We both had arranged not to be working this Friday so we would have the option to do a multi-day walk along The Thames. Although the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday was poor, Friday's looked OK, with just some light showers. So Rosie quickly worked out a circular walk along The Thames from Dorchester to Abingdon, and then back via Wittenham Clumps.
We parked at the bridge in Dorchester and crossed to the South bank at Day's Lock, where we'd left the path a couple of weeks ago. The first stretch was a big loop, alongside a typical water meadow, and opposite some very nice houses. There were hardly any other walkers around, and we made very good progress and crossed to the North bank at Clifton Hampden too early to stop at the pub for lunch.
As we approached Culham, the path got very muddy and slippery, and sloped in random directions. We picked our way carefully as it passed through patches of nettles but, in my case, not carefully enough - I slipped over and ended on my bottom with my elbow in a nettle patch and my knee covered in mud.
Rosie realised when we got to Culham Lock that we'd walked around 7 miles already and her planned walk would be a lot longer than she'd thought, so she worked out an alternative route back, again via Wittenham Clumps. Google Maps showed three pubs in Sutton Courtenay, all with good reviews. Our route took us past The Fish, which is not a pub at all, but a small French restaurant that had a 'two courses for £13.50' menu. It didn't take long for us to change our dinner plans. Luckily they didn't mind my muddy knees or our boots.
Ordering was interesting. The staff were all French. Our waitress had almost no English (you'd think any waitress in England would understand 'we are ready to order our food'). Perhaps because the menu was in English, we didn't think to switch to French ourselves. It would certainly have been quicker. There was a notice asking that customers inform the staff if they were in a hurry. We weren't and we didn't. The food was simple and lovely. We hope to return, probably better dressed.
The return leg started through a series of gravel pits, with a clear view of Didcot Power Station. The path then had an official diversion away from the gravel pits and along an unwelcome stretch of road to Appleford. At this point we were close to the river again, but headed Southish en route to Wittenham Clumps, a couple of distinctively shaped small hills, topped by beech plantings. One of them was the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It was a steep climb to the top, but a great view when we got there. After having walked around 15 miles, we were both pleased that it was downhill all the way back to Dorchester. We were too late and too full to visit the super coffee shop on the main street.
We parked at the bridge in Dorchester and crossed to the South bank at Day's Lock, where we'd left the path a couple of weeks ago. The first stretch was a big loop, alongside a typical water meadow, and opposite some very nice houses. There were hardly any other walkers around, and we made very good progress and crossed to the North bank at Clifton Hampden too early to stop at the pub for lunch.
As we approached Culham, the path got very muddy and slippery, and sloped in random directions. We picked our way carefully as it passed through patches of nettles but, in my case, not carefully enough - I slipped over and ended on my bottom with my elbow in a nettle patch and my knee covered in mud.
Rosie realised when we got to Culham Lock that we'd walked around 7 miles already and her planned walk would be a lot longer than she'd thought, so she worked out an alternative route back, again via Wittenham Clumps. Google Maps showed three pubs in Sutton Courtenay, all with good reviews. Our route took us past The Fish, which is not a pub at all, but a small French restaurant that had a 'two courses for £13.50' menu. It didn't take long for us to change our dinner plans. Luckily they didn't mind my muddy knees or our boots.
Ordering was interesting. The staff were all French. Our waitress had almost no English (you'd think any waitress in England would understand 'we are ready to order our food'). Perhaps because the menu was in English, we didn't think to switch to French ourselves. It would certainly have been quicker. There was a notice asking that customers inform the staff if they were in a hurry. We weren't and we didn't. The food was simple and lovely. We hope to return, probably better dressed.
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