Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows has never been out of print, and for good reason. There is something for everyone within the pages of this children’s classic, whether it’s following the amusing adventures of Mr. Toad or sharing in the honest friendship of Ratty, Mole and Badger. It exudes the charm and warmth of the English countryside, and the well-mannered ideals of Edwardian England, which Grahame was writing in. It is easily one of the cosiest books I read toward the end of 2023, in large part due to this pleasant, homey setting: the expansive rooms of Toad Hall, Ratty’s close but comfortable hole in the riverbank and, best of all, Badger’s secluded but well provisioned den – a fire-lit sanctuary in the heart of the Wild Wood. Wild not just in name, these woods are initially presented as threatening, because of the danger it poses to small animals like mole, but it’s also an important foil to the creature-comforts within the rest of the book – a natural, untamed landscape that begs to be explored by animal and reader alike. As it turns out, you can explore the wood for yourself – and I did exactly that shortly after finishing the book.
Kenneth Grahame lived in Berkshire (UK) as a child, and it was when he returned there as an adult that he penned The Wind in the Willows, supposedly taking particular inspiration from the woods of Cookham, and the Thames river which flows through it. My walk started there, on Cookham Dean Common, alongside houses tucked away behind hedges and hills.
In fact, one of the very first buildings I saw was a grand, timber-style house that was reminiscent of Toad Hall – or at the very least, of Grahame’s childhood home, which likely inspired Toad’s lofty manor (though as far as I know, that house can’t be seen from this trail).
The route is a tour through some of the best features of England’s natural scenery, taking us through woods, fields and hills. However much like The Wind in the Willows itself, the countryside is peppered with picturesque objects – man-made items that are no less charming. Take for example our first signpost, a seldom-seen striped fingerpost:
And what is more fitting on a literature themed walk than a mini-library? I love this classic red telephone box filled to the brim with books!
We didn’t end up taking anything home, but we did leave behind Issac Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ and William Faulkner’s ‘The Unvanquished’.
Surprisingly we didn’t see any of Grahame’s books in there this time, though there is a very Willows themed sight further ahead. First though, we must make our way through the village of Cookham Dean, passing by the house of composer Sir Henry Walford Davies, as well as a pretty little churchyard and a war memorial on the village green. This is a good place to pause for a break, sitting on a bench which overlooks Cookham – and we could even see Cliveden House towering in the distance despite it not being a particularly clear day.
Carrying on with our route, the very first corner we turn greets us with this:
We couldn’t turn down having a drink here, and I definitely didn’t take much convincing, given that it was an exceptionally cold day and by this point my toes felt like they had frozen together. Drinks here were reasonably priced and tasty, and we left feeling altogether warmer and more invigorated for the next leg of our walk.
Carrying on uphill past an ancient chalk-pit, and a prep School… which, as I only found out afterwards, was originally the home Kenneth Grahame wrote The Wind in the Willows in.
Finally we enter Bisham Woods, and it’s obvious at the very first glance why it’s supposed to be the inspiration for the Wild Wood. Its floor was carpeted with deeply red leaves, and only the thinnest rays of sunshine managed to sneak past the trees, especially when visiting toward sunset, as I did.
Further in, a makeshift swing-set is roped around the branches of a tall tree:
Continuing uphill, we are met with plenty of benches that offer an incredible view over the town of Marlow, with the Thames winding through it and looking perfect for one of Ratty’s boat trips.
The path becomes even steeper, and as the last light of the day began to fail, the woods take on the appearance of the “dread thing” experienced by Mole – “the Terror of the Wild Wood!”
Alright, it isn’t quite that scary, but these woods do adopt an other-wordly quality as they get darker. We finally emerge from the trees, and trudge across a long field, making one of our last views of the walk a lovely one:
And walking across a rough ramp takes us out of the field and back to the road we started on, just as the first lights in the surrounding houses begin to twinkle on.
This was the perfect walk for me – I felt like I really got to dive feet-first into the terrain of one of the best books I read last year, and the route was full of amazing natural sights and plenty of cosy man-made ones too. I followed the shorter (3 mile) version of The Wind in the Willows walk, but there is a longer (5 mile) one for those seeking a little more adventure – or maybe just those with a better lung capacity than me.
Do you know of any other literary-inspired walks? What are your favourite nature inspired books? Let me know in the comments below.
