Thames Path 11 - Clifton Hampden to Oxford

Dorchester-on-Thames. Tuesday 06-May-14

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_dorchester_abingdon.html (part)
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_abingdon_oxford.html

After a quick breakfast we popped into Dorchester Cathedral while waiting for the taxi to take us back to the previous evening's end point.

We saw a good number of traditional narrow boats which got me all nostalgic for the several canal holidays we did in the '90s.

This boat house is, according out guide book, the largest timber-framed building in Europe.

It may look like a compost heap but the sign reads "Wildlife Sanctuary. No Rubbish Please."

Our lunch rest spot.

The final stretch into Oxford took us up over Folly Bridge and this wonderfully eccentric building.

Then past where I used to live on Osney Island just across the road from the rail station. Not long to wait for a fast train back to Paddington and home.

The next, and final four, stages are less well served by trains. Mary is talking of a four-day, long weekend to polish the walk off in one go.

 

Distance this leg 25.1 km
Previous legs 233.7 km
Total so far 258.8 km

Thames Path 10 - Goring to Clifton Hampden

Goring, England. Monday 05-May-2014.

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_tilehurst_cholsey.html (second part)
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_cholsey_dorchester.html (all)
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_dorchester_abingdon.html (first part)

We used the first May bank holiday to knock off a couple more stages of the Thames Path.

These stages were characterised by sunshine, old buildings and birdsong.

It being spring all our feathered friends were in full-on chorus mode presumably in an attempt to attract a mate. This mallard was in his shiniest spring plumage.

Just messing about on the river.

In order to balance out the two legs we overshot our accommodation at Dorchester and walked an extra three miles to Clifton Hampden. From there we got a taxi back to Dorchester to stay in the 16th century coaching inn that used to serve the London to Bath route.

A good pace as the walking was firm underfoot.

 

Distance this leg 25.3 km
Previous legs 208.4 km
Total so far 233.7 km

Thames Path 09 - Lower Shiplake to Goring

Lower Shiplake, England. Sunday 30-May-2103

A full-on walk this: nineteen and a half miles at an average speed of 3.5 miles per hour!

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_henley_tilehurst.html (second part)
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_tilehurst_cholsey.html (first part)

We drove to Goring and Streatley rail station, our end point, the afternoon before and took the train to Lower Shiplake where we stayed at The Baskerville Arms - highly recommended. A beer, an excellent meal and an early night.

Away at 09:25 Sunday morning after a full English breakfast with the obligatory team photo, albeit the core team:



We have been using "The Thames Path" by Leigh Hatts as our guide in conjunction with a laminated map.


Mary consults the guide

It was a beautiful day for walking, sunshine and loads of meadows. No pub lunch - shock, horror! Instead we dined on a packed lunch prepared for us by The Baskerville Arms.



Much of the walk was bucolic in the extreme.



Hardwick House was the original for Toad Hall as its occupant, Sir Charles Rose, was the role model for Toad.



I failed to correctly zeroise the Gamin, fortunately Mary's iPhone (with booster battery) and MapMyRide came to the rescue. The map says 18.23 but the stats say 19.63. The latter accords with the section I did manage to record.






Full set of photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157634445154685/

Distance this leg 31.6 km
Previous legs 176.8 km
Total so far 208.4 km

Thames Path 08 - Marlow to Lower Shiplake

Marlow, England. Sunday 05-May-2103

No team photo today - just the three of us: me, Mary and John.

Marlow is clearly a lovely little town but we had no time to take in the atmosphere. Sunday morning was a cereal-based, slow-release carb breakfast and an early-ish start for the second day - off at 9:15.

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_bourne_end_henley.html (second part)
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_henley_tilehurst.html (first part)


Sundial in Marlow

We soon left the town and were into the countryside - classic Thames with swans.


Swans a-swimming

Open country past Culham Court with views and charity runners and wild flowers.


Wild Primrose


Thames Path


Comfort break at Henley

After 9.5 miles we reached Henley and a chance for Mary to adjust her socks. Turns out her right little toe was blistered and she limped on for another 2.5 miles to the lunch stop at The Baskerville at Lower Shiplake.

After lunch we decided, reluctantly, to call it a day and caught the train home. Even so it was a good walk and a good start point for the next leg.



More photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157633464780097

Distance this leg 18.7 km
Previous legs 158.1 km
Total so far 176.8 km

Thames Path 07 - Windsor to Marlow

Windsor, England. Saturday 04-May-2013.

