Thames Path: Reading to Henley-on-Thames

 

There is nearly any kind of boat you can name on the Thames. With the popularity of rowing between Oxford and Reading, it's not wonder you can rent a dragon row boat. 

"Only the one who isn't rowing has time to rock the boat."        Jean-Paul Sartre

After a pizza and good rest at the Ibis Hotel in downtown Reading, today's planned walk was 11 miles from  Henley-on-Thames, but ended up being more like 13. But more about that later...For transport reasons, we walked upriver to Reading.

A market town since 1269, Henley-on-Thames  (once home to George Harrison and final resting place of Dusty Springfield) seems to be an affluent community nowadays. It is the host to the Henley Royal Regatta, a boat race that attracts rowers worldwide and is held in early July (which apparently raises hotel prices to astronomical levels.) This race started in 1839 and predates international boating contest rules, so they can pretty much make them up for themselves. 

Not your average city phallic symbol, the Henley-on-Thames obelisk, now stands on the Thames. Built in 1788 of Portland Stone, and marking the center of the city, the obelisk was inscribed with the distances to Reading, Oxford and London and a water pump was built nearby to wash down the pavement after each Thursday market.

Two gas lamps were later affixed to its northern and southern faces. In the 1970s when a roundabout was fashioned in the center of town, the obelisk was moved. It was found to be in sufficient disrepair that having it fall over was a real concern, so it now decorates the Thames Path in a location unlikely to cause any real harm. 

Five-arched Henley-on-Thames bridge

From here, we were having a lovely walk on the Thames toward Shiplake (birthplace of George Orwell)  when it was so rudely interrupted by a "diversion" (better known to Yanks as a detour). The bridge at Marsh Lock has been out for two years and in a very American maneuver, no one can agree who is to pay for the repairs, and therefore, none are done. I don't mind diversions too badly, but this one was poorly marked and led to a bit of additional walking besides the detour itself. The good part was that we got to walk through the Harpeth Woods which was a lovely place and eventually we did get back to the river. 

Paul in the forest 

Our walk back to the Thames led us past St Peter and Paul Church in Shiplake  with its lovely graveyard full of weathered stones. 

Alfred Tennyson was married here and instead of paying the vicar in cash, he gave him a poem. 

We had a nice lunch next to the boathouse for the exclusive Shiplake College and met a nice couple and their furbaby dog. They told us to watch out in Marlow, because there is a bridge out there as well. We will certainly be checking the Thames Path website in the future!

The remainder of the walk was fairly uneventful with mostly waterside perambulating among the usual ducks, geese and swans...and even some swoose (a hybrid from mating by a goose and a swan. Swans, we learned, can also mate with ducks but those eggs never hatch.) We are starting to see fewer and fewer farm animals. 

The next bridge was Sonning Bridge near another expensive private school, the Blue Coat School. 

The only lock we were able to visit today was the Sonning Lock. As usual, the lock keeper's home had beautiful gardens. We also went in the vicinity of Marsh Lock which wasn't accessible and missed Shiplake Lock due to the detour. Caversham Lock was on an island and not on the path. Bad day for viewing locks!

Obviously, we made it into Reading and had a coppa. 

The walking has been long today, but much easier as the Path is better maintained and we are passing through more towns/hamlet which often have very well-kept and often paved paths.  

The river Thames that by our door doth pass,
His first beginning is but small and shallow;
Yet, keeping on his course, grows to a sea.       

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Paul's Ponderings:  We had a pleasantly cool day out walking today but it ended up being about 13 miles.   We had a very lengthy unexpected detour just past Henley On Thames that added quite a bit of distance.   All good though as we still were back in Reading by 4 pm in time for a pint at a restaurant near the path.    Tonight we had a dinner with a work colleague from the UK.   We are now over 100 miles into the path.   The next couple of days will likely put us over 125 miles, so we are making great headway.