Having reviewed the book Wild Swimming Walks we thought it about time we tried one out. We have picked Walk number 16 from Shillingford to Didcot described as  an easy 8.5 mile walk “with plenty of opportunities to swim in the River Thames, and optional visits to an Iron Age hill fort and a medieval abbey”.

We’ll be meeting outside Paddington Station ticket office at 9:15am on Sunday 16th August to catch the 9:37am train to Reading and from there we take a bus to Shillingford. After the walk we catch the train from Didcot Station and should be back in London by 5pm.

You will need to bring walking gear, swimming costume, towels (2 swimming spots), picnic, lashings of ginger beer and hopefully some sunscreen .

NB: If you are booking an open return rail ticket in advance this will need to be from Didcot Parkway (this is further down the line from Reading where we start). This will cost £24.80 from www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk.

(map and photo from WildThings Publishing)