Seven turned up for the first half of the bank holiday weekend, two-day walk.

http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_windsor_bourne_end.html
http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_bourne_end_henley.html (part)


Mark (me), Pete, Blanche, Andrea, Mary, Alan, John

Perfect walking weather, warm, sunny, still and dry underfoot.


St Mary Magdalene Church, Boveney

The path took us mostly through countryside with all manner of fascinating buildings to see.


Blanche, Andrea, Pete

Mary wanted to up the pace to 3.3 mph which meant we managed Maidenhead, where the A4 crosses the Thames, by 12:30 for lunch at the Blue River Cafe. Seven miles down, seven to go to Marlow.


Maidenhead Rail Bridge - 1838 The Sounding Arch.

I.K. Brunel designed this bridge. The brick arches are the widest and flattest in the world ~ each span is 128 feet with a rise of only 24 feet.


Between Cookham and Marlow

After lunch it was another two and a half hours walking to our end point at Marlow where Pete and Blanche, and Alan and Andrea peeled off for the train back to Windsor to pick up their car home.

Mary and I checked into The George and Dragon for a relax in the bath. John had no reservation due to a mix-up but found accommodation nearby. Then it was out for some serious steak in The Chequers and a good night's sleep.



More photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157633480029170/detail/

Distance this leg 24.4 km
Previous legs 133.7 km
Total so far 158.1 km

Thames Path 06 - Staines to Windsor

Sunday 17-March-13.

The next leg of our Thames Path walk: http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_staines_windsor.html


Mark (me), Mary, John

This time with a diminished team. As you can tell from John's hood up it was a pretty soggy walk.


The London Stone

This stone marks the end of the City of London's river jurisdiction (1197-1857).


Victoria Bridge and Windsor Home Park Farm

The railway station is pretty cute. It is the end of the line.



Our end point was The Royal Oak for a pub lunch and the train home.

Full set of pictures on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markmclellan/sets/72157633025594706/detail/



Distance this leg 15.1 km
Previous legs 118.6 km
Total so far 133.7 km

Thames Path 05 - Thames Barrier to Erith

To help walk off the New Year's Eve indulgences we planned the next stage of our Thames Path walk. The idea had been to walk the eight miles from Staines to Windsor and Eton Riverside but flooding caused by recent rains had other ideas. Instead we went for the recently opened extension from the Thames Barrier downstream to the River Darent.

Lynn, John, Ros, Bob Mark (me), Mary

The route took us past Thamesmead (mostly social housing developments built in the late 1960s) and Crossness Pumping Station (a sewage pumping station designed by engineer Sir Joseph Bazalgette at the eastern end of the Southern Outfall Sewer). The latter is a Grade I listed building and looks like a must see for fans of steam engines and Victorian engineers. Write up of the route: http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_charlton_crayford.html

It was a glorious sunny day as we set off and stayed that way. The one downside of this stretch was the absence of anything other than housing and industrial estates; no shops and no pubs for our normal lunch stop. As a result we kept walking and, after nearly three hours uninterrupted walking, decided to call it a day and peeled off at Erith for the train home.

Distance this leg 13.2 km
Previous legs 105.4 km
Total so far 118.6 km

Thames Path 04 - Hampton Court to Staines

Sunday 16-September-12.

Surprisingly not hung over from the previous day's barbecue and the Marc Bolan celebration concert, we leapt out of bed for a bacon butty breakfast with Bob and Lynn who stayed over. Packed and off to the train to Hampton Court. We joined the others picking up the same train from Clapham Junction.


Bob, Mark (me), Lynn, Pete, Andrea, John, some passing old bat, Allan (out of shot), Mary (taking photo).

By now we have left urban long behind and the walk is all countryside. At the halfway mark we crossed the river using the passenger ferry which you have to summon from the other side by ringing the bell.

Shortly after that it was time for the obligatory pub lunch.

Mary found a very useful description of this leg (and the rest) at http://www.thames-path.org.uk/thames_hampton_court_staines.html which is just as well as I forgot both the map and the book.

Keeping up our usual pace of three and a bit miles per hour we did four hours walking which made for a very pleasant Sunday stroll. Up next a shorter leg to Windsor - only 8 miles - unless we go gung-ho for a serious yomp to Bourne End - 19 miles in total. Watch this space...

20120916-thames-path-04, a set on Flickr.

Distance this leg 20.7 km
Previous legs 74.7 km
Total so far 105.4 km