Thames Path

Went for a Sunday morning stroll along the Thames Path towards Cricklade about 8 miles away according to google.

The path detours away from the Thames in places by some distance, I presume to get around parcels of land the landowners don't want walkers on. This puts extra miles on the journey. The walk is completely rural, hugging the meandering river 50% of the time, edges of farmers fields and a section of tarmac road make up the rest.

I walked as far as Castle Eaton and the Red Lion pub which was closed, it was early and it looked like there was refurbishment going on. So no point hanging around. I could have done with some refreshment, this walk was a spur of the moment decision and I hadn't bothered bringing water.

Sunday worshipers at the Parish church invited me to join them - if a cuppa was on offer I might have considered it - I thanked them for their kindness and took the photo I had come for.

As I carried on towards Cricklade my way was barred by a herd of cows, this doesn't usually phase me but they did run towards me, were very vocal and a few had calves with them. Definitely not the placid boat licking Lechlade type of bovine.

Walking back to the T junction at the top of the village a sign displayed 4 miles to Cricklade. My tracker informed me I had already walked 8.74 miles. So I terminated the walk here and did the route in reverse.

Saint John the Baptist at Inglesham

"The Thames was all gold. God it was beautiful, so fine that I began working a frenzy, following the sun and its reflections on the water" -Claude Monet

Field of sunflowers

This boat is moored about 3 miles upriver of Lechlade's roundhouse on the edge of the airfield.

 In 1986 I tried to take a small tender with a 2hp outboard upriver from the Roundhouse but only got a few hundred yards, the channel was choked with vegetation, having cleared the prop of weed half a dozen times I turned back.

St Mary the Virgin, Castle Eaton.

I only met one other walker on the Thames Path today, Jim from Hull is in his late twenties. He is doing the whole thing from source to sea (215 miles) stopping in an Airb&b in Oxford tonight (approx. 40-mile day).

I might like to do the whole Thames Path one day, with a bit more planning than today's effort.