walk takes you from Maidenhead to Windsor along the Thames Path National Trail
- Maidenhead Boundary Walk - This circular walk takes you around the old boundary of Maidenhead
- Chiltern Way - This is the original 125 mile circuit of the Chilterns AONB taking you through Hemel Hempstead, Chalfont St Giles, Marlow, Hambleden, Turville, Fingest, Bix Bottom, Ewelme, the Ridgeway, Stokenchurch, Great Hampden, Aldbury, the Dunstable Downs Country Park, Sharpenhoe Clappers and Harpenden
- Thames Path - Starting at the Source of the Thames at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, follow the iconic river through beautiful countryside and historic towns to the city of London.
- Marlow - The riverside town of Marlow is a lovely spot for walking
- Marlow to Henley - A popular riverside walk between these Marlow and Henley-on-Thames
- Cliveden House - Explore the stunning gardens and woodlands surrounding this Italianate mansion near Maidenhead
- Cookham River Circular Walk - The little village of Cookham is situated in a particularly delightful spot by the River Thames
- Windsor River Walk - Enjoy a riverside stroll along the Thames Path in Windsor and Eton on this lovely waterside walk in Berkshire
- Dorney Lake - This purpose-built rowing lake in Buckinghamshire has a traffic free National Cycle Network trail running past it on one side and the Thames Path on the other
- Eton - This Berkshire based town is a fine place to start a walk with two rivers, a local lake and the iconic Eton College to explore.
- Marlow to Hurley River Walk - This easy riverside walk takes you from Marlow to Hurley along the Thames Path
- Bourne End - This attractive Buckinghamshire based village has some lovely riverside trails and local woodlands to explore.
- Wargrave - This Berkshire village is located in a nice spot next to the River Thames with some lovely surrounding Chilterns countryside
Pubs/Cafes
Head to The Old Bell for some post walk refreshments. The pub is one of the oldest in the world with a history stretching back to 1135 when it was the guest house for visitors to the nearby Benedictine Hurley Priory. The fine old coaching inn includes a fantastic large garden area and a tithe barn. You can find them on the High Street at postcode SL6 5LX for your sat navs.
Dog Walking
The woodland, country and riverside trails make for a fine dog walk. The Old Bell mentioned above is also dog friendly.
Further Information and Other Local Ideas
A few miles to the south there's the worthy village of Wargrave. It's well worth a visit with a historic high street with many old listed buildings, a picturesque marina, a 12th century church and a very fine riverside pub where you can relax with a view of the river. You can also pick up the Knowl Hill Bridleway near here. The circular cycling and walking route explores the area around Knowl Hill, with some fine views from the high points.
Just to the east of nearby Marlow is the neighbouring village of Little Marlow. Here you can explore the wildlife rich Spade Oak Nature Reserve and visit the historic 14th century church and 16th century pub.
For more walking ideas in the area see the Berkshire Walks page.
Photos
The River Thames, Hurley
Hurley Lock. The weir here is popular with kayakers whenever conditions are favourable, and it is very busy at weekends.
High Wood. Looking across farmland on a footpath at the Berkshire College of Agriculture.
Beeches on Ashley Hill. An area of fairly young trees just to the east of the top of the hill. Ashley Hill Forest consists of a mixture of woodland types.
Rolling countryside, Hurley. Low chalk hills rise to the south of the Thames between Cookham and Wargrave. A large area of these to the southwest of the village is occupied by Juddmonte Farms who breed horses. These are amongst their fields.
Hurley Chalk Pit
The Cloisters, Hurley Priory. A partially moated Benedictine priory founded in 1086 as a cell of Westminster Abbey.The priory was dissolved in 1536, but its priory church survives as the current parish church. The priory and parts of the village have been used as locations for the mystery series Midsomer Murders.
