Stage 3, 13th-26th September: 152.74km/95 miles
Day 10, 5th SUP day: Caversham Bridge to Henley-on-Thames (17.7km/11m)
Day 11, 6th SUP day: Henley-on-Thames to Bourne End, Upper Thames SC (17km/10m)
Day 12, 7th SUP day: Bourne End, Upper Thames SC to Windsor slipway (17km/10 miles)
Day 13, 5th walking day: Windsor slipway to Staines (15km/9.25miles)
Day 14, 6th walking day: Staines to Hampton Court (20.2km/12.5 miles)
Day 15, 7th walking day: Hampton Court to Kew Bridge ( 23.2km/14.5 miles)
Day 16, 8th walking day (half day): Kew Bridge to Putney (9 km/5.75 miles)
Day 17, 9th walking day: Putney to Vauxhall (10.3km/6.4 miles)
Day 18/19: 10th walking day (half day): Vauxhall to Tower Bridge ((7.34km/4.56m)
Day 19: Rowing from Tower Bridge to the Thames Barrier and beyond
"How best to encapsulate this glorious day? Possibly the most beautiful day of the journey: caught between seasons, the sun shone warm enough for Summer, trees and vegetation glowed with the first flashes of Autumn-all reflected, with a near cloudless blue sky, on a gentle, glistening Thames."
Day 10 (SUP day 5): Caversham Bridge to Henley-on-Thames (17.7km/11m)
Joined by colleague Alex; we met at Caversham Bridge where, for a moment, he mistook my husband Richard’s cry of “Treacle!” as a term of endearment for me (when in fact Richard was trying to stop our dog from chasing birdlife and scavenging for breadcrusts as he unloaded SUP equipment).
Alex, an experienced paddleboarder, was great company and an impressive paddling companion: effortlessly hoisting up the boards for portage around locks, tracing our journey on his phone, skilfully paddling with one hand while taking scenic photos with the other-way beyond my capabilities.
Soon after setting off we were welcomed by a small reception committee and coffee outside Thames Water’s Reading HQ. Chatted by the river in the sunshine, then moment of truth: paddling off under a bridge towards Caversham Lock, everyone watching to see if we would fall in-fortunately we disappointed them. Passed the entrance to the Kennet & Avon Canal; commercial buildings, the wharves and marinas I had often seen from the train gave way to riverside homes, then a park, then countryside. Being a weekday river traffic was sparse-a few narrow boats, a dredger, a small cruiser, some sculling boats and a pair.
How best to encapsulate this glorious day? Possibly the most beautiful day of the journey: caught between seasons, the sun shone warm enough for Summer, trees and vegetation glowed with the first flashes of Autumn-all reflected, with a near cloudless blue sky, on a gentle, glistening Thames.
Somewhere along the river around picturesque Sonning Lock and eighteenth century Sonning Bridge is George and Amal Clooney’s house (sadly no coffee invitation there). Instead we enjoyed a secluded, still length of the river, all to ourselves; paddled past several small islands or aits thick with trees, then rounded a bend to see Shiplake’s rooftops and spires towering on a hill above, with Shiplake College boathouse on the river’s edge below. Alex was in charge of finding a suitable riverside lunch stop, so we halted at The George and Dragon Wargrave, with small pontoons strategically placed below an outdoor terrace. As we departed, despite our alcohol-free lunch I caught my foot on some protruding nails and nearly flew off my paddleboard right under the noses of the lunchtime clientele: a narrow escape.
In the afternoon the wind picked up and the still heat of the day passed. By the time we reached Henley some clouds had blown in. We parted at Hobbs of Henley, a family boating business nearly 150 years old. They kindly allowed us to leave our paddleboards overnight: Alex’s for collection the next day, mine for the next leg of my journey.
Day 11(SUP day 6) Henley-on-Thames to Bourne End, Upper Thames Sailing Club (17km/10m)
To set off on a paddleboard you clamber onto it (in my case, invariably in rather ungainly fashion) from the shore or pontoon into a kneeling position; once in calm water with no obstacles, you stand up, whereupon the board wobbles with your shifting weight and it takes a few moments to adjust your balance. Today I was so nervous of my first day of solo paddling that my knees trembled and the board wobbled more than ever; but the thought of falling in before passers-by on the bridge and right in front of the Henley Royal Regatta HQ brought me to my senses.
