First steps seawards
First fields
Infant Thames
First steps seawards
Stage 1, 5th-11th June: 99km/61.5 miles
Day 1, 1st walking day: Source to Cricklade (17.3 km/12 ¼ miles)
Day 2, 2nd walking day: Cricklade to Lechlade (17.3km/10 ¾ miles)
Day 3, 1st SUP day: Lechlade to Rushey Lock (17km/10 ½ miles)
Day 4, 2nd SUP day: Rushey Lock to Bablock Hythe (17km/10 ½ miles)
Day 5, 3rd SUP day: Bablock Hythe to Godstow, N. Oxford (12km/7 ½ miles)
Day 6, 4th SUP day: Godstow to Radley (16km/10 miles)
Day 1 (walking day 1): Source to Cricklade, 17.3 km/12 ¼ miles
A small party escorted me to the source near Cirencester to see me off. Felt awful leaving our dog Treacle behind-she’s used to walking with me and couldn’t understand why on this occasion she wasn’t coming too. But in dog years she’s even older than me so there was simply no choice.
At the edge of a broad field, the source is marked by a stone placed by Thames Conservators, and a Thames Path sign reminding me of the 184 miles to the Barrier. Being Summer there was just a group of large pebbles, but having set off across the cattle field, soon there were clear signs of a watercourse to my left-a thin line of vegetation which became more pronounced as I walked. After a few fields I came to ancient Lyd Well (‘loud well’): rivulets dammed by a small stone wall form into a broad, clear pool-Follow the Thames had begun.
It was cool and cloudy, the sun breaking through at times as the day wore on-ideal for walking. Steadily the small spring developed into a distinct stream a few feet across, ever-present beside me, featuring reeds, water lilies and other aquatic plants. I crossed fields and stiles, even small bridges-through a broad, gentle agricultural landscape. Apart from meeting a few dog-walkers and four other Thames Path walkers, I was alone-just cattle, sheep, ducks and bright blue dragonflies for company.
An afternoon spent weaving through the lakes and creeks of Somerford Lakes Reserve and Cotswold Water Park-glimpses of holiday homes, a watersports centre, Here the Thames is lost to the walker, so I was pleased to be reunited with it-now about 8 feet wide-as I reached Hailstone Hill, a village adjacent to Cricklade.
Day 2 (walking day 2): Cricklade to Lechlade, 17.3km/10.75 miles
A stunning sunny day. Trotted downhill to the river: a bright gleam among the green of field and meadow.
Soon faced the problem of following the Thames Path through a flooded water-meadow (must have looked quite a sight hopping and skipping everywhere to avoid getting my boots soaked); consoled by reaching Cricklade North Meadow, an old hay meadow now owned by Natural England, an SSSI and unusual for being managed over hundreds of years as Lammas Land. A few botanists crouching in the tall grass brought my father to mind-President of the Alpine Garden Society and hugely knowledgeable about plants, he would have loved it. I was so tempted to divert from the path and spend some time wandering among the beautiful wild flowers but had to press on.
After several instances of getting quite lost the previous day I was much better at knowing when to check my National Trail Guide: found my way up Cricklade’s handsome High Street, then back down to the river-now feeling like a ‘proper’ river, several feet wide, after being joined by The Churn. Walked under the huge concrete bridge of the A419 which by-passes Cricklade-the roar of traffic above a strange contrast to the tranquillity of the river below. A few candles poised next to the water’s edge and my first graffiti (“peace”)-a gathering point for Cricklade’s youth and activists?
Apart from one small village-Castle Easton (pop. 251) there was nothing today but sun, field and meadow. Some long, hot and difficult hikes on rutted terrain at the edge of fields of crops; the river to my left mostly obscured by tall vegetation-then suddenly an opening would appear, and a swan and cygnets glide past. Distant cuckoos calling, wild dog rose-more dragonflies.
I must be the only Thames Path walker to be interested in and photograph pieces of modern water infrastructure: yesterday a small sewage pumping station at the tiny village of Ewen, today an intriguing (apparent) footbridge over the Thames which actually artfully conceals what looks like two enormous water pipes (must ask someone about that).
The only person I met all afternoon was a girl riding bareback, leading two Shetland ponies, on a long bridle path which diverts from the river. At the end of this section there’s a tedious mile-long slog along the busy main road into Lechlade, which I was dreading. So was delighted to stumble upon a Thames Path route change: around an airfield and back to the river, fully visible from the bank. It was like meeting an old friend.
It’s always a shock to reach a settlement after a day’s remote walking; arriving at Lechlade was no exception. On a brilliant Summer evening the crowds were out (and the bins overflowing) in the Riverside Park. I pressed on past Halfpenny Bridge and through a cattlefield to the first lock on the Thames: St John’s Lock, and the Trout Inn.
Thames Path in flood
Flora
Thames Path in flood
Day 3 (SUP day 1): Lechlade to Rushey Lock, 17km/10 ½ miles
I gave myself a day to rest the legs after two days’ solid walking, organise my camping and paddling equipment, and meet up with The Whale Company. They’re an environmental organisation doing their Source to Sea on paddleboards made out of plastic bottles, visiting schools and meeting MPs along the river and delivering the children’s messages about plastic pollution to Parliament. As I’m new to stand up paddleboarding (‘SUP’), joining their expedition-but on a conventional board-enabled me make my way downriver on a paddleboard.
