Wednesday 28 April 2010
After a good breakfast at the Tree Hotel it was just a short walk through Iffley village to the Lock and onto the Thames Path. Iffley is a pleasant village with church built in 1170 that is apparently the finest example of Romanesque architecture in England. However, with such a long way to go we did not delay and so pressed on to the start of the day’s walk.

For the first mile or so out of Iffley the path maintains the high standard we saw through Oxford. Then quite suddenly it changes to the more normal rough tow path. This change seemed to coincide with the last of the University Rowing Clubs and the extremity of the cycling rowing coaches – funny that. But more importantly, from now on there would be no more student rowers to brighten the day!
This stretch of the Thames has more signs of industry with a criss-cross of railways, roads and power lines as we head towards Didcot Power station. However, we are walking through peaceful fields with very little noise and even fewer walkers.
The relative tranquillity enabled us to see and hear plenty of bird life. We heard Skylarks, Reed Warblers and our first Cuckoo of the year. We also saw quite a few Red Kites. Red Kites are magnificent birds with, as most readers will know, a distinctive forked tail and a wingspan of nearly two metres. They are primarily scavengers and opportunists, which probably explains why one or two always seemed to be hovering just overhead whenever we stopped.

Note: This is a library photograph as Chris was more interested in watching the kites than getting his camera out!
The Thames Path is easy to follow, except when there are diversions. In one section the path was closed for construction of a new bridge. However, beyond a sign explaining that the path was closed, diversion information was very short. We soon found what we thought was a suitable route, but the way through became a little difficult as can be seen in the photograph below.
Our first stop of the day was Abingdon and the opportunity for a decent cappuccino. Abingdon is an interesting town and there are posters proclaiming it as the oldest town in England. There are plenty of old buildings to support this claim, including the Old Gaol which is being redeveloped into complex of shops, cafes and apartments (presumably with 6’ by 4’ rooms and small, high windows).
The centre of the town is dominated by the County Hall built towards the end of the seventeenth century in the architectural style of Christopher Wren. The cellars were used as a warehouse, the lower colonnade as a market - and the upper floor as a Courtroom. The building is now the town museum.
After our healthy dose of caffeine we were off with a spring in our step for the three miles to the village of Culham and lunch. Culham may boast a Science Centre that is UK home for fusion research, but it is very short on pubs. Our Ordnance Survey map showed a pub just off the Path, but this was closed and in the process of being converted into a house. We looked in vain for another, and were just about to continue walking when a local (actually, a Geordie) gave us directions to the nearby Wagon & Horses. Unsurprisingly, given the shortage of local hostelries, this was quite busy and the “all you can eat” Thai buffet was popular. After our full breakfast we were not up to the buffet and instead opted for a sandwich and a pint of Oxford Gold.
Culham was 11 miles from our start point, and even after a late lunch, the day was still young. We therefore decided to press on a further 3 miles to the village of Clifton Hampden. We ended the day’s walk sitting outside the Plough Inn (no drinks as it was shut for the afternoon) whilst we waited for a taxi back the Tree Hotel. In total we had walked 14 miles and the ride back in the taxi was very welcome.
We have now covered 67 miles and are more than a third of the way to the Thames Barrier.
At this point we would like to thank all those people who have donated to the appeal in aid of Woking Hospice. We have exceeded our initial target and currently total just over £2000. We have now increased the target to £3000 and hope to reach this by the time we get to the Thames Barrier!
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