A breezy day and choppy water, with the wind WSW I had a slight crosswind down the famous regatta course; passed Temple Island with James Wyatt’s distinctive ornamental folly, and on to Hambledon Lock where the river turns eastwards again so I had a following wind. But with the remote 3 ½ mile stretch to Hurley Lock being more sheltered, I could set a steady paddling rhythm and my confidence returned. And with a further three locks in quick succession, my portage technique rapidly improved.
A day for riverside architecture: poised on a high bank overlooking the Thames at a break in the trees, secret eighteenth century Culham Court, built by the architect Sir William Chambers (who also built Somerset House and The Royal Pagoda at Kew); Medmenham Abbey-from the same period but very different construction, built on the site of a Cistercian abbey-with white walls bright against surrounding greens; the modest timber boat club buildings of the RAF Rowing Club and mellowed stone of Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre. At Marlow I passed the solid towers of William Tierney Clark’s suspension bridge, and found myself paddling through the middle of the town, homes and commercial properties abutting the river. A sign at the lock indicated I had 56 ¾ miles to go to reach London.
Under the A404 road bridge, round a sharp left hand bend in the river, the steep hill of Quarry Wood opposite me; then a long broad reach to Bourne End in open countryside. Helped by the strong tailwind I made quick progress to Upper Thames Sailing Club. I disembarked, lifted my board off the water and was nearly blown backwards as it caught the wind-it was only then that I realised how strong it had been (17km/h).
Daughter Holly met me with a huge sign: Congratulations 186km done!
Day 12 (SUP day 7): Bourne End, Upper Thames SC to Windsor slipway (17km/10 miles)
Upper Thames Sailing Club had kindly allowed me to leave my board at the club overnight; I departed among a flotilla of sailing boats in the Club’s Merlin Rocket Open Meeting.
Lots of challenges on this day; still windy, though not as strong as yesterday; and lots of Saturday river traffic throughout the day (cruisers, long boats, rowers, barges, and even 3 other paddleboarders), so lots of dropping to my knees to maintain stability.
At Cookham weir, somewhat alarmingly, the river splits into four different channels, but the narrow Lock Cut takes you to Cookham Lock. Sunlight through leaves, flowers in the lock garden, the lock busy with boats-sudden insight into the scenes which had inspired local artists Stanley Spencer and Beryl Cook. You emerge from the lock into the stillness of a deep chasm, enclosed by trees on the right, with Cliveden’s steep thickly wooded hillside on the left. Along the straight section of the river known as Cliveden Deep the view opens on the right to fields and farms-where I came across a man riding his horse into the river (not sure who was more startled, me or the horse); children’s voices rose from the National Trust’s Cliveden woods rising steeply on my left.
After this the river changes: Taplow, Maidenhead, Bray and Windsor follow one after the other, with smaller intervals between them. Locks were busy not only with boats, but also onlookers enjoying what had become a warm sunny day. With more riverside homes and buildings there were few opportunities to moor up for a break and I had been paddling for over 3 hours, so I was relieved to spot a small public slipway just before the weir at Bray, next to a riverside pub. I paddled over. Another set of lunchtime clientele waiting to see me fall in-they didn’t. I rested in the sun eating my snack of nuts and raisins and sipped from my water bottle while the clientele sipped from their champagne flutes-and suddenly realised I had stopped right next to The Waterside Inn: a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Quite enjoyed the contrast of sitting in my scruffy river outfit on my little quay next to all the smartly-dressed diners reclining on their jetty, and couldn’t resist calling out as I departed, again without falling in: “But you never offered me any champagne!”, which raised a few smiles (but no offers).
