Group leader: Ruud Zwart

The CSJ Thames Valley group’s base is Reading, where the St James' Way begins at the Church of St James and the preserved ruins of Reading Abbey, which in medieval times attracted thousands of pilgrims to venerate the Hand of St James, now kept in nearby St Peter’s church in Marlow, Bucks. Most of our 40 members live in the nearby area but some come from London and the Cotswold Group, both within easy reach of Reading.   

We are open to anyone with an interest in pilgrimage. CSJ members are encouraged to bring friends, family and any non members to our outings. We aim to meet together 4 times per year. Most get togethers include a local walk with some point of interest (church or historic building), a convivial lunch, and sometimes a talk on a subject of general pilgrimage interest. We are members of the Friends of Reading Abbey who have a thriving annual programme of events.

Past Events

Reading, Dunsden and Sonning Walk, 6 June 2026

On Saturday 6 June, I had the pleasure of leading my first walk for the CSJ Thames Valley Walkers. The walk was dedicated to the memory of Chris Howard, our previous walk leader, who sadly lost his life in a traffic accident. Chris contributed enormously to our group over many years, and it felt fitting to remember him while enjoying a day of walking together.

Fifteen walkers had originally signed up, but with an unfavourable weather forecast six people cancelled at short notice. As it turned out, those who decided to stay at home missed a wonderful day. Nine walkers gathered at 10 a.m. outside The Three Guineas pub at Reading Station and set off in good spirits.

Our route covered approximately 10 miles (16 km). The first half of the walk took us through the outskirts of Reading and into the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, with some lovely views along the way. After about 8 km we arrived at All Saints Church near Dunsden, where we were warmly welcomed.

We enjoyed our packed lunches in the church, while tea and coffee were kindly provided by the church community. We were joined there by Robin Dorkings for the visit. A church representative gave us a fascinating talk about the history of the church and, in particular, its remarkable stained-glass window commemorating the poet Wilfred Owen. Several of Owen's poems were read aloud, adding a moving and memorable dimension to the visit. For many of us, this was undoubtedly the highlight of the day.

After leaving the church, we continued our walk to Loddon Brewery, where we enjoyed a well-earned drink in the brewery's pleasant tap yard. Our next stop was The Bull Inn in Sonning. One walker left us there to return to Reading by bus, while the remaining eight walkers continued along the Thames Path and beside the Kennet and Avon Canal on the final stretch back to Reading Station.

It was only during this last section that we encountered a little rain, but nothing significant enough to dampen our spirits. We arrived back in Reading having enjoyed an excellent day of walking, fellowship and discovery.

I was particularly pleased that all participants expressed their appreciation for the walk and the day’s programme. As my first walk as leader for the group, I could not have asked for a more rewarding experience.

Ruud Zwart

On 29 November the Thames Valley members had our last outing of 2025. We met at the newly installed Camino Ingles mouteira/waymarker on the Kennet and Avon river at Reading Abbey (690 miles to Santiago) and walked along the river to a local pub, the Cunning Man at Burghfield, where we had a very pleasant lunch before catching a bus back into Reading. And so ends 10 years of outings organised by Robin Dorkings. 

If you would like more information about this group, please contact [email protected].