East Garston, Lambourn Downs and Eastbury

The walk begins in the charming village of East Garston, spread out along the River Lambourn (which in dry weather is no more than a trickle). Older village houses reflect the lack of local building stone: cottages are timber-framed with brick diaper work, nobbly flints, and attractive tile work on gable ends such as at Church Cottage, with thatched roofs and little footbridges linking cottages across the river.

Passing Manor Farm and its stables, the path climbs into the open downland of East Garston Down. Here you encounter training gallops marked by numbered white posts and practice steeplechase fences. Wildlife on the downs includes hares, rabbits, skylarks, and lapwings.

Passing Eastbury Grange and its local deer-populated copse, the route descends to the village of Eastbury. Much of the return journey follows the track of the former Lambourn Valley Railway, opened in 1898 as a light railway to serve the racing community before closing in 1960.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.