As we approach the end of the 9th week of lockdown we thought it made sense to bring you some news of what’s happening on the Thames. Although we are allowed to drive as far as we like and to exercise as much as we want, we encourage people to travel within reason. Our own journeys this week have taken us only as far as Goring, just 5 miles away. From there we walked along The Ridgeway to the village of South Stoke and back. The Ridgeway follows the left bank of the Thames, with the Thames Path on the opposite side.
The mayor of London announced plans to transform parts of central London into one of the largest car-free zones in any capital city in the world. This would be welcomed by many.
Although the lockdown seems to have brought wildlife into the open, there have been reports of birds of prey, particularly Red Kites, being shot. There definitely seem to be fewer Red Kites in the Mapledurham area where we live.
We are now close to finalising our route planner. This is designed to help walkers plan a Thames Path itinerary. It shows walking distances, local transport, facilities, points of interest and available accommodation. We hope to release the maps on our website within the next two weeks. We have identified over 130 points of interest along the way from a bird hide to MI6 headquarters! A sneak preview of one of the maps is shown below.
Finally we now have a YouTube account and have published a short video this week of the route from Tilehurst to Reading.
We are all anxiously awaiting further news of when restrictions can be properly lifted and we can operate as normal. Hang in there. It won’t be long!