Route News
More rain has fallen and river levels have continued to rise. As you can see from the above photo, reproduced here with kind permission from a Thames Path enthusiast, there’s even water at the source: a rare sight indeed. Currently much of the path is not be passable. So now might be a time to try walking on some higher ground. And we have just the walk in mind! See later in the newsletter.
For a full list of problem spots that we are aware of, please refer to our route alerts page.
On a happier note, Dukes Meadow Bridge has opened. Those who have walked the left bank of the Thames between Kew and Chiswick may have been frustrated by the 1/4 mile walk inland just to get to the other side of the railway opposite Barnes Bridge. A new structure has been built which takes the walker directly under Barnes Bridge without the need for a diversion. Well done to Hounslow Council for making this happen.
A 10th century pierced scallop shell has been discovered in Wallingford which suggests that it belonged to a pilgrim walking to Santiago de Compostella in Spain where St James is buried. It is believed that most pilgrims met at Reading Abbey to venerate the Hand of St James before walking to Southampton. From there a ship would take them to La Coruna from where pilgrims would walk to Santiago. Bon Camino!
Other diversions currently in place:
The weir at Benson Lock has been temporarily closed due to strong currents and debris creating a risk of damage. You will need to follow side roads through Crowmarsh Gifford. The route is well marked. The closure is likely to be in place until well into the spring.
Diversions remain in place around the closed boardwalk upstream from Marsh Lock, Henley. If walking downstream, there seems to be a sign missing: if you get to the fenced off boardwalk leading to Marsh Lock then you’ve missed the turn. There is a path leading to your left about 20 yards before the boardwalk.
Those who are members of our Facebook group may have seen that we have been posting some photos of The Ridgeway lately. It may come as little surprise to them that we will start supporting the trail which is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a National Trail this year.
The Ridgeway is 87 miles long. It starts near Avebury, just south of Swindon, follows the Thames between Goring and Wallingford (albeit on the other side of the river from the Thames Path), and then follows the foothills of the Chilterns in a north-easterly direction, finishing near Tring in Buckinghamshire. There’s therefore quite a bit of geographic overlap with the Thames Path which is why we’ve decided to support it. It’s a much different proposition to the Thames Path being far more remote with less choice of accommodation and somewhat hillier. But it’s not without its points of interest including neolithic burial mounds, chalk figures, iron age hill forts, and even passes through the Prime Minister’s country residence at Chequers.
The route has been added to a new website, walking.holiday, so as to differentiate it from Walk the Thames. So far we’ve developed three packages: the entire route across 7, 8 or 9 days. We will be adding routes from Avebury to Goring (about half way) and from Goring to Ivinghoe Beacon.. We can also do bag transfers only – something we started last year to become more familiar with accommodation on the route. We’ve mapped out the distances which you can see on the website. And we’ll be adding a route planner very soon.
The premiere of “Time and Tide: The Thames, Greenwich and its forgotten past” will be held on February 2 at the National Maritime Museum. The film, made by Paul Wyatt, explores the relationship between people, forgotten histories, a changing landscape, and the environment along the river Thames at Greenwich. Tickets can be purchased here.
Something to look forward to in April at the Tate is an exhibition of work by the Rossetti family: Dante, Gabriel and Elisabeth. Readers may be aware that Dante Rossetti shared Kelmscott Manor with William Morris.
Buckingham Palace will be open from July 14 to September 24. So, if planning on walking through London between those dates, consider carving out some time for a visit of a lifetime. And the Queens Gallery
Hospitality News
We can confirm that the Baskerville at Shiplake has re-opened. In a visit staff were able to confirm that they would be opening their rooms in due course. However, for now, accommodation remains closed,
Great Expectations in Reading has re-opened under a new name 1843, the year it is believed it first opened as a literary and scientific institute. Some may mourn the passing of the alcoves and snugs which were designed to replicate a Dickensian inn frequented by the great writer. But the hotel is definitely brighter and more contemporary whilst still retaining some of its originality.The hotel is listed in our planner as silver.
Map Resources
Here’s a little bit about maps. A popular map was the Thames Path AZ published by Harper Collins. This map has been out of print for sometime. We contacted Harper Collins last week to check the status of the new edition. This will be published on 16 February 2023 and can be pre-ordered here. It’s retailing at £6.99 which seems remarkably cheap as the previous version was £8.99. This makes us wonder whether it’s actually an Ordnance Survey extract or something else. We’ve pre-ordered a copy and will provide a review once received. In the meantime you can always order the map booklet that comes with the Cicerone guide written by Leigh Hatts. The booklet comprises a colelction of 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey pages. This can be purchased from our shop for £9.50 including postage.
And speaking of maps, AllTrails, a hiking map app, got into a spot of bother when walkers tried to climb a scree slope in the Lake District following an incorrectly marked path resulting in a Mountain Rescue We are of the view that the most reliable map app is from Ordnance Survey. You can subscribe here. The full story is here.
That’s all folks.
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