Posted:  Saturday 05 November 2011

South East Associates
Yattendon Walk

- Wednesday 14th September -

On a sunny September day eight Associates met in the picturesque and historic village of Yattendon located in Berkshire some 12 miles south-west of Reading for a 5-mile circular walk via the hamlet of Ashampstead.

Yattendon is the home of the West Berkshire Brewery which is housed in the old bakery and produces a number of beers including such delights as Good Old Boy, Maggs Mild and Mr Chubbs Lunch-time Bitter.  Business must be good as they are in the process of moving to a new 50 barrel site in the nearby village of Frilsham.

Yattendon was also the home of Egon Ronay, the famous Hungarian restaurateur and guide writer who lived there until his death in 2010 aged 94.
 

The West Berkshire Brewery at the Old Baker

Leaving the car park by the wooden village hall we joined the main road and then shortly turned right by the 15th century St. Peter and St. Paul's Church.
 

St. Peter and St. Paul's Church, Yattendon

We crossed a number of fields, before entering the first of many Christmas tree plantations.  There are over a 100 hectares of Christmas trees which form part of the Yattendon Estate.


Associates selecting their trees for next Christmas!

All the trees are labelled and on closer inspection we saw that they denote the buyer.  Some of the trees had orange labels with Homebase on them.

Christmas Trees with various labels

Leaving the Christmas tree plantations behind we continued to climb over fields to reach the pretty hamlet of Ashampstead.


Walking across fields to reach Ashampstead

There are no pubs or shops here so we take a path through the village church and head back towards Yattendon.


Bill, our backmarker, rounding up the stragglers!

We crossed the last stile and headed back up the lane to Yattendon and the Royal Oak Pub where we were joined by a further three Associates for a good lunch and a well earned drink.


A welcome sight, The Royal Oak and lunch!

Chris Stanley

(ph  05/11/2011)  pictures added 25/11/2011

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