Waiting for the latest restrictions to be announced we were envisaging a complicated flowchart of “if you live in tier x and you wish to visit a part of the Thames Path that is in tier y, then” etc. As it turned out, it’s all rather simple. The entire Thames Path lies in Tier 2. Which means that, if you live in a Tier 1 or 2 area, you can enjoy the Path outdoors with friends up to a maximum of 6, but you can’t socialise with another household indoors. If you are a single household, you can stay over at hotels along the way. Those in Tier 3 cannot leave their area so, I’m afraid to say, you’ll have to wait a little longer to join us.
So, from December 3, we will be supporting walkers once again. Note that we will not be operating between December 21 and January 1. We look forward to seeing you.
The London Kayak Company reopens on December 4. They run guided kayak trips between Battersea and Greenwich for all abilities. It’s a great way to see the Thames, especially at night!
And, staying on a boating theme, the very first event of the 2021 calendar has been moved! The University Boat Race, scheduled for 3 April will, for the first time in its history, be moved away from the Thames to the Great Ouse at Ely, Cambridgeshire. A statement on the website says the decision “reflects the challenge of planning a high-profile amateur event around continuing COVID related restrictions as well as uncertainty regarding the safety and navigation of Hammersmith Bridge”.
Dorchester Abbey is hosting Jan Schmolk of the Orchestra of St John’s in a live-stream at 6pm on December 1. He will be performing Bach’s Partita No 2 in D Minor unaccompanied on the violin. In other Dorchester news, the Diocese of Oxford announced the appointment of the Venerable Gavin Collins as the new Bishop of Dorchester. Confused? The Bishops of Dorchester, Reading and Buckingham each cover an area of the Diocese. The first Bishop of Dorchester was Saint Birinus (Brian), appointed in 634AD.
Finally, Frank Skinner has released a podcast on the poet Alexander Pope’s Epistle to Doctor Arbuthnot, written in 1734. Pope lived on the Thames at Twickenham.
After quite a wet October, November has been dry throughout. The paths are all in reasonable condition and there are no issues that we are aware of.
We’ve added another suggested Thames Path detour: Windsor, the Great Park and the Runnymede Memorials. Instead of following the river through the Home Park and past Datchet (including a half-mile of road), the detour takes you up Windsor High Street, past the Castle and the Guildhall, down the Long Walk through Windsor Great Park where you are likely to see deer, and drops down into Runnymede conveniently passing the JFK and Magna Carta memorials. It’s only an extra 0.2 miles but provides plenty of variety and a change of scene from the river. For an additional 1 mile you can also visit the Air Force memorial.
This week, we have taken a look at the 6.6 mile section of the Thames between Maidenhead and Windsor. The Thames Path can be picked up at Maidenhead Bridge (118.6 miles from source), where the busy A4 crosses the river. Be warned: this is still some way from the town of Maidenhead: the station is 1.0 miles from the bridge. And nearby parking is limited. So bear this in mind if planning a day walk.
The Path starts along a road past tall elegant villas which overlook the river and passing under Brunel’s railway bridge, completed in 1838 to carry the Great Western Railway from Paddington. After about a mile the village of Bray comes into view on the opposite side of the river with no opportunity to cross: which is unfortunate as Bray is the gastronomic capital of England. There are only five restaurants in the UK that have a Michelin three star award and two of them are in this tiny village: The Waterside Inn by Michel and Albert Roux; and The Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal.
Just past Bray Lock the Path passes under the busy M4 motorway. The bridge is currently undergoing repairs and the contactors have diverted the path some 10 meters into the river by a series of pontoons which provides a rather nice perspective of the river. Thank you Balfour Beatty!
A little on from the motorway you will see the white buildings of Monkey Island Hotel. There has been a hotel here since the middle of the 19th century when it became fashionable for people to come up from London to stay on the island where an inn had been built out of an 18th century fishing lodge. Famous visitors included Edward VII, HG Wells and Elgar who, it is believed, composed his violin concerto here. The hotel fell into decline after the war but was recently redeveloped.
Past the hotel is Summerleaze footbridge (121.0 miles from source) which carries a footpath from Holyport (on your right) to Dorney (on your left). The path to Dorney will also take you to Dorney Court, 0.7 away, a Tudor manor house built around 1440. It has been in the Palmer family since 1542. The house has been used as a location for a host of films including Sliding Doors (1998), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), and The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020).
Back at the footbridge, you will find car parks on both sides of the river so this can be a convenient place to hop on and off the Path. There is also a restaurant on the other side. The recently opened Mediterraneum boasts a nice patio overlooking the river.
The Path throughout is well-shaded as it winds its way along the tree-lined river bank. In summer this can interrupt the views across the water. So you might easily miss Bray Studios where Hammer produced some of our classic horror films: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and Dracula (1958) with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Hammer sold the studio in 1970 but film and television work continues there. It was used for Alien, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 2020 TV series of Dracula. It is currently undergoing redevelopment.
Conveniently next door is the Oakley Court Hotel. This Victorian Gothic country house was built in 1859. Due to its proximity to Bray Studios it was used as a location set for many of Hammer’s horror movies including The Brides of Dracula in 1962. It was later used as Dr Frank N. Furter’s castle in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
About a mile and a half on from Oakley Court and sitting to the left of the Thames is Dorney Lake, a man-made rowing lake privately owned by Eton College. The lake is 2,200 metres long and has 8 rowing lanes. It was used in the 2012 London Olympics. Despite being in private hands, it is possible to walk the few yards to the lake (car parking available) although presently access from the Thames Path is prohibited due to Covid restrictions.
Immediately past Dorney Lake is the church of St Mary Magdalene, Boveney, a distinctive but disused church. Built in flint and chalk, the present building dates back to the 12th century. Its tower is weather-boarded which gives it a Scandinavian look. Although the church is consecrated, it has been redundant since 1975 and is maintained by the Friends of Friendless Churches.
Boveney gives its name to the nearby lock which is located opposite Windsor racecourse. Windsor is now just 2 miles away and the walk is of surprisingly little interest – excluding the sight of Windsor itself! – as the Path crosses the open fields of Dorney Common and the Brocas. But the first 4.5 miles of this section have unquestionably been full of interest.
We were saddened to hear of the death this week of the veteran mountaineer Hamish McInnes. As someone growing up in the 70’s, his exploits were an inspiration.
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