I grew up not removed from the Thames, although somewhat extra of my younger days had been spent enjoying in and round one in every of its tributaries, the River Crane each within the wilder areas of Hounslow Heath and to the north and within the somewhat tamer Crane Park, the place I caught tiddlers, sticklebacks which had been destined to die in jam jars, and learnt that small boys on bicycles had been quicker than irate whistle-blowing park keepers.
However the river was there, a formidable barrier defending us in Middlesex from the wilds of Surrey, although we often crossed it on bridges and ferries, maybe to go to Kew Gardens in the hunt for plant specimens. This was earlier than the times of backyard centres, and my father, a eager gardener carried scissors in his waistcoat pocket and would often take a small chopping from gardens as we walked previous or visited, or discover seeds. Gardeners the place we lived didn’t purchase seeds – they saved them and swapped them with others.
And the Thames was the river the place I learnt to swim, if solely badly, with a paddling pool and a swimming space with a springboard within the riverside park, The Lammas. Later I learnt to row at Isleworth, in a heavyweight Sea Scout boat – and we swam there too, regardless of the filthy oily state of the mud and water.
Older and wiser I saved to the riverside paths, strolling them each in Middlesex and Surrey and likewise out to the east of London, generally taking my household with me, but additionally on walks with different photographers and alone. And when plans had been being made within the Eighties for a Thames Stroll I made a couple of strategies on the proposed path of what in 1989 turned the Thames Path.
Much more of the river in London is now accessible to the general public than again within the Nineteen Seventies and 80s when a lot of the riverside was nonetheless a working space, although most of the wharves had been derelict. However as I discovered once I joined a small group led by a Tower Hamlets official with duty for footpaths, elements of the trail on the north financial institution had been nonetheless not at all times straightforward to entry, with builders and residents erecting gates and boundaries and making some elements seem personal. Some years later The Guardian in 2015 revealed Privatised London: the Thames Path stroll that resembles a jail hall which confirmed that little had modified.
However like many others, my household has now walked the Thames Path, from the Thames Barrier at Charlton to the supply in Gloucestershire, in addition to some approach to the east alongside each shores. Many of the path correct is quickly accessible by public transport and could be finished as a collection of one-day walks, travelling and getting back from from our dwelling in Staines or from London. However for the ultimate three days of strolling we needed to spend a few nights in lodges on the route.
Initially of 2010, we spent each New Years Day and January 2nd strolling two brief sections of the stroll, from Studying to Pangbourne on Friday 1st and returning to Pangbourne on the Saturday to stroll to Cholsey. Each Cholsey and Pangbourne have stations with trains to Studying, so entry was straightforward, though Cholsey station is over a mile from the Thames Path.
The images listed here are all from Saturday 2nd January, on what is maybe essentially the most scenic stretch of the Thames Path. It was a bitterly chilly day, which was maybe as properly, because the elements of this part would have been very muddy and a bit flooded. However the mud was frozen and a lot of the ice on the flooded elements was thick sufficient to take our weight. It was extra nice strolling throughout the ice than it could have been wading by way of the few inches of mud and freezing water, nearly actually simply deep sufficient to overtop my strolling boots.
Initially of the stroll from Pangbourne, after crossing the river the trail climbs a bit up a ridge, with occasional views by way of the timber throughout the valley. It then goes right down to the riverside once more, passing below one in every of Brunel’s high-quality brick bridges for the GWR to the Goring Hole, the place the Thames runs between wooded hills. Goring itself is the type of place I wish to keep away from, although I’m certain it has its charms, however I’ve at all times seen it as a type of playground for the self-satisfied wealthy. We crossed the river to Streatley on the south facet, a village owned by Oxford Brewery house owners the Morrell household till they bought it in in 1938. They’d protected it from growth.
It was right here that we discovered the worst flooding on the trail, and nearly took one take a look at a gate main on to a lake and turned spherical – we may have ended our stroll right here and returned to Studying from Goring station. However ultimately we determined the water couldn’t be too deep and maybe the ice may maintain our weight and we went on. I believe all of us received moist ft.
There have been extra icy bits on the remainder of the stroll, however nothing fairly so dangerous, and we continued our stroll alongside the Thames Path. Sadly at Moulsford the trail leaves the river – the towpath switches to the other financial institution, and though this can be a Ferry Lane, the ferries are lengthy gone. Moulsford could be a pleasing sufficient village had been it not on the A329, and the one kilometre trek alongside this comparatively busy highway was tedious, although we did make a brief diversion to see the parish church.
Our stroll alongside the Thames Path ended when this left the highway to return to the river, however we had additional to go earlier than turning off onto a footpath on our approach to Cholsey station, including one other mile to our stroll.
Extra on My London Diary at Thames Path together with our stroll on yesterday from Studying to Pangbourne.
Tags: Cholsey, Egyptian Home, flooding, Goring, Goring Hole, ice, Moulsford, Pangbourne, peter Marshall, privatised London, River Thames, Streatley, Thames Path, Tower Hamlets, Stroll, Whitchurch
You may depart a response, or trackback from your personal web site.
