Day 22: Swinford Bridge to Bablock Hythe

It has been a couple of weeks since our last walk, because the youngest member of the family unfortunately broke his ankle. Now that has healed, we set off on a shorter walk to get us back into the stride. So today we planned on just 4 miles, from Swinford Bridge (Eynsham) to Bablock Hythe.

Saw this old boat, but I think we'll stick to walking....


After a few meadows and meanders, perhaps 1.5 miles, we reached Pinkhill Lock. The guidebooks describe two alternative paths here, either crossing over the Lock to the 'right bank' (looking upstream) and then taking a large detour away from the river to reach Bablock Hythe; or staying on the 'left bank' (looking upstream) and following a nice riverside path until opposite the Ferryman Pub at Bablock Hythe, then taking the chain ferry across. So, first of all we phoned the Ferryman, only to be told that the ferry has not run for two years - though they hoped to get it back in action during summer 2011. So, if we were intending to go further upstream than Bablock Hythe, that would be a real problem - but since that was our end point, we decided to stick to the more scenic 'left bank' (and leave a car at the end!)

It was indeed a very scenic walk, skirting the egde of Farmoor Reservoir and three nature reserves. At this point we reached a landmark - the first point on the Thames where we could throw a stone across to the other bank!!!

Stones ahoy!

Notice board about things to look out for - attention apostrophe police!

And finally to Bablock Hythe.

Day 21: Osney to Swinford Bridge

Baking hot day - the hottest April day for 62 years (apparently). Temperatures hit close to 30°C in the shade, so we put off walking until after 3 pm - but it was still very hot! The plan was 6 or 7 miles, from Osney (on the edge of Oxford) to Swinford Toll Bridge (near Eynsham). After parking the car, we detoured along some of the Osney streams, all really branches of the Thames, and in one place counted over 50 chub, estimated 1.5 to 3 lb each.

We walked for a mile or so to the very edge of Oxford, and out onto Port Meadow. Here we encountered people, sun, more people, cows, more people, boats, more sun, more people....

... until we passed the ruins of Godstow Nunnery and the path was quiet again.

After passing King's Lock...

... we came to an important landmark. On the edge of a remote field, and not marked by anything - here lies the most northern point of the River Thames.

The river was glassy still , and it struck us just how narrow it has become, compared to the vast river that passes through London - or even Oxford just a few miles away. The river continued to be glassy still, with shoals of tiny chub in the margins, for the next few miles, until Swinford.

Day 20: Iffley to Osney

This was just a short hop really - from one end of Oxford to the other. Probably only 3 miles or so, maybe less, but it sets us up for the much longer stretches upstream of Oxford. We set off from Iffley Lock, which was rebuilt in 1924 by Lord Desborough, then Chairman of the Thames Conservancy. This is commemorated by a bronze bull's head, below. Just around the bend is a less impressive commemoration monument - this is the Bourne stone, remembering Gilbert Bourne, a former Professor of Zoology and rowing coach. Bourne was coach of numeorus winning boatrace crews, plus a sort of unofficial coach to the Gold and Silver medal winning boats at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

Time to climb a tree.

A key milestone - where the River Cherwell joins the Thames, or Isis as we should call it here.

And past Folly Bridge, where Salter's have been hiring boats for a century and a half.

.. and then a small bend of the river along the very edge of Oxford, to arrive at Osney Island.

Day 19: Abingdon to Iffley

Going upstream from Abingdon, there are a few options for where to finish - either Radley (just a few miles), Sandford (5 or 6 miles), Iffley (~7 or 8 miles) or Oxford (9 miles). We opted to head for Iffley village, now of course well within the Oxford ringroad and really part of the city of Oxford. Once again, we had company..... Hey - look how far we have walked so far!!! The stretch of river upstream of Abingdon, heading towards Lower Radley, was perhaps the most beautiful we have walked so far. The weather was also perfect. The river surface was glassy smoth, the trees and woodlands cast wonderful refelctions, and there was hardly anyone else around. We passed what seemed to be an entire Thames island that had toppled over, leaving its trees horizontal and a huge mass of roots hanging above the water. And then a long strech from Radley towards Sandford.... ... where we took advantage of the lockside pub for refreshments. And then onto a stretch of the river we know well - around Sandford 'lasher' and Kennington island, and past Rose Isle on the far bank. Then finally we passed underneath the Oxford ringroad, pausing to admire the graffiti.... ... and on to Iffley lock.

Day 18: Clifton Hampden to Abingdon

A bright, sunny early spring day. Frost on the grass in the morning, but blue skies and no breeze. After a busy morning, we decided to use the afternoon to carry on with the walk - Clifton Hampden to Abingdon (5.5 miles). This time - for the first time on our Thames walk so far - we had company....


The bridge of Clifdon Hampden in the sun..


... and a little further along, an old barge with its own semi-aquatic ecosystem fluorishing inside.

The river here follows a huge bend (shaped very like a duck on the map), so today we were walking from the 'feet' of the duck to its 'head'. And for much of its 'body' the horizon was characterised by Didcot Power Station.

After 3 miles we reached Culham Lock - but no tea room, pub or ice cream in sight.

And then another couple of miles until the town of Abingdon appeared beyond the meadows.

And finally to Abingdon - for the long-awaited ice-creams.

Day 17: Shillingford to Clifton Hampden

The cold weather has returned, but with blue skies (occasionally!) and snowdrops, daffodills and even the first brimstone butterfly, it feels as though spring is in the air. So, off to the river, to continue our marathon walk along the River Thames. Just 5 or 5.5 miles planned today, picking the path up at Shillingford. Here the Thames Path takes a boring detour along the A4074 road, but only for a few hundred metres, before heading down a path to the river. There was a lone angler where we met the river, and he had just landed a nice bream. We helped him to weigh it (5lb 12 oz - pretty good for these parts!) and return it safely to the river.

From here the path skirts along a large water meadow, with Dorchester Abbey in the distance.

Across the river, the trees had still not come into leaf.

The next landmark is where the diminutive River Thame flows into the mighty River Thames.

And then after another half a mile, we reached Day's Lock near little Wittenham. Here the Thames Path crosses over the river.....

... and on to a giant bend in the river. From the map, this looked featureless and the warbing signs adviving 'Beware of the bull' didn't do much to help! But in fact it was a series of many fields and meadows, each with a different character. Some with tightly grazed grass, others rich in clover....

... some with boggy reedbeds, some with clumps of sedge.

The largest - towards the end - was Clifton Meadows.....

And finally we arrived at Clifton Hampden, with its impressive mansion on the hill. (The speck in the sky is a red kite circling overhead).

Day 16: Cholsey to Shillingford

Today the plan was 6 or 7 miles - picking up the path from where we left it at Cholsey Marsh and passing through Wallingford (big landmark in the walk!) and then on past Benson to Shillingford. After a huge crowd of high-speed ramblers had overtaken us at Cholsey, we squelched along the muddy paths, next to the glassy still river - where we could see the aquatic plants clearly on the muddy riverbed.


A few miles later, we reached the Wallingford bypass bridge and this interesting boathouse.

And so on into Wallingford.....

... and a celebratory drink in the 'Boathouse' pub.

Wallingford Bridge

Just another 1.5 miles before we deserved another rest - for icecream, teas and coffees at Benson marina cafe - but not before passing these early snow drops.

And then a final 1.5 miles more before Shillingford Bridge and the village of Shillingford.