After the long hot Summer with people enjoying the river, I had expected to see a lot of river litter, and had been pleasantly surprised by how little debris I had found on this stage of my journey; I had wondered if this was because litter was simply concealed by thicker vegetation after Summer’s growth. But finds increased markedly after Bray Lock. At breaks in the trees where people had paused or gathered on small shingle beaches on the riverbank, they had left their litter behind-mostly discarded plastic bottles but also cans, sandwich wrappers, crisp and sweet packets. So quite a few depressing diversions to load my paddleboard with other people’s rubbish-to be disposed of later in bins at Boveney Lock.
There was a festive mood about the river as I approached Windsor: a late Saturday afternoon and people were celebrating what felt like a last taste of Summer in September. At Eton Excelsior Rowing Club children were larking about in a start-of-the-season gathering; on a moored barge a group of friends sipped early sundowners; people enjoying the river in crafts ranging from tiny rowing boats to large sightseeing steamers, cruisers shooting off upriver or returning downstream. Then suddenly, at Clewer I turned a sharp left hand reedbend to find Windsor’s distinctive Round Tower straight ahead in the distance, and to my right the Windsor slipway next to the A355 road bridge. I beached the paddleboard and as I began untying my ankle leash and unloading my kit, a loud horn startled me from behind. I turned to find a huge yellow duck bus towering high above me, lights flashing, waiting to launch-and for the only time on the river, was momentarily terrified.
Departing from Bourne End; pause at Cliveden Deep; Treacle's welcome at Windsor slipway
Day 13 (walking day 5): Windsor slipway to Staines (15km/9.25 miles)
Reaching Windsor was a landmark: from now on I was walking the Thames Path again, commuting by train from Putney on the Windsor and Eton Riverside and Hampton Court lines, to wherever I had finished the previous day.
So in the morning I caught the train to Windsor, busy with tourists and Sunday visitors, to start walking from the slipway. Crossed the river twice in quick succession-once by the road bridge to join the Thames Path at Brocas meadow, then a second time on the pedestrian-only bridge linking Eton and Windsor. After two days of solo paddling on the river it was something of a shock to be surrounded by so many people. I pressed on to Romney Lock, stopping to admire the tower of the Victorian waterworks, and to chat to the lockkeeper.
The Thames Path skirts the edge of Windsor Home Park in a huge southerly curve of the river before crossing it at Victoria Bridge, then the path drops down briefly to the river’s edge, enclosed by trees and hedges. After a small diversion away from the river at Datchet, I crossed the river a fourth time, on Albert Bridge, and stayed on the western side of the river until the end of the day.
Despite increasing proximity to London, and Heathrow Airport nearby, the Thames Path was again peaceful and remote: some anglers, a few walkers and cyclists, the slow-moving river ever-present. After the recent windy conditions, it was hot and still, so I was glad of the shade.
This was a Magna Carta day: the Thames Path runs adjacent to the famous island at Runnymede, where I found meadows full of people having picnics. I watched a group of men ‘rescuing’ their small boat, whose outboard motor seemed to have broken down (actually I think it was more of an excuse for a swim); admired the Magna Carta riverside monument and a colourful Magna Carta mural at Bell Weir Lock. Soon afterwards you pass under vast Runnymede Bridge, in fact two adjacent road bridges, carrying clockwise/anti clockwise traffic on the M25. Just as at Clifton Hampden, I was struck by what one misses below when travelling in a vehicle on the bridge above: here, some magnificent 20th century brickwork, and a wonderful bird graffiti illuminated by sunlight reflected on water.
As I approached Staines there was a strong sense of the riverside community, with people enjoying Sunday afternoon sunshine in riverside gardens, and local walkers. A reminder that I was getting closer to London: just before crossing the river to reach Staines railway station I came across a ‘coalpost’: a white cast iron post erected by the Corporation of the City of London in the nineteenth century to warn merchants that they were now liable to pay London coal duties.
Day 14 (walking day 6): Staines to Hampton Court (20.2km/12.5 miles)
When she heard I was walking not far from her home, a colleague Anne joined me spontaneously for the morning. We set off from Staines station with some cyclists destined for Hampton Court, where I too planned to finish-I explained why I was following the Thames from source to sea, and teased them for going the same distance by bike today as I would be travelling on foot.