SUP affords a different perspective of the river: gliding slowly along, swans and ducks as intermittent escorts, reeds and lilies at the water’s edge; open sections with fields on either side broken by wooded parts, with huge overhanging trees and fallen branches. Although navigable from Lechlade, the Thames felt small and intimate, with little river traffic. I was stunned by how unspoilt it appears-renewed respect for The Environment Agency.
We negotiated our way through four locks, reaching isolated Rushey Lock where we camped next to the lock itself. My brother, joining me for two days of the trip, was staying at (another) Trout Inn. So on with the walking boots, to resume the Thames Path to join him for dinner.
Day 4 (SUP day 2): Rushey Lock to Bablock Hythe 17km/10 ½ miles
Woken in my tent at 4am by birdsong. A bit different to living under the Heathrow flightpath in Putney. Slightly brighter today although still cloudy with the sun occasionally breaking through.
Tackling sharp bends as the river meanders was difficult-you have to push your paddle away from the board in a wide sweeping motion in order to turn it, but with the narrow river and strong currents I often found myself hurtling towards the reeds, the only way to turn the bend was to frantically backpaddle and start again. Renewed respect for rowing coxes.
Another hazard: horseflies, taking advantage of a paddleboarder’s gentle progress to nip at ankles and legs. Your paddle is a good weapon for swiping them away-but you also risk falling in.
Negotiating locks (of which there are 45 on the non-tidal Thames) can be tricky: you need to avoid the weir stream, drop to your knees as you approach, and once in the lock remain crouched on your knees whilst holding on to hanging chains as the level drops-quite alarming the first time you experience it. Above Oxford the locks are still operated manually, usually by lock-keepers whom we found unfailingly friendly and helpful. The locks themselves are beautifully maintained (another tick for the Environment Agency). Today we had only two locks-Shifford and Northmoor-as the river continued its slow and gentle progress through Oxfordshire countryside to Bablock Hythe, camping next to the pub. My sister Tricia, acting as the group’s vehicle support over the weekend, had brought me a pillow. After two nights using a rucksack for head support it felt wonderful.
Locks, bottleboards and paddleboards, evening at Bablock Hythe
Day 5 (SUP day 3): Bablock Hythe to Godstow, N. Oxford 12km/7 ½ miles
Our last day of the remote and undisturbed part of the Upper Thames. Apart from Pinkhill and Eynsham Locks, and Farmoor Reservoir, still little sign of human life.
But plenty of signs of life from signal crayfish: a large lobster-like non-native invasive species which burrows deep into the riverbank, causing erosion, bank collapse and sediment pollution. Holes on the riverbank a common sight.
On my walk I had been dismayed to find a discarded black dog-poo bag at Lyd Well, and a plastic bottle enmeshed in branches just a mile downstream of the source. On SUP we did daily ‘paddle and pick’, collecting (overwhelmingly plastic) rubbish from the river as we went along. At first our finds had been few and far between, but of course as one progresses downstream the human impact becomes greater: more and more plastic bottles, flip-flops, a TV aerial, a hi-fi set.
The entrance to the Oxford canal, closely followed by another lock and the thundering roar of the Oxford by-pass overhead, and suddenly we were passing Sunday afternoon walkers and the ruins of Godstow Abbey. Camped next to boat trailers at St Edward’s School boathouse across from Port Meadow floodplain, and near (yet another) Trout Inn.
Litter collections from the Upper Thames
Day 6 (SUP day 4): Godstow to Radley 16km/10 miles
Woken early by cows on the opposite bank. Opened the tent flap to see the start of a stunning sunny day.
A mix of industrial and residential buildings along the Thames through Oxford, and some wonderful names: Black Jack’s Hole, Fiddler’s Island, Sheepwash Channel. As we passed the College boathouses we had the Isis (the alternative name for the Thames as far down as Dorchester) to ourselves.
After Oxford, where the Cherwell joins the river, the Thames felt different: wide and slow-moving, now a large waterway with more traffic. Riverbank features changed: adjacent electricity pylons, more boat moorings, houses and pubs. And the most alarming find so far among the reeds: a discarded syringe. At Sandford Lock-the deepest on the non-tidal Thames-we encountered our first (small) boat queue. Straight after, in a turn where the weir water joins the stream, we found a huge collection of debris trapped in bushes and reeds to add to the collection on our boards: there was insufficient room to carry it all.
We paddled along the broad, peaceful stretch of Radley Reach, among fields again, to journey’s end at Radley College Boathouse. Against a backdrop of busy boat club activity on a hot summer afternoon, I spoke to some teenage boys about The AHOY Centre: the very different lives and life chances of children of similar ages in deprived parts of London:
“The river you row on here is the same river they use, although it is larger and tidal at Deptford. AHOY enables them to go out on the river to meet the same physical and mental challenge as you: fostering self-confidence, working as a team, and communicating with fellow crew members; helping to build a different mindset leading to a better future”.
And that’s what this is about….
Return to the menu bar for an overview or to follow other stages of my journey.