Thames Path Ramble 12: Saturday 11th July 2015 Goring to Tilehurst,
which is about 8 miles.
Sue C, Jem, Sue H, Peter, Ann, Julie, Margaret H and I recovered from
our car journeys in the Pierrepont Café, before heading across the road to walk
down to the river. After a short distance, we came out into the Goring Gap,
which is where the river cut itself a channel through the chalk hills during
the Ice Age. It is quite dramatic, with the Berkshire Downs dominating above
the opposite bank. It is also where the Icknield Way and Ridgeway Path cross.
There were a number of trees that had fallen or part fallen along this
stretch and been left at odd angles by or across the towpath.
There were also some very posh residences on the far bank:-
We came to a meadow just before the railway, known as Little Meadow.
This is a three acre wildflower meadow that was gifted to the Anne Carpmael
Charitable Trust in 2012. They were busy mowing the meadow when we were passing.
They were also clearing away the mowings to remove excess nutrients and thereby promote
biodiversity.
The bridge for the railway was designed in the 1830s by Brunel and is
considered to be one of his masterpieces.
A mile or so later, we were departing from the river at a point where
there was once a ferry to enable boat users to continue along the towpath on the
other bank of the river. However, we instead had to slowly ascend on a path along a
wooded bank through Hartslock Wood Nature Reserve. The track was soon going
down steeply to a dry bottom and then up the other side. It was so steep that
there were steps cut in at the side of the track to help walkers up. At the top,
we stopped for a well-earned rest.
We then carried on until we reached the road to Whitchurch. Whitchurch itself is pretty and we passed the Greyhound pub and the church on our route.
We had the group photo near Whitchurch Mill (now converted into housing),
a very pretty area with the Whitchurch Toll Bridge in the background. Margaret
B, Hugh, Carna and I had done the walk a week earlier and had our own little
group photo taken from Pangbourne Meadow on the other side of the river.
The bridge is one of only two toll bridges remaining on the Thames, the other
being at Swinford, which we crossed back in March on Walk 7. Whitchurch Bridge
was opened in 1902, but was found ten years ago to be nearing the end of its
useful life. It was reconstructed between October 2013 and September 2014 at a
cost of £6m. As it was a Grade II listed structure, very careful planning was
needed to maintain the look of the bridge as well as to comply with modern
safety and structural standards
Pangbourne Meadow, owned by the National Trust, is where Three Men in a
Boat finished. It was an ideal place for our packed lunches. We found a shady
spot and watched red kites soaring high above.
After lunch, the walk was very different, this time on open grassland with the Chilterns on the opposite bank. There was an alpaca farm, Bozedown Alpacas on the opposite bank.
We also caught a glimpse of Hardwick House.
We reached Mapledurham Lock, which was the first lock on the Thames to
be mechanised in 1956. There is a welcome tea hut there, which we of course put
to good use. Mapledurham House is nearby, but out of site on the far bank. Part
of The Eagle Has Landed was filmed there. Its mill is the only working mill
left on the Thames.
From Mapledurham Lock the path leaves the river and goes past housing in
Purley Village, eventually coming out onto the main A329 and 200 yards later to
the Roebuck, a former hotel, where our walk finished. We then walked a bit
further to Tilehurst Station for a short train journey back to Goring.
Apart from the alpacas and red kites, we also spotted some great-crested
grebes with young, swans with young cygnets, geese, cattle, horses, a small
tortoiseshell butterfly and a monkey puzzle tree with fruit. All in all, it was
a beautiful walk.
