Waltham St Lawrence Circular Walk, including Shottesbrooke Park (3.7 miles/6km) in collaboration with Julia Morrison Photography.

A great new Wokingham Ramble from the picturesque village of Waltham St Lawrence, only 15 mins drive from Wokingham (RG10 0JJ).

Daffodils line the main road into the village where you will find the pretty Church of St Lawrence (with its magnificent lychgate) and the half-timbered Bell Inn.

Did you know the village was once home to a roman temple and is famous for its links to the printing world? The Bell Inn was given to a charitable trust for the benefit of the poor by the prominent 16th century publisher, Ralph Newbery. John Newbery, a descendant of Ralph’s brother, is known as the ‘Father of Children’s Literature’ as he published the first book specially written for children in the mid-18th century, entitled 'A Pretty Little Pocket-Book'.

If you search the web for "Circular Walks near Waltham", you'll find a number of great options for longer rambles. Our walk expert Julia Morrison has also created her own 6km circular walk that's a bit shorter and more achievable for families!  

Julia's walk starts from the village centre, takes you through open fields, tree-lined bridleways and country lanes (mind young children at all times). The main highlight is walking through the impressive parkland at Shottesbrooke Park, with its Tudor mansion (built in the 16th century), tree lined avenue, open pastures, pretty lake and church of St John the Baptist. Shottesbrooke was the home of Sir John Smith, founder of The Landmark Trust. It is still a private residence and is not open to the public.

To the rear of the estate, the walk takes you through a small woodland with plenty of broken branches perfect for den building!