Route News
More mixed weather: mostly sunny with the occasional shower. Temperatures warm but not hot. Perfect walking conditions.
There are still a number of diversions in place. Starting from the source:
Between Eynsham and King’s Lock another fish pass is being built resulting in a small diversion.
The work at Goring is now complete and the Path is fully open.
Diversions remain in place around the closed boardwalk downstream from Marsh Lock, Henley. These are well signposted with no extra distance required.
Finally, there’s a diversion in Greenwich. Short in length (about 200 metres) but long in time (until October). Diversions are in place using roads. The diversions are required as work is undertaken on flood defences.
Watch out for strange objects in the sky between Lechlade and Cricklade. The Royal International Air Tattoo returns on July 15 at RAF Fairford for 3 days. We’ve already seen some unusual aircraft circling overhead.
If walking between Reading and Sonning, look out for handy guides to butterflies that have been posted along the path.
Wimbledon starts tomorrow (Monday June 27). This has a remarkable knock-on effect on accommodation throughout London. And Henley Regatta starts the following day with no less of an impact on hospitality. The cheapest room at the Hotel du Vin on Friday night currently stands at £1,062. But don’t worry. That includes breakfast!
Eric Ravillious – Drawn to War is on release in cinemas from July 1. This documentary covers the life of one of Britain’s greatest landscape artists, killed in a plane crash in Iceland whilst serving as Official War Artist in 1942. So what, might you ask, has this to do with the Thames Path? Well, if you walk along the left bank of the Thames Path through Chiswick, you might see a blue plaque at the corner of Upper Mall and Weltje Road marking the place where he lived between 1930 and 1932. He painted a number of scenes of the Thames, especially around Chiswick and Hammersmith. He studied under Paul Nash who had a special affection for the Wittenham Clumps, that small but delightful pair of hills overlooking the Thames opposite Dorchester.
Reminders:
Kelmscott Manor, the former home of William Morris, has now re-opened. Opening times are Thursday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm. Last admission is 4pm. Pre-booking is advised.
Henley is hosting the Traditional Boat Festival on 15-17 July, an opportunity for enthusiasts to display older, traditionally built craft.
Marble Hill in Twickenham has finally re-opened. See here for more details.
Buckingham Palace will open on July 22 and will feature a display looking at The Queen’s Accession to the throne in February 1952. On display will be the Diamond Diadem, which was created for the famously extravagant coronation of George IV in 1821. Her Coronation Dress is on display at Windsor Castle
Tate Modern has launched an exhibition entitled Surrealism beyond Borders and runs until August 29. It includes works by Magritte and Dali.
Say Hello to Bertie
You may recall that we announced a new vehicle. Here is “Bertie” , fully liveried, outside the Trout at Tadpole Bridge. Give us a wave if you see us.
Accommodation News
More hotels to be added to our planner following positive comments:
Rewley House is part of the University of Oxford and offers 45 ensuite rooms. Our walker particularly enjoyed the campus atmosphere. It’s a ten minute walk to the Radcliffe Camera and the Bodleian Library.
Oxford is a popular place for a rest day. As is Windsor/Eton. We’ve always said that Eton is a better place to stop than Windsor, as it tends to be less filled with tourists. So we’re delighted to bring you Gilbeys, a bar and restaurant which happens to have rooms. It’s just a few yards from the bridge separating the two towns.
Both of these will soon appear on our planner.,
Branch Lines
You may be aware that we have started doing bag transfers along the Ridgeway which intersects the Thames Path at Goring and Streatley. Despite having walked around 80% of the Ridgeway, albeit mostly in winter, we have been blown away by the beauty of the landscape and some of the accommodation, many being remote bed and breakfasts. Watch out for more Ridgeway developments.
And finally…
A number of bags pass our way during the year.This bag, however, stood out. It belonged to a lovely couple from New Zealand and the label is so poignant
That’s all folks. See you on the trails.
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