A Walking & Eating Guidebook, Lavender Pool House
Food scene
A restaurant of quirky good-cheer and delicious food, set in a gorgeous wooded setting, with wheelbarrows full of giant rhubarbs to fence in the outdoor table area. We love this place.
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Crooked Billet Stoke Row
Newlands LaneA restaurant of quirky good-cheer and delicious food, set in a gorgeous wooded setting, with wheelbarrows full of giant rhubarbs to fence in the outdoor table area. We love this place.
This is the spot for those kippers, eggs benedict, flat whites, and pastries. Yep, you smelt it: BRUNCH!
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Pierreponts café
High StreetThis is the spot for those kippers, eggs benedict, flat whites, and pastries. Yep, you smelt it: BRUNCH!
Anthony Worral Thompson's legendary pub serves an A-grade Sunday lunch, and the best wine list around.
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AWT's The Greyhound on Gallowstree
Gallowstree RoadAnthony Worral Thompson's legendary pub serves an A-grade Sunday lunch, and the best wine list around.
We head to the Royal Oak when we're looking for a bit of a treat. With its pizza oven, asian fusion poke bowls, sticky ribs and healthy salads, many tastes are catered for. If you're lucky enough to be able to sit outside, grab a table beneath the vines and relax surrounded by agapanthus and water features. Sublime!
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The Royal Oak
Paley StreetWe head to the Royal Oak when we're looking for a bit of a treat. With its pizza oven, asian fusion poke bowls, sticky ribs and healthy salads, many tastes are catered for. If you're lucky enough to be able to sit outside, grab a table beneath the vines and relax surrounded by agapanthus and water features. Sublime!
If you love South Indian cuisine as much as we do, you will find the fluffiest paratha, the creamiest butter masala and the biggest - 6ft! - dosas right here in Reading.
CRISPY DOSA RESTAURANT
If you love South Indian cuisine as much as we do, you will find the fluffiest paratha, the creamiest butter masala and the biggest - 6ft! - dosas right here in Reading.
Fabulous ever changing seasonal menu, with some staples such as black pudding scotch eggs, herbed/bone marrow butter and unusual cocktails. Good price point, cosy trendy interior. Highly recommend 🌟
Five Little Pigs
Fabulous ever changing seasonal menu, with some staples such as black pudding scotch eggs, herbed/bone marrow butter and unusual cocktails. Good price point, cosy trendy interior. Highly recommend 🌟
Local shops
This bric-a-brac shop feels like it represents a bygone era. Cut crystal champagne flutes jostle alongside tapestry covered cushions, sturdy but ancient garden tools, and jewellery trinkets. Good for a browse, especially if you need gifts.
Barbara's Antique and Bric a Brac Shop
Station RoadThis bric-a-brac shop feels like it represents a bygone era. Cut crystal champagne flutes jostle alongside tapestry covered cushions, sturdy but ancient garden tools, and jewellery trinkets. Good for a browse, especially if you need gifts.
Cocktails
Is it time to get dressed in your glad rags and drink cocktails on a river terrace above the Thames? If so, this is your place. We don't love the food, but we do love the decor, setting and cocktails.
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Coppa Club Streatley
High StreetIs it time to get dressed in your glad rags and drink cocktails on a river terrace above the Thames? If so, this is your place. We don't love the food, but we do love the decor, setting and cocktails.
Sightseeing
If you're looking for a pretty riverside walk, the riverside path, starting by the bridge over the Thames, opposite Pierreponts cafe, is a restful stroll. You can cut back via one of a a few footpaths that double back towards Goring, depending how long you'd like to walk.
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Goring
If you're looking for a pretty riverside walk, the riverside path, starting by the bridge over the Thames, opposite Pierreponts cafe, is a restful stroll. You can cut back via one of a a few footpaths that double back towards Goring, depending how long you'd like to walk.
Morning coffee
It's hard to beat a morning coffee in the garden of The Swan. You'll look out over the river, seated on deckchairs on their pretty lawn. Couldn't be nicer.
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The Swan at Streatley
It's hard to beat a morning coffee in the garden of The Swan. You'll look out over the river, seated on deckchairs on their pretty lawn. Couldn't be nicer.
No better place to take in both the biggest views in the Chilterns and the friendliest vibe. Enjoy!
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Blue Tin Produce
No better place to take in both the biggest views in the Chilterns and the friendliest vibe. Enjoy!
Walks
For a 45-minute woodland walk, turn left down the steep footpath off to the left of the gravel parking area, with the house behind you. At the bottom, turn left down the lane. Pass Bottom Farm House (currently a renovation site), and follow the footpath onwards into the woods. These are predominantly beech forests, the trees spaced out, allowing light to the canopy floor. You will reach a crossing at the bottom, where you can either go left or right. Take a left, up the narrow woodland footpath all the way to where you'll see a sign for Chalk Wood at the top. Turn left again here, taking the footpath up past Chalkwood House. Turn right onto Cold Harbour lane, and this will lead you straight back to Lavender Cottage, so long as you stay on this tiny road.
Goring Gap View Walk (45mins-1 hr)
Walk along our lane, our house behind you, ignoring fork towards B-road, and past Chalk Wood House at the end of the lane, into woodland. Instead of turning right down footpath once in woodland, go straight across here, so you are going up into the woodland. Follow wide woodland footpath through trees. At bottom of this section, follow footpath left out of wood, skirting horse field, then left past a large metal hay barn and onto a small road with huge views of Basildon House, Goring Gap, and the river valley below. Follow lane round until you pass Hazell & Jeffries site/estate, then left onto further very quiet little road, with a cattle trough planter at its end. Pass two tiny cottages (one of which sometimes has a grumpy black spaniel outside it), and on until you reach fork, where you turn right onto Cold Harbour and back to the house.
45 Woodland Walk
45 Woodland WalkFor a 45-minute woodland walk, turn left down the steep footpath off to the left of the gravel parking area, with the house behind you. At the bottom, turn left down the lane. Pass Bottom Farm House (currently a renovation site), and follow the footpath onwards into the woods. These are predominantly beech forests, the trees spaced out, allowing light to the canopy floor. You will reach a crossing at the bottom, where you can either go left or right. Take a left, up the narrow woodland footpath all the way to where you'll see a sign for Chalk Wood at the top. Turn left again here, taking the footpath up past Chalkwood House. Turn right onto Cold Harbour lane, and this will lead you straight back to Lavender Cottage, so long as you stay on this tiny road.
Goring Gap View Walk (45mins-1 hr)
Walk along our lane, our house behind you, ignoring fork towards B-road, and past Chalk Wood House at the end of the lane, into woodland. Instead of turning right down footpath once in woodland, go straight across here, so you are going up into the woodland. Follow wide woodland footpath through trees. At bottom of this section, follow footpath left out of wood, skirting horse field, then left past a large metal hay barn and onto a small road with huge views of Basildon House, Goring Gap, and the river valley below. Follow lane round until you pass Hazell & Jeffries site/estate, then left onto further very quiet little road, with a cattle trough planter at its end. Pass two tiny cottages (one of which sometimes has a grumpy black spaniel outside it), and on until you reach fork, where you turn right onto Cold Harbour and back to the house.
Spa and wellness
Ok, so you're staying at a spa. You don't want spa overkill.. but the Thames lido has a huge shallow outdoor pool, warm year round, with bubbling spa, plus a glass-walled restaurant overlooking the whole scene. It's a treat...
Thames Lido
Napier Road