Thames Path Day 6: Newbridge to Farmoor, about 7 miles, walked on Thursday 5th March 2015

Thames Path Day 6: Newbridge to Farmoor, about 7 miles, walked on Thursday 5th March 2015

After a bus ride from Witney, we started out from The Rose Revived to continue along the now straighter Thames.

Here, at Northmoor Lock, we paused for a coffee stop. Some had seen an otter swimming to the far bank (later the lock-keeper advised that it was more likely to be a mink). Above, the older paddle and rymer water control system can be seen. We watched as the lock-keeper inserted and hammered in paddles, while wearing protective clothing and harnessed to a wire.

We continued and still this part of Oxfordshire is remote and very quiet (especially on a coldish March day).

Our lunch stop was by The Ferryman at Bablock Hythe. The ferry no longer runs, but the chain gear that hauled the car ferry and slopes into the water either side, could be seen. A couple of geese amused us by standing on one leg for sometime.

Starting off again, we headed away from the river, by a caravan park and through  fields (some a bit muddy with large piles of willow brash ready for burning).

After the diversion away from the riverside we rejoined the Thames just before Pinkhill Lock and weirs.

It is a bit of a squash now to get us all in a photograph! This is just before the path leads away from the river briefly to Oxford Road, Farmoor and where we departed to the bus stop to return back to our accommodation. After three days of walking we (that is Margaret B., Dot, Sue and Jem, Sue and Peter, Clive, John, Ann, Julie, Jean, Valmai, Margaret H and us) felt a sense of achievement having covered another 23 miles or so of the Thames Path. All went well with the walking and the company was great.