Rural Thames Path Section 5 - Reading to Dorchester-on-Thames

With the trains running a wee bit late from Paddington, it meant it would be a late start to what was already a long haul of a walk. I needed to get 22 miles done in around 7 hours! Ugh! This is probably the reason there aren't many photos as I just wanted to get my head down and slog it out. That being said, I did take to the road at points in the walk which cut some mileage down and made it around a reasonable 19-20 miles.

Upon arriving at Reading, with its new ski slope style roofing (ugh...), it's a short walk back to the Thames Path and my first port of call (this is how I manage my walks, I break it up into various points of interest that I'd like to hang around for five min! Good mental process...) at Mapledurham Lock. I totally missed the mill though, which will be a common theme of the day's walk! 

Mapledurham Lock

After Mapledurham, we follow the curve of the river down to Pangbourne. Here I go straight on the road and completely miss Whitchurch-on-Thames, heading straight for Goring. I eventually hit the river again near the Goring Gap, passing a IKB bridge along the way (another missed pic opportunity! IKB is a hero of mine...) The lock at Streatley is magnificent, and I have a quick look around the two villages, spotting the link to the Ridgeway Path, another National Trail path, before moving onto Wallingford.

Pangbourne Meadow, muddy as hell! 

Lock and weir near Pangbourne

Goring village signpost

The lock and weir at Streatley

 From Goring, we head up to Moulsford, passing Cleeve Lock and the open meadows below South Stoke, where we can see smashing views of the Chilterns! Through the village of Moulsford quickly and keep tramping on though surprisingly lush trees and wet meadows until we reach the ancient town of Wallingford. Wallingford has some nice architecture which I take in while having some refreshments.

Church at Wallingford

Wallingford Bridge

 After leaving Wallingford, we head on up to Benson. Benson village has a seriously great weir and lock, with water thundering over it! We have to cross over it to reach the other bank and you can feel it through your body! 

The weir at Benson

Benson lockhouse

debris in the weir?

After Benson, we carry on around the river towards Shillingford and my final destination for the day, Dorchester-on-Thames. It is a hard slog through increasing drizzle and the sun going down rapidly makes for a lot of missteps! However, I eventually arrive at my hotel for the evening.

Bridge at Shillingford

Sunset

Tree in the darkness

I have to recommend the hotel I stayed in, the Fleur-de-Lys (http://www.fleurdelys-dorchester.co.uk), nice welcome, smashing beer and food, and a roaring log fire. Bliss. 

Rural Thames Path section 4 - Henley-on-Thames to Reading (Sept 14th 2013)

Unfortunatley, after looking through my emails last night, I've discovered that I need to get back home before Monday, as I have a couple of interviews booked! The plan today was to go as far as perhaps Streatley or Goring before catching the train back to Reading for the night. But I've changed the plan so that I stop at Reading, just a short 12 mile hike. 

After a hearty breakfast, I set off down to the Thames from my hotel and head on upstream towards Shiplake.

Henley

Henley on Thames bridge

Soon we come along to Marsh Lock with its fabulous long wooden causeway stretching out into the middle of the river and then back onto land, and we continue through to Park Place, on ever muddier fields! The track is narrow and very difficult in negotiate in places! 

There are impressive houses on the riverbank as always and upon entering Shiplake's environs, I see one house has a very large miniature railway set up in the gardens! Past through Shiplake without event and soon back in the mud, trudging along! We come across Shiplake lock, then the College with its cute little boathouse.

this is part of a railway set, it's bigger than me! 

Pear trees

Shiplake College

Shiplake Boathouse

We carry on through ever more slippery fields, until we come to Sonning, with its quaint little bridge, and which has a postbox in the middle of it! Over the river! Cross over the bridge and then down past Sonning Lock and onwards to Reading.

Damsons?

Sonning Lock

Gates near the Reading Blue Coat School

Soon I see some familiar buildings in the distance like the ORACLE building which I recall from many years ago. I head through the park then turn off from the Thames Path and head into town where I am staying at the Ibis Hotel. 

View from the window at the Ibis

I check in and have a shower, clean myself up before sitting down and gathering my thoughts and notes of the past few days. Since Worcester Park, I have done 117.1km, 73.2 miles, and my feet are shouting at me for being so inconsiderate! If it wasn't for the interviews, I'd have carried on towards Abingdon and Oxford before returning home, but this will have to be arranged for another day.

The other thing on my mind is should I be aiming more north than the meandering course I've taken so far? It's all very well wanting to complete certain trails but really, at the end of the day, I'm supposed to be trying to get to Cape Wrath. I suppose the next section after Oxford will be the Oxford to Coventry Canal Walk...