Another major milestone was reached this week with the opening of pubs and restaurants. Finally we can go for a walk and finish in a beer garden. Roll on May 17 when indoor hospitality opens.
Thames River Cruises, based in Caversham, have restarted. They operate a number of routes stopping upstream at Pangbourne, Goring and Moulsford; downstream to Sonning and Shiplake. Using a boat service is another way of completing a round trip: walk one way and sail back! Full details here.
Not quite sure where to put this but the Thames Barrier closed yesterday (April 15). Don’t be alarmed: it was just a test. The barrier runs a test closure every month for 6 months from November.
The William Morris Society have launched a new online exhibition “The Ideal Book”. This year marks 130 years since the founding of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press and 125 years since the publication of the Kelmscott Chaucer. Full details here.
This week there was a rather disturbing episode of Panorama, investigating the water companies’ practices of dumping raw sewage into our rivers, including the Thames. Whilst this practice is lawful when certain specified conditions are met (basically when there’s been a lot of rain water), the program showed that dumping continued even when those conditions had not been met. The visible results were devastating and we would advise not to view the program immediately after dinner! Available on catch-up.
We reported last week on the publication of the top 25 beer gardens in England with The Ship at Wandsworth being included. A new list has been produced just for the capital. This list, produced by Luxury London, comprises just ten pubs, two of which are on the Thames Path: The White Swan at Twickenham and The Mayflower at Rotherhithe.
Amidst all the pubs re-opening their gardens it would be easy to miss a new pub that opened for the first time. The Enderby House is located on the Thames Path between Greenwich and Greenwich Peninsula. The pub boasts a lovely roof terrace with glorious views across the river.
Following the sale of the Red Lion in Henley last year, the licence for using the “Red Lion Lawn” , the paved terrace in front of the hotel, has been awarded to a boat company based in nearby Wargrave. They are planning “pop-up” food and drink events, with street food, barbecues and specialities such as sushi.
The Red Lion is being re-branded as “The Relais” and is currently being refurbished. They are taking bookings from July 1. However, room prices have been significantly increased and we are no longer listing this hotel on our platform.
Staying in Henley, hotels in Regatta week (August 9) are now hard to find. Room prices are starting at £500 per night. The “pinch” is felt from Reading to Marlow.
Another hotel to increase its prices is The Ferryman at Bablock Hythe. Room prices have gone up from £85 to £100 inclusive of continental breakfast. They are, however, now open every day. They were previously closed on Tuesday’s.
The Chelsea Physic Garden has opened its shop. The gardens are open daily (except Saturday) from 10am to 5pm. Tickets must be pre-booked.
Seals have become quite common within the urban Thames since lockdown started last year. The Thames Estuary Partnership has published a blog about the two types of seal that we see: the Grey Seal and the Harbour Seal. There are some wonderful photos on this blog.
We’ve written before about Illuminated River – London’s ambitious plans to illuminate its bridges on the Thames. All nine bridges are now complete which are (in order as you walk downstream): Lambeth, Westminster, Golden Jubilee, Waterloo, Blackfriars, Millennium, Southwark, Cannon and London Bridges.
It would be just a short 2.5 mile walk to see all these bridges – easily done at night.
Further bridges are planned to be added: Tower Bridge, Vauxhall, Grosvenor, Chelsea and Albert Bridges
This week we take a closer look at the stretch between Bourne End and Maidenhead, taking in Cookham.
Bourne End may seem an odd place to break a journey. However, the presence of a train station that is just a couple of hundred yards from the Thames Path makes this a logical place to start and finish a walk. Trains run from here upstream to Marlow (the service affectionately known as the Marlow Donkey) and downstream to Cookham and then Maidenhead.
Just out of Bourne End (we’re on the left bank), we cross the river via a railway bridge. It’s a curious sensation. The foot section is particularly narrow, especially so in these days of social distancing, and protected from the line. If a train does happen to pass you, rest assured that it will be proceeding quite sedately. The bridge affords good views in both directions.
