Downstream — Trip 1
===================

.. articleMetaData::
   :Where: London, UK
   :Date: 2018-08-10 11:12 Europe/London
   :Tags: blog, downstream, walking
   :Short: downstreamt01

As you might have picked up on, I am walking the whole length of the `Thames
Path`_ currently. All 184 miles from
the source_ to the `Thames Barrier`_. 

I started making videos about each day of walking, which I will be posting
here, but the videos don't tell the whole story so I have decided to write
about it as well. This is the story of my first trip, which I did over 3 days
at the end of June. I had taken the Monday off so that I could to the first 3
stages in one go. That's mostly necessary because there is no, or really
crappy, public transport along this first third of the Thames Path. But both
the source, and Oxford, are reasonably easy to do by train.

.. _`Thames Path`: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/20469
.. _source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Head
.. _`Thames Barrier`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_Barrier

Day 1 — Source to Cricklade
---------------------------

.. vimeo::
   :ID: 277856497
   :Width: 800
   :Height: 450
   :Title: Downstream — Day 1

The first day started by getting the train to Kemble, which is about a mile
away from the source in the Cotswolds_. After being delayed in Paddington for
an hour, the change at Swindon wasn't great either, as the smaller train into
Kemble was very full as the previous London to Swindon train had been
cancelled. Getting from Kemble station to the source was a little bit tricky,
as it wasn't overly well sign posted. And once you get in the fields near the
source, you basically have to have a compass to follow it, as there is no hint
of the river yet at all.

.. _Cotswolds: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotswolds

When I made it to the source, I rested for a bit before starting my walk along
"the river" towards Cricklade_. The first bit was really just walking in a
field, to a little past where I got onto the path from Kemble, where there was
suddenly a little stream, with really clear water. From there on, the river
gradually became wider and wider. Most of this first day was easy to walk,
with mostly paths, and even though I thought I'd see a lot of mud, there was
basically none. It having been so warm in the last few weeks really helped.

.. _Cricklade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricklade

I was also quite excited when I spotted the first wild life. At first I
thought it was a snake, but it turned out to be a fake-snake, a `Slow-worm`_.
We have them in the Netherlands too. Not much after that, I also spotted a
single pheasant.

.. _`Slow-worm`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguis_fragilis

Walking through the `Cotswolds Water Park`_ with its many lakes was quite
variable. Some were quiet and had waterbirds, others were loud with people
attempting to waterski.

.. _`Cotswolds Water Park`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotswold_Water_Park

Just before Cricklade I walked through the `North Meadow`_, with its abundance
of wild plants. Apparently it's one of the very few real meadows left in the
UK.

.. _`North Meadow`: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Meadow,_Cricklade

Once I made it to Cricklade, I checked in into the `White Hart Hotel`_, had a
shower, and promptly `mapped the whole town`_ on OpenStreetMap_. Then it was
time for a pint, and dinner. While checking in my pint on Untappd_ I noticed
that there was a nearby venue, `The Red Lion`_, which also features its own
brews. I spend most of the rest of the evening there trying out their brews in
the nicely cool garden reading a book (and twitter!). It was a good end of the
day after a 22km walk.

.. _`White Hart Hotel`: http://www.thewhitehartcricklade.co.uk/
.. _`mapped the whole town`: http://demo.f4map.com/#lat=51.6409156&lon=-1.8562607&zoom=19&camera.theta=46.146&camera.phi=25.783
.. _OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
.. _Untappd: https://untappd.com/
.. _`The Red Lion`: https://www.theredlioncricklade.co.uk/

Day 2 — Cricklade to Newbridge
------------------------------

.. vimeo::
   :ID: 281056671
   :Width: 800
   :Height: 450
   :Title: Downstream — Day 2

I got up really early (7:30am!!) to have breakfast and to head out as early as
I could. I had to cover a lot of ground today to make it to Newbridge where I
had booked a night to stay in an inn. I knew it was a long way, and
unfortunately I had developed a blister on my heel. Luckily I had packed
blister plasters so this didn't end up too big of a deal. Sunday morning in
Cricklade was really quiet, with only a few people walking their dogs. It is
not a big town, and soon I found myself in the country side.

Just before Lechlade_, my `Thames Path in the Country`_ guide said that there
was an annoying section along the A361, quite a bit away from the river. But
since the guide was written, the Thames Path had been redirected through a
path much closer to the river after having secured access. This new section
had lots of brand new gates, and would surely have been a big improvement if
there weren't a few fields of stinging nettles to get through. Walking in
shorts was not a clever plan there.

.. _Lechlade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lechlade
.. _`Thames Path in the Country`: https://amzn.to/2Mx8f3D

I came upon the first swans, boats, and of course, the first lock_ (St. John's
Lock). I spend a little time here, as locks always fascinated me. But as I had
a long walk today, I didn't linger too long.

.. _lock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lock_(water_navigation)

I had lunch at `Ye Olde Swan`_. I thought their web site had said they brewed
their own beer, but that appeared to be not really true. I still had lunch
with a lovely pint on their outdoor Thames-overlooking terrace.

.. _`Ye Olde Swan`: https://yeoldeswan.co.uk/

After lunch many of the "paths" turned into fields of plants that I had to
battle through for a while, and many had nettles. Where the path was a bit
easier, there were lots of butterflies and dragonflies. I probably brought a
little bit too little water, but found out that most locks will have a water
point. That was particularly useful on this hot section later in the day.

At about 19:00, I made it to the end of the section at Newbridge. I would be
staying at `The Rose Revived`_.

.. _`The Rose Revived`: https://www.oldenglishinns.co.uk/our-locations/the-rose-revived-witney

Day 3 — Newbridge to Oxford
---------------------------

.. vimeo::
   :ID: 281057896
   :Width: 800
   :Height: 450
   :Title: Downstream — Day 3

After a good night's rest I left rather early again. Not quite because I had a
long way to go (only 22km!), but mostly so that I could take it very slowly.
The previous day's walk had definitely taken its toll.

The Thames Path went straight through the pub's garden, so I didn't have very
far to the path. Once I got out of the garden, there were very many rabbits
hopping around, only to be disturbed by me, one fellow hiker, and a very
adventurous farmer which found it necessary to mow the hay at 08:30 in the
morning, on a Sunday.

After having to go around a caravan park bordering the river, and through
fields of sheep, I made good progress. With the river a bit wider, there was
quite a lot more boat traffic on the Thames, and even some people swimming in
it. I guess the Thames is quite a bit cleaner before cities like Oxford,
Reading, and London dump their waste in it.

After about half way, I ran into a sign saying that one of the bridges over
one of the tributaries was closed and that I should take a detour instead.
That detour was very poorly signed, but with some help of the well mapped
paths on OpenStreetMap_, I found myself a new route. About a third through the
detour, on the top of a hill, I ran into another hiker which informed me that
the bridge wasn't actually closed. Which stinks, as this meant that I didn't
actually walk the whole Thames Path, even though it was about the same
distance.

After passing the Godstow_ Abbey Ruins, near Oxford_, the river side became
busy with people (and geese!) that were enjoying the river on this
hot day. I was happy to be done with the walking around 15:00, and refresh
myself with a pint and lunch before heading home by train to London.

.. _Godstow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godstow
.. _Oxford: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford

----

Photos from my Adventure on the Thames Path are available on Flickr_, and all
videos on Vimeo_. You can also see all the photos on a map_.

.. _Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/derickrethans/sets/72157668662396357
.. _Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/manage/albums/5306548
.. _map: https://maps.derickrethans.nl/?l=flickr&lat=51.6&lon=-1&zoom=10#fs=DOWNSTREAM