New guided Henley walks

A new guided walk series is launching in Henley-on-Thames this week, adding spring routes aimed at getting more people onto local paths. (henleyherald.com) The first Henley walk is scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, starting at Henley Town Football Club on Mill Lane. Organizers list it as a 7.5-kilometer route along the River Thames and up toward Drawback Hill and Harpsden Heights. (walkworks.co.uk) Walk Works, the company behind the outing, says the Henley route costs £12 plus a booking fee. Its events page says the walks are fully guided, risk assessed, and designed for a range of walking abilities. (walkworks.co.uk) Henley already has an active walking culture, with the Henley & Goring Ramblers group saying it has more than 380 members, over 30 walk leaders, and about 25 to 30 walks each month. The group’s upcoming calendar for late April includes walks from Peppard Common, Stokenchurch, Middle Assenden, and Henley itself. (ramblers.org.uk) That local base sits inside a wider Chilterns walking network. Visit Thames says the Chilterns Walking Festival has offered more than 70 guided countryside walks, including routes in Henley focused on riverside paths, wildlife, and town exploration. (visitthames.co.uk) In Henley, the new Walk Works route is pitched less as a long hike than as a led introduction to places regular visitors might miss. Caroline of Walk Works told Henley Herald the April 24 walk will use back streets and alleyways as well as the river, Holy Trinity Church, Gillotts, and the town center. (henleyherald.com) Walk Works has also put more Henley dates on its calendar after the April launch. Its site lists a Stonor Park walk on May 8 and Henley vineyard trail events on May 16, June 6, and August 14. (walkworks.co.uk) For Henley residents and visitors, that means another low-barrier way into the Thames paths and Chiltern hills — this time with a guide, a fixed route, and a coffee stop at the end. (henleyherald.com)