It’s been quite an Indian Summer this month and there have been many people taking advantage of this and walking along the Path. The good weather has continued this week but it looks likely that this will soon end and autumn will start. Ordinarily we would close at the end of October and not offer any packages or baggage transfer until April. However, because this has been such an unusual year that we are toying with staying open. So, if you are planning a walk between November and March, do get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.
Fairmile Vineyard near Henley is offering open days on September 19th and 20th to celebrate the release of their 2016 vintage. The vineyard has a range of award-winning sparkling wines.
The Museum of London Docklands is hosting a special series: “Into the Bronze Age: Walking Britain”. This is a series of walks around the city revealing the traces of London’s past, from the Bronze Age and beyond. The series has been devised by London Town Tours and the Museum of London.
The Chelsea History Festival kicks off tomorrow. Sadly this will be an “online-only” event with a series of short-films including Chelsea in the Blitz, the Chelsea Physic Garden and a tour of the State Apartments of the Royal Hospital.
Hammersmith Bridge remains closed. This means no traffic (including humans!) across or underneath it. We took a closer inspection this week to see how extensive the diversions were. The paths under the bridge at both sides (left and right bank) are closed. However, the diversion around is very short – just a few yards. The below picture is of the left bank looking upstream.
We thought we’d bring you something a little different this week. Walking the Thames Path you will see a host of farm animals: sheep, cows, pigs, horses and fowl of various kinds. However, you might be surprised to see the animal pictured below.
This delightful animal is an Alpaca and belongs to Bozedown Farm, Whitchurch. Alpacas are from South America and belong to the camel family. Often confused with the larger Llama, they are bred for their fibre.
From Teddington, shortly before Richmond, all the way through to Greenwich, you have the choice of walking on the left bank or the right bank. It seems that the right bank is more popular than the left, being somewhat greener (see picture at the top of this post). But the left has its attractions. In this feature we look at the section between Richmond and Kew as if walking on the left bank.
The left bank is more urban and requires several diversions away from the river. The Path starts behind a row of houses just off Bridge Street, only joining the river a 1/4 mile further on at Twickenham Bridge. At 0.8 miles from Richmond, the River Crane forces the Path away from the river onto the busy Richmond Road only rejoining the river after a further 0.4 miles. At this point, the walker might be regretting their choice of route!
Fear not. The next 3 miles are filled with surprises. As you rejoin the river, the Town Wharf pub comes into view, its terrace sitting high up above the river. The river seems narrow due to Isleworth Ait, an island, splitting the river unequally in two. The Duke of Northumberland’s River (what an impressive name!), another tributary of the Thames, is crossed by taking Church Street which takes you down to All Saints in Isleworth and a street scene that will make you gasp. Aside from the parked cars, you could be on a Dickensian set with Georgian and Victorian houses lining the quayside, overlooked by the London Apprentice pub.
Just past Isleworth, the Path again diverts away from the river to journey through the estate of the Duke of Northumberland, Syon Park. The estate was originally occupied by the nuns of Syon Abbey (Syon being a derivative of Zion). Following the dissolution of the monasteries, the land reverted to the Crown. The estate was acquired in 1594 by Henry Percy, the 9th Earl of Northumberland and has remained in the family ever since. It’s a 0.25 mile walk through parkland to reach the front of Syon House, constructed in the 1760’s, to a designed by Robert Adam. The house can be visited.
The Path exits Syon Park, taking a quiet road to the busy A315 and then, almost immediately, turns off the road to follow the River Brent back to the Thames. This is Brentford and could not be more different from Isleworth: industrial, gritty and raw, although the marina is pretty.
There’s one final diversion before you get to Kew Bridge. Due to a combination of redevelopment work and lack of public access to the riverfront, the Path goes slightly away from the river and follows Brentford High Street which means it passes a McDonalds before you reach Kew Bridge!
With all the twists and turns, the left bank is a little longer – but only 0.5 mile. The variety you get in return makes it worthwhile. In any case, if you’ve been walking from the source, you’ve probably seen enough trees by now!
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