The best walks and hikes in Berkshire

Up to the downs and down to the rivers

Some of the best hiking trails in Berkshire take in the glorious landscape features of its downlands and rivers. In the West, the county falls within the North Wessex Downs AONB, and when you explore the Lambourn Downs, you’ll soon see that it deserves its designation. Hikes from Berkshire’s pretty settlements of Lambourn, Eastbury and East Garston all take you from the thatched cottages alongside the River Lambourn up to the rolling downland above. Bridleways, byways, footpaths and tracks criss-cross the hills here and you can explore from farm to farm with excellent views. 

On the River Kennet and its neighbouring canal, you can enjoy stunning walks along Berkshire’s main waterway as it flows east through Newbury to its confluence with the Thames at Reading. Woodlands, meadows, medieval parkland and pretty locks combine to make this area a tranquil adventuring ground. 

Grand houses and a royal abode

There’s plenty of rural countryside to enjoy but you could also spend most of a day exploring the phenomenal Windsor Great Park, part of the enormous Windsor Castle estate. This world-renowned slice of history is one of the primary homes of Queen Elizabeth II and has been continually occupied since the original castle was built in the 11th-century. 

Walking around the castle and its sprawling estate makes for a majestic adventure for children and adults. The park is expansive, with ponds, lakes, avenues, statues and, in total, covers around 5,000 acres (2,020 ha). The majority of the Great Park is free to enter. This isn’t the only magnificent abode in the county – just outside Streatley on the Thames is Basildon Park, a Palladian-style 18th-century house set into stunning parklands and under the management of the National Trust. It has been used as a location in films and shows such as Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Marie-Antoinette.