Inkpen: Circular Walks, Heathland and History

Circular Walks and Rights of Way

Five circular walks in Inkpen take in routes 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. This range offers a practical guide for planning your day: you can coordinate your planned walking time with the rest of your stay, rather than treating all the circuits as walks of equal length.

Inkpen also has 51 rights of way. They are signposted and marked, and are maintained so they can be used all year round. Wellies may be necessary in wet weather. If needed, take account of this possible difference between year-round access and wet trail conditions. The number of rights of way does not, therefore, indicate the number of circular walks.

The Inkpen Wild Walk is a 17 km circular route that starts in Kintbury and includes the Inkpen Common and Inkpen Crocus Field nature reserves. A shorter 10 km route starts at Inkpen Common. The two routes differ in both distance and starting point: 17 km from Kintbury compared with 10 km from Inkpen Common.

The Wayfarers Walk starts at Combe Gibbet on Inkpen Beacon. Further afield in the region around Inkpen, the route passes over Walbury Hill. The hill is 297 metres high and is described as England’s highest chalk hill. The walking route thus links a starting point on Inkpen Beacon with a named high point in the surrounding region.

Heathland and Nature Spots

Inkpen Common is a remnant of ancient heathland. Ashton’s Pool is a heathland pond formed in a former clay pit used for making pottery in Inkpen. Its origins link this landscape feature to the village’s former pottery production. Inkpen Crocus Field lies near Post Office Road.

Historical Traces in Inkpen

Inkpen was first mentioned as “Ingepenne” in an Anglo-Saxon charter dating from 935. Evidence of human activity dates back to the Bronze Age. An early written mention and evidence of much older activity therefore stand side by side as distinct historical reference points.

The Church of St. Michael in Inkpen contains a weathered stone effigy of a crusader. About 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. Inkpen’s historical tradition, a detail in its church and a striking structure in the village’s nearby surroundings thus come together.

Discover more destinations: East Ilsley, Thatcham, Easton, Wickham, Streatley, Theale, Wokingham, Hungerford

For the overview of the wider region: Berkshire.