Now on the right bank, the river bends as we walk down the meadows of Cock Marsh, a site of special scientific interest. These grasslands are founded on chalk soils and grazed by cattle, horses and rabbits. The footpath can also be followed upstream where it’s possible, in normal times, to visit the Bounty, a pub sitting opposite Bourne End, and only accessible by foot or boat.
Back to the Thames Path and the village of Cookham is soon reached, passing the sailing club and some public gardens along the way. Shortly before the bridge, one of the least attractive on the Thames, the Path turns sharply right and through the churchyard, possibly the only time the Thames Path passes through consecrated ground.
Holy Trinity church was the setting for the artist Stanley Spencer’s “Resurrection”. Spencer lived in Cookham most of his life. His works, most of which feature religion or Cookham (and sometimes both!) are now mostly at The Tate. However, a small gallery has been established in the High Street featuring some of his works. As you must pass it, you might as well go in. The entrance fee is fairly nominal.
Cookham is a good place to stop if you are on a multi-day trip. There are two hotels here: Bel and the Dragon, sister of the one in Reading; and Moor Hall Conference Centre, run by the Institute of Marketing. Although a conference centre, they do offer rooms at a fairly reasonable price. Lanyards are optional! There are a number of quality restaurants in the village.
If you are thinking of ending your journey here and planning to take the train, you will be slightly peeved to find the station is about 0.7 miles away in what is effectively “New Cookham”. As a consolation, the walk does take you over Cookham Moor, an ancient “common” owned by the National Trust, where animals have grazed for centuries.
Staying on the Path, we leave Cookham on the A4094 (pavement provided) before soon turning left down Mill Lane towards the river. It’s a pleasant lane which soon turns into a footpath through woods. The river is some way to our left, beyond Lulle Brook, and beyond a cut where Cookham Lock is (which we never see).
It comes as a surprise to arrive at the river. Opposite are estate houses of Cliveden, the former home of the Astors. The house was gifted to the National Trust some years ago and they now lease the building to a hotel company. The gardens can be visited as with any National Trust site. Whilst it’s possible to stay at the house (budget permitting), there’s no way of getting across – although the estate runs a fleet of boats for private hire from the opposite side of the river. Surely an opportunity there!
A few yards further on, another building appears across the water: Spring Cottage. This is where Dr Stephen Ward, osteopath to the Astors, rented a house and “introduced” Christine Keeler to John Profumo, a minister in Macmillan’s government. The fact that Keeler had recently had an affair with a Soviet naval attache caused a national scandal which nearly brought the government down.
But back to the Thames Path! Whilst the scenery is lovely, the house is hidden from view almost all the way. The only way to see it is by boat – which can be obtained from Cliveden. So a bit of chicken and egg situation! Before reaching the outskirts of Maidenhead, the Path runs through a beautiful wood with some very tall trees towering above.
Past the back gardens, the Path joins the A4094 which runs between Maidenhead and Cookham. We are now on the Maidenhead Promenade which is narrow and busy. Boulters Lock soon appears. Its proximity to a car park makes this popular with bystanders. The Boathouse at Boulters Lock is a restaurant that can be reached across the lock. Beyond the Boathouse is Ray Mill Island, which can be explored at leisure and hosts a pizza cafe and toilets.
Maidenhead bridge, carrying the busy A4, is a little further on which is where we will end our journey today. If stopping here, you will find two hotels: the Thames Riviera, which is by the bridge; and the Norfolk House Hotel which is about 300 yards to your left on the A4. If travelling home by train you will have a 1.0 mile walk through Maidenhead town centre (rather disappointing) to reach the station.
We have decided to suspend our weekly webinars until the autumn. Since the switch to British Summer Time and the relaxation of restrictions we have seen a reduction in numbers attending. This is to be expected: after all, who wants to be in front of a computer screen when they can be outside? As one person remarked, “we’re all a bit zoomed out”.
In any case, as our first walkers will be stepping out in just 31 days time, we need to start getting ready for them. And we’re super busy with enquiries at the moment. So, we’ll relaunch these probably after the clocks change back in October.
Until then, hope to see you in person on the paths rather than on screen.
Bye for now.
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