In Inkpen, several types of walks meet tangible traces of the village’s history. The circular trails can be compared by duration; for the Inkpen Wild Walk, distances and starting points are important landmarks for planning. There is also an ancient heathland landscape and a body of water linked to the former pottery industry.
Walking Trails by Time and Distance
Five circular walking trails take in paths and key sights in the village and its surroundings. They range in duration from one hour and 15 minutes to five and a half hours. If you plan first around the time you have available, this range offers a practical comparison between a shorter and a longer walk.
Inkpen also has 51 public rights of way. They are signposted and marked, and maintained so they can be used year-round. Wellies may be needed in wet weather. As well as the planned duration, weather conditions are therefore a practical consideration.
The Inkpen Wild Walk, by contrast, is defined by its distance and starting point. The 17-kilometre circular walk starts in Kintbury and takes in the Inkpen Common and Inkpen Crocus Field nature reserves. A shorter, 10-kilometre route starts at Inkpen Common. The two options therefore differ in how you plan: the five circular trails are described by duration, while for the Wild Walk you can start by considering the distance and starting point.
Heathland and Local Traces
Ashton’s Pool is a heathland pond formed in a former clay pit used for pottery-making in Inkpen. It links a feature of the landscape with a former use of the area. Inkpen Common, in turn, is a remnant of ancient heathland. The two places thus point to different aspects of the landscape: a former clay pit and the survival of ancient heathland.
Inkpen Crocus Field is also one of the named nature reserves. It is near Post Office Road. This location detail complements the description of Inkpen Common: here, the connection to a local road is in focus, while there the landscape is characterised as a remnant of heathland.
History and Notable Places
Evidence of human activity in Inkpen dates back to the Bronze Age. The first recorded mention of the village was in an Anglo-Saxon charter from 935, in which it is named as Ingepenne. The two details highlight different points in time: one refers to early human activity, the other to a specific historical record of the name.
The Church of St. Michael in Inkpen contains a weathered stone effigy of a Crusader. It is a tangible detail of the village’s history, alongside the written and archaeological evidence.
Near Inkpen, two kilometres south of the village, Combe Gibbet stands on the hill of a long barrow. The four-metre-high structure is a replacement for the original gallows. The Wayfarers Walk starts at Combe Gibbet on Inkpen Beacon. Further afield in the region, the route passes over Walbury Hill. At 297 metres, the hill is considered England’s highest chalk hill. This extends the walking perspective from local circular routes to a regional ridge.
Discover more destinations: Wickham, Reading, Lambourn, Frilsham, Theale, Midgham, Streatley, Crockham Heath.
For the main travel overview: Berkshire.
