Reading to Goring & Streatley (Thames Path Walk)

 

Reading Bridge

On one of the hottest days of the year, and one of the most humid, my friend and I set out on the Thames Path at Reading. This is where we left off last year. But a couple of nights before we left we were texting one another. The weather forecast was predicting storms with heavy rain on Monday. What should we take in the way of wet-weather gear? Should we do the route a different way (we had a hotel booked for an overnight stay at Pangbourne). Should we be going at all? Maybe we over thought it. Yes, I think we did, but we had every reason to. In the end, we decided to just go for it.

We arrived at Reading station from London. Already it was just gone eleven o'clock and hot. We bought food and extra drink and set off down to the Thames. The bridge (above) was what we first saw. I'd walked this stretch of the Thames Path before to Pangbourne with my husband and remembered how it seemed to go on and on. I called it a bit of bugger! My guide book says it is six/seven miles, but I'm sure it's more. It feels more.

Damselfly

                                                                    The Thames

There were fewer people on the path than I expected (we were obviously the mad dogs and Englishmen/ladies). Not long into the walk we found some shade under trees to stop for lunch. This seemed quite popular with the Reading locals, boat people and dogs. On we went. Stops were frequent, especially for water. I'd bought a Lucazade Sport to drink with my water. It was tip I picked up in Italy when we were on a tour around Pompeii where a lady collapsed. The guide suggested we carry an energy drink as well as water. I topped up my friend's water with supplies of Lucazade and we carried on. It was a day for the full works - sunscreen, sunglasses, hats. We saw lots of wildlife - butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies and the height of the walk, a shrew. It was tiny and cute and run across the path in front of us. It's about the size of a field mouse, but darker in colour. There were also cows. One walked into the Thames to drink.

About three-quarters into the walk there is a cafe. We were looking forward to a stop and a cuppa. Before that we had to negotiate a stretch away from the river, uphill through an estate at Purley-on-Thames. The thought of the cafe kept us going. We were close now. Mapledurham Lock was in sight. I got my friend to sit on the bench while I checked out the cafe only to find it was closed, including the toilet. We were downhearted, hot and weary. We sat for a while, but had no other option but to keep going.

Mapledurham Lock

We knew we were getting closer, especially when we hit Hardwick House. The house was used for scenes in Wind of the Willows, the book by Kenneth Grahame's and illustrated by EH Shepard. It was said Hardwick House was Toad Hall. Grahame lived in Pangbourne for the last few years of his life. I was interested to learn that Grahame had lived in Cookham, also on the River Thames, but I'd seen no mention of him there, and I've  been twice. Cookham is artist, Stanley Spencer, country.

The River Thames

Hardwick House

We finally came to Pangbourne Meadows, owned by The National Trust, but reserves were running low, especially for my friend. I was getting worried and wondered if she would make it. I suspected she was on the edge of heat exhaustion. The stops became more frequent, and when we finally saw Pangbourne Bridge there was whoop of joy.

I was determined to pinpoint our hotel first time. Good old Google maps, where would I be without them? I led my poor friend there first time. The George was on the corner of a main road. We were both so pleased to see it. I asked if we needed to book a table for dinner, only to be told that there was no chef on Monday nights! The receptionist gave us a couple of restaurant ideas, neither of which we fancied in such hot weather. We thought we'd be at the Co-Op 7-10 buying sandwiches. But right now we just needed to rest.

The George Hotel. Our rooms where in the attic.

We had rooms opposite to one another, and they were quirky. I loved my room, but gosh was it hot. The window was closed when I entered. I opened it as far as possible and took a cold shower. Later my friend knocked on my door. After a shower and a forty-minute sleep, she was feeling good again, and I was relieved. We headed out to take a quick look around and found the Cross Keys pub serving food. We had a lovely meal, ending on my favourite, apple crumble and custard! Afterwards we headed to the Co-Op to replenish water and energy drinks for the second walk the following day.

My quirky room

I didn't have the best nights sleep, but that's always me when I'm away. I was kind of sad to say goodbye to my room the next morning. We set off at 8.45am to beat the heat, but this walk was shorter, and as luck would have it, more shaded. This was a pretty walk, by far the better of the two walks. First off we went to look for the house where Kenneth Grahame lived for the latter part of his life. It's next to St James the Less Church in Pangbourne. Soon we came to the beautiful village of Whitchurch-on-Thames where there is a Toll Bridge. There was a great view back to Pangbourne.And then we were rising higher and higher. We had the Chilterns to the right and River Thames to left. Often the river was obscured, but the paths were lovely. 

Cross Keys Pub where we had dinner

St James the Less Church

Kenneth Grahame's house, Pangbourne, Pangbourne Bridge and views

The Toll, Pangbourne

We met other walkers coming in the other direction. Walkers on the Thames Path are always friendly. We swop notes, discuss where we've come from and where we are going. Everyone says hello. Some have come from the USA just to walk the Thames Path. A lot use a baggage transfer service and walk great chunks and more miles than we do in one go. We were carrying everything with us and walkingshorter sections. But I like it this way. Each to their own.

Whitchurch-on Thames

We walked through a place called Basildon, finally coming down to join the river once more. You can always tell when you are getting close to town. The people don't have backpacks because they are locals, suddenly benches pop up, the path becomes more solid. We reached Goring and Streatley. Goring Lock was ahead of us and it was a little before lunch, and then it was off to find a cafe. 

Shady walk

Strings of Caterpillars like rain in the sun

The Chilterns

Railway bridge. Not far now. We've followed the railway since Reading.

Goring Lock. Journeys end.

My guide book lists pubs and cafes. The one I was heading to was The Village Cafe on the edge of an arcade. We had a lovely meal there, sitting outside watching the world go by. We'd made it! From there it wasn't far from the station, and we caught a train back to London.

It had certainly been an eventful walk. Worth it for the second walk, which was around 4/5 miles. A great one to end on. We will be back in Goring in August to walk the next stretch. Oh and we had no storms the day of the Reading walk. To be fair, it would have been too hot to wear a pack-a-mac. Back home there was a storm with torrential rain and the wind broke my parasol. I'm so thankful we weren't walking in that!