With Anne for company, and with cloudier and cooler conditions more comfortable for walking, the 6 ¼ miles from Staines to Weybridge ferry sped by. A wide variety of riverside homes and architecture-from small bungalows to mansions old and new (more recent buildings invariably with raised ground floor living accommodation, with a view to flood risk). But there was still a strong sense of the river, with communities benefitting from the Thames but not encroaching on it, and with several open spaces (and even cows grazing at Chertsey Meads). We passed Penton Hook Lock where the river loops, oxbow-fashion, and under the M3 road bridge to smaller, intimate Chertsey Bridge. Signs of the river’s use as a vital water resource: the banks of Burway reservoir in the distance opposite us; and the intake to the vast Queen Mary’s Reservoir.
Anne left me at Shepperton, where a pedestrian-only ferry (one of few remaining on the Thames) crosses from the bottom of Ferry Lane, to Weybridge on the opposite side. I was happy to take the ferry, for various reasons: one has been operating here, on and off, for about 500 years; for a brief moment I would be back on the river again (and could sit down and rest my feet and legs); and walking on the Weybridge side of the river avoids the (longer) walk around Shepperton Loops; I felt the £2.50 fare was well worth it.
A slightly overcast Tuesday afternoon and the Thames Path was pretty well deserted along Desborough Cut: a long, straight section of the river towards Walton, dug in the 1930s to avoid the twisting bends around Shepperton and improve river flow. At Walton Bridge the white curves and cables of today’s road crossing echo the white timber frames of the earlier bridge depicted in Canaletto’s painting at The Dulwich Picture Gallery. From the modern bridge it was quite a long tiring slog to the day’s finish at Hampton Court. But there were unexpected joys: seeing the cyclists from Staines Station enjoying a leisurely lunch at a riverside pub on the Thames Path, I teased them again “So now we know why you are going the same distance as me today despite your faster mode of transport!”; we laughed, and they generously made a wonderful spontaneous donation, there and then, to AHOY; stumbling upon a set of huge old concrete blocks placed incongruously on the path and at the river’s edge-remains of London’s WWII anti-tank defences; a fine inscription ‘Metropolitan Water Board’ on the boundary wall of Molesey reservoir; and David Garrick’s famous 1756 Temple to Shakespeare at Hampton.
Day 15 (walking day 7): Hampton Court to Kew Bridge (23.2km/14.5miles)
Joined today by former colleague Ingrid at Hampton Court station. Overcast and very, very windy-pleased to be on the path not a paddleboard.
Impossible to avoid the historic splendour of Hampton Court Palace as the Thames Path (Barge Walk) runs right next to it. Then on to Kingston, where in a busy modern setting the path diverts briefly past John Lewis, before reverting to a subdued feel among houses, parks, riverside pubs and rowing clubs.
To indicate the purpose of my walk I had attached a ‘Fundraising for AHOY’ sticker to my rucksack. Recently I had decided to stick one to the front of my shirt as well, so as to be visible to people coming towards me (my bemused daughter said the sticker, with my handwritten Follow the Thames link, reminded her of an evacuee’s label). But today a small family group-grandfather, daughter, little granddaughter-walking towards me wearing buoyancy aids and about to set off on a river excursion, stopped to chat, and kindly donated to AHOY.
At Teddington Lock the character of the river changes dramatically. After the long lock approach there’s a large weir, and an intricate system of locks and passes-from boat rollers to a huge 650-foot long barge lock designed to accommodate a steam tug and six barges. This lock system marks the end of the non-tidal Upper Thames and the beginning of the Tideway Thames; navigational jurisdiction passes from the Environment Agency to the Port of London Authority; RNLI stations become a feature of the river. Suddenly the sea feels closer.
After Ham Lands came the first signs of being nearer home: familiar landmarks such as Ham House and Petersham meadows. By the time we reached Richmond with its fine terraces leading down to the river, the cloud cover had blown off and we were walking in full sun. But the wind was as strong as ever: sailings from Richmond Landing stage downriver to Kew and Westminster had been halted owing to the conditions.
