Dogging in Berkshire: area guide

The lie of the land in Berkshire

Berkshire is a long, narrow county along the Thames, west of London. Reading is the biggest town, and Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Windsor, Wokingham and Newbury make up most of the rest. There is no single county council, so each town runs its own affairs, and you notice that in how different they feel.

The east is dense and suburban, close to Heathrow and the M25. Head west and it opens out. The North Wessex Downs National Landscape covers the high chalk country around Newbury and Hungerford, and the Kennet valley and its canal run through the middle. Along the Thames, the river and its floodplain shape where roads and bridges can go.

Most people arrive from London, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, since Berkshire sits across so many routes. That makes quiet-looking stretches busier than they should be on a weeknight.

Getting about safely

The M4 is the spine, running east to west past Slough, Maidenhead, Reading and Newbury. Smart-motorway stretches and roadworks are common, and accidents there can close the road for hours. The A34 cuts through the western edge past Newbury, and the A404(M), A329(M), A4 and A33 fill in the middle. Reading has few river crossings, so traffic jams easily around the bridges.

Rail is strong. Great Western trains and the Elizabeth line link Reading, Maidenhead and Slough to London Paddington, and other lines run from Reading to Waterloo and to Newbury. Windsor has two short branches. Last trains from London are earlier than you might think, so check yours or book a taxi home.

The Thames and the Kennet flood in wet winters, and low roads near the water can close with little warning. Towpaths are dark, uneven and slippery after rain. In the west, lanes over the downs are narrow and unlit, and fog settles in the valleys. Keep your phone charged and tell a friend where you are heading.