With no commitments this weekend, and a decent weather forecast, it seemed like a good time to decide upon and start our summer walking project. As we'd bought a guide to The Thames Path in around 1985, it was an obvious choice,especially as we were able to do the first stage using the train.
As Sunday had the better forecast, we got our chores done on Saturday (if making two batches of ice cream counts as a chore), and walked on Sunday. Saturday turned out to be a nice day, and I woke to a cloudless sky on Sunday. It was getting cloudier as we drove towards Reading, and that was to set the pattern for the walk.
We parked in the station multi-storey, took the train to Goring and, after an eventually-successful hunt for a ladies loo, set off along the river. The path followed the North bank closely for a few miles before rising slightly into Hartslock Wood and then heading away from the river towards the toll bridge at Whitchurch.
We'd had a few short showers that had caused us to don our cagoules, but it wasn't raining when we reached the benches at Pangbourne Meadows, so we stopped for an excellent, but pork pie free, picnic.
We were now on the South bank, and continued to Mapledurham lock for a tantalising glimpse of the watermill (site of several happy days when the boys were young). The next strecth was not very attractiive - the path turns inland to Purley and along the A329 for a short while before crossing under the railway just north of Tilehurst station to continue between the railway and the river.
Rosie was in need of a rest as we got into the outskirts of Reading, so we stopped at the first bench we came across. We didn't stop long after we noticed that that was 'can of strong cider and dog on a string' territory.
The final stretch was through the old Reading Festival site. There were fewer supermarket trolleys in the river than there would had been in those days.
As Sunday had the better forecast, we got our chores done on Saturday (if making two batches of ice cream counts as a chore), and walked on Sunday. Saturday turned out to be a nice day, and I woke to a cloudless sky on Sunday. It was getting cloudier as we drove towards Reading, and that was to set the pattern for the walk.
We'd had a few short showers that had caused us to don our cagoules, but it wasn't raining when we reached the benches at Pangbourne Meadows, so we stopped for an excellent, but pork pie free, picnic.
We were now on the South bank, and continued to Mapledurham lock for a tantalising glimpse of the watermill (site of several happy days when the boys were young). The next strecth was not very attractiive - the path turns inland to Purley and along the A329 for a short while before crossing under the railway just north of Tilehurst station to continue between the railway and the river.
Rosie was in need of a rest as we got into the outskirts of Reading, so we stopped at the first bench we came across. We didn't stop long after we noticed that that was 'can of strong cider and dog on a string' territory.
The final stretch was through the old Reading Festival site. There were fewer supermarket trolleys in the river than there would had been in those days.
View The Thames Path: Goring to Reading in a larger map
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