Thames Path News Round-Up

It’s at times like these that we’re thankful we don’t operate the whole year round. Continuous rain has left vast stretches of the Path under water. Flood alerts and warnings are in place in a large number of places. The days are about as short as they could possibly be.  And it’s really quite cold. Conditions are not exactly ideal!

As mentioned here previously, for those wanting to complete section-by-section, now is the time to walk the London stretches. If the weather is bad, there are plenty of places to shelter and lots of opportunities to do something completely different. The above photo was taken on Tuesday morning of this week!

The weather is, of course, quite normal for this time of year. There is no reason to be concerned that the Path will be flooded come the spring. This is, after all, a land of four seasons. There will be bright sunny days ahead.

And, on that note, don’t wait for the weather to improve before booking. Hotels have a finite capacity (The Thames Head Inn only has four rooms!) and the later you leave it, the more problematic it becomes.

Route News

Last week we took a trip up to the source and checked the route as far as Lechlade. The water levels were very bad between Water Hay and Castle Eaton. The A419 underpass was the worst we’ve ever seen it.

A continuous set of flood alerts is in place from Cricklade near the source all the way to Maidenhead.It means that large stretches of the Path are likely to be under water.

A stretch of the Path between Walton and Molesey is closed from December 11 for 5 days due to utility repairs. The closure starts just past Sunbury Lock with walkers diverted onto the parallel A3050, rejoiing the Path about a mile further on. Distance added is about 0.6 miles.

Halfpenny Bridge at Lechlade is now open and so the short diversion there has been removed.

Other existing diversions:

The diversion at Benson is set to be in place for a long time, at least for the duration of this year and probably well into 2024. This diversion is in place because the bridge over the weir is deemed to be unsafe. A boat service ferries walkers across the river to Benson Lock thus avoiding the diversion. The ferry is currently unable to operate due to being red boarded (aka strong currents – see photo). It’s quite possible that it will not be able to operate until the New Year. There are updates posted on their Facebook page.

Diversions remain in place around the closed boardwalk upstream from Marsh Lock, Henley.

A diversion was put in place in June at Temple Lock, just past Hurley. Once again, the bridge has been deemed to be unsafe. So, instead of crossing the river onto the left bank and walking into Marlow, you must follow paths, lanes and then a road on the right bank through Bisham and into Marlow.  It’s possible to cross the river at Hambleden Lock and follow paths on the left bank through Medmenham and all the way to Marlow. It’s a little convoluted but avoids walking on the road through Bisham.

Further details of all these diversions can be seen on our website. We try to keep this page current so, in the absence of a newsletter, please refer to this.