Some months earlier I had met one of the owners of The White Swan at Twickenham; he had encouraged me to stop at the pub on my way through. So we diverted by bus from Richmond Bridge back to the pub, to enjoy a wonderful peaceful interlude sitting in the sun by the river, with a delicious late lunch. I felt so rested and reinvigorated that I abandoned my original plan of stopping at Richmond, and once Ingrid had left me I caught the bus back and walked a further 4 miles in the sunshine, skirting the edge of Kew Gardens to reach Kew Bridge.
A sign of getting closer to London: today I used my Oyster card on the buses and on my return journey back to Putney.
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Day 16 (walking day 8, half day): Kew Bridge to Putney (9km/5.75 miles)
Firmly back on home territory today. Living in Putney I am a South of the River person; with Steve as my walking companion we kept to the Thames Path on ‘my’ side of the River.
Another sunny but windy day. My journey the same but also different: the Thames Path is an important National Trail, but I think of it locally as simply ‘the towpath’; sights along the river here are so familiar-Oliver’s Ait near Kew railway bridge, the broad sweep of Chiswick Bridge and adjacent Tideway Scullers School where two of our children at age 11 first went out on the river in sculling boats; the cool metallic grey of Barnes railway bridge and bright green and gold of Bazalgette’s Hammersmith Bridge; the river frontage of Fulham FC opposite as one approaches Putney. And of course, the river changing with the ebb and flow of the tide, and altered from one day to the next by different weather conditions and the passing seasons.
A coffee stop in Mortlake, and home in time for lunch.
Day 17 (walking day 9): Putney to Vauxhall (10.3km/6.4 miles)
Only half a day’s walking but for reasons which should become apparent, I think it counts as a full day.
Up early to prepare for The Big Ben Challenge: a 10km paddleboarding race on the Thames from Putney to Big Ben (with a paddle back afterwards). Normally you can’t paddleboard through central London-with strong tides, heavy river traffic and wash rebounding in waves from the embankment walls, it can be very dangerous. But once a year in September the Environment Agency conducts its annual test closure of the Thames Barrier, holding back the high tide. The Big Ben Challenge is specially organised to take advantage of the relatively calm river conditions.
Down to Westminster School Boat Club where I spent the entire morning waiting with 80 other paddleboarders as heavy rain poured down incessantly outside. A growing feeling of nervousness and amateur inferiority as various (younger and more experienced) impressive outdoor types prepared for the race with their extensive range of protective wear and SUP gear. Tried to distract myself by admiring rowing trophies and honours boards, then spent a great deal of time persuading myself that after all my SUP efforts, I could not give up now (and besides, I would have safety boats and marshalls to assist me if I did get into trouble). Just as I had convinced myself that I could do this after all, the race was cancelled due to the adverse river conditions. Felt that the early start, hours of hanging around and nervous energy spent in the course of the morning must count as Following the Thames.
Traipsed back home, changed into my walking clothes, and returned to the Thames Path.
In the afternoon the rain ceased and the sun came out, frustratingly after the race cancellation, conditions became more benign. Walked round the back of St Mary’s Church and followed the Thames Path through Wandsworth Park, traversing the River Wandle where it meets the Thames beside Wandsworth BC’s riverside waste station. At Wandsworth Bridge I crossed over to the North side of the river, to see old industrial buildings cheek-by-jowl with modern architecture at Chelsea Harbour; followed by the beginning of the long embankment walks next to the river, hiding Bazalgette’s sewers below. In the Sunday afternoon traffic crawling along the embankment I spotted a thatcher’s van (since when were there thatched cottages in London? Or maybe they had been re-thatching The Globe Theatre?); also two smiling nuns. Battersea, Albert and Chelsea Bridges followed in quick succession, then at Pimlico some ducking and diving around buildings and passages as the Thames Path winds between riverside developments. Some Sunday afternoon dog-walkers in tiny Pimlico Gardens-where there’s a statue of a toga-clad William Huskisson ‘Statesman’ (despite a varied political career, he seems best known for being the world’s first victim of a railway accident: at the opening of The Liverpool and Manchester Railway he stepped down on to the line to shake hands with the Duke of Wellington, to be run over by Stephenson’s Rocket).
