Thames Path Day 5: Radcot to Newbridge, about 9 miles, walked on Wednesday 4th March 2015

Thames Path Day 5: Radcot to Newbridge, about 9 miles (10.5 Jem miles), walked on Wednesday 4th March 2015

Setting out on a slightly brighter day we made good progress to Radcot Lock.

The river still meandered and this is an open, remote and peaceful section of the Thames.

At Rushey Lock we saw the very new gated weirs that are fully automated. At a cost f £2.8M, these have replaced the older paddle and rymer system, after problems with flooding in 2007.

We stopped for a late morning break by Tadpole Bridge.It was built of stone in the eighteen century and by the look of it has had a recent clean. Some of us went into The Trout Inn for coffees.

Tenfoot Bridge was another wooden bridge we passed, but didn't use, as the Thames Path continues on the north side of the river leading to Shifford Lock cut and Chimney Farm.

I believe this is a raft to monitor mink; their footprints are left in a tray of clay inside the tunnel, or maybe they can be trapped inside.

Lunch time by the footbridge half way along Shifford Lock cut in the sunshine and sheltered by nearby trees.

A group (fleet?) of canoeists passed us one way, then the other. We surmised that they may have been from the local Cokethorpe School on a Wednesday sports afternoon training for the Westminster to Devizes canoe race.








Newbridge, our destination for the day, with the Rose Revived behind  looked good in the sunshine. We had drinks and a piece of cake here.