I was intrigued to see a pair of kayakers disembarking on to a wooden tower jetty: what had their journey been, I wondered?
Returned to the South side of the river at Vauxhall Bridge, a riot of colours: the bridge painted red and gold, turquoise green windows of the MI6 building overlooking the river, blue sky and white scudding clouds and grey-brown river below.
Caught the train from Vauxhall; for the first time on my journey I was travelling in a westerly direction back to Putney, and from the direction of the sea towards the source-getting closer….
Above: River Wandle meets the Thames; Battersea Power Station from Chelea Embankment;
Below: Chelsea Embankment; Vauxhall Bridge
FINAL STRETCH
Day 18 (and day 19, half day): Vauxhall to Tower Bridge (7.34km/4.56m)
An advantage of living close to this section of the river is the ability to fit in shorter walks around other commitments. So Vauxhall to London Bridge was done in two short walks over two separate days, both warm and sunny.
I stayed South of the River for views across the Thames to Westminster and, later, the City skyline. This meant walking through some areas busy with tourists: old City Hall and The London Eye, along the South Bank and past Tate Modern, The Globe, London Bridge market and More London, to Tower Bridge. These were congested banks of the wide river Thames in an urban setting-very different to the isolated narrow streams of the infant Thames in rural Gloucestershire. Even though I had followed the Thames all the way, it was hard to believe it is the same river.
In London the river is grey-brown (from London clay as well as more suspicious sources), its waters move and shift with the stream, the tide, and wash from river traffic buffeting against embankment walls. And there is a lot of river traffic, as the Thames is still a working river: dredgers, waste barges, sightseeing cruises, Thames Clippers river buses, river experiences, even cruise ships passing through Tower Bridge; plus vessels for the various authorities/agencies associated with the river such as the Port of London Authority, the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and the RNLI.
While there’s the constant activity of Londoners and London’s visitors around the Thames, the river steadily courses through the middle of the city-crossed by pedestrians and vehicles over bridges and through tunnels, a backdrop for tourist photos, a means of transport, a source of artistic inspiration, with its own life and its own history-how could the BBC have got their coverage of the 2012 Jubilee River Pageant so wrong?
At London Bridge there’s an inscription on the embankment wall, quoting Sir Walter Raleigh: "There are two things scarce matched in the universe, the sun in heaven and the Thames on earth"
Day 19: Rowing to the Barrier-and beyond (16km/10 miles)
This final day was different to every other and very, very special.
I was out on the river in blazing sunshine, at No. 3 seat in a small rowing skiff, rowing on the huge tidal Thames from Tower Bridge to journey’s end at the Barrier and beyond to Woolwich Arsenal.
It was tiring being out on the water all afternoon and rowing non-stop for 2 ½ hours in the choppy water of the tidal Thames (with blisters to prove it). But I was astounded by the vast expanse of the estuarine Thames. On its banks a mix of waterside buildings and infrastructure reflecting the Thames’ industrial heritage and modern role: canal entrances to the old docks, Canary Wharf and O2 (Dome), Cutty Sark and Royal Greenwich, tiny old pubs and rowing clubs next to vast new build offices and apartment blocks.
But all of this was incidental. The real joy and satisfaction of this day was being with my 6 crew members, all graduate AHOY apprentices, and experiencing their infectious sense of fun yet their commitment to the task in hand: getting me to journey’s end, in support of the apprenticeship scheme.
To end it’s probably best to simply repeat how I described my feelings to the charity:
“Completing my journey by rowing from Tower Bridge to Woolwich turned out to be quite a challenge in the strong sunshine and heat, and I lost count of how many crabs I caught-but it was an absolute blast! I had met most if not all of the apprentices when I visited AHOY earlier in the year, and it was remarkable to see how their confidence, camaraderie and sense of well being-plus their boat skills-had developed. They were such a positive group of young people and I felt so proud of them all, and so privileged to have witnessed and, in my own way, to have been part of their journey. It all demonstrated so clearly what AHOY delivers, and what my fundraising has been about.”
Ending my journey with AHOY graduate apprentices
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