Stage 19: Radley to Oxford

Dear Bertie

Today you are nearly 9 months old and we headed back to Oxfordshire for stage 19!

We arrived at lovely Radley Station and headed back to the river where were left it.

We passed an old map which shows how far we have come since we started in Erith in November when you were just 13 weeks old!

The sun came out and of course you fell asleep - 

We stopped at a lovely pub, The Kings Arms, on Stanford lock

where you made a mess of the carpet again with mixed vegetables. 

Back on the path, we went under a big railway bridge with some colourful graffiti that you liked. 

As we approached the town, lots of very fit young rowers starting appearing, training  hard for the famous boat race this summer. 

     Dozens of rowing boat 'houses' line the river. 

We passed some house boats with funny names where some families live on the water all year round known as 'The boat people of Britain'. 

We walked through some lovely cottages lining the river in Oxford before heading back to the station

We went over an iron bridge proudly showing the Oxford local board plaque.



    You played happily with your toys on the way home.

GPS route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29107096

TOTAL DISTANCE: 12 KM

Feeding stops: 1

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Feeding stop:
Kings Arms, Sandford Lock:  baby change, high chairs, decent lunch menu


Travel:
Outbound, 3 changes: Clapham Junction - Reading - Oxford - Radley
Inbound, 2 changes : Oxford - Reading - Clapham Junction

Stage 18 - Culham to Radley

Dear Bertie,

Today you have just turned 8 months old and are now weighing 7.5kg. My poor back :)

It was another gorgeous sunny day and Spring has begun. We got up early and headed back to Culham and took a short cut along a rather busy road back to join the Thames Path.



We stopped for our lunch in The Nags Head pub on the river where you threw a lot of your lunch on the carpet - oops!

 Back on the path we crossed the massive Abingdon lock - 

which was constructed many years ago around 1624. It is the oldest surviving lock chamber in the UK, and possibly Europe!

Then we walked under a rickety old metal railway bridge which is the main GWR line from London to Oxford.

We passed a pirate barge close to the Abingdon rowing club, which was established in 1958.

The blossoms were out on all the trees and we walked through a beautiful tunnel of sweet smelling white flowers.

We arrived in Lower Radley which is a picturesque and very quiet Oxfordshire village full of beautiful thatched cottages dating back to the 14th century. 



You were exhausted on the way home and fell asleep on me amongst all the commuters on the train.



TOTAL DISTANCE: 13.4 KM

Feeding stops: 2

Nappy changes: 6 - you had the shits!

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Feeding stop:

The Nags head, Abingdon: baby change, high chairs and large teapots for warming food. Proper food and lighter lunch menu.

Travel:
Outbound, 3 changes: Clapham Junction - Reading - Didcot - Culham
Inbound, 3 changes : Radley - Oxford - Reading - Clapham Junction

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29605510

Stage 17: Shillingford to Culham

Dear Bertie,

Today we had our second stage with Grandpa! As usual, he picked us up from the station and we went for your lunch in the Shillingford hotel. All the staff thought you were very cute. Grandpa fed you chicken risotto and you made a royal mess on their bar carpet.

We rejoined the path at Shillingford Bridge, a beautiful old stone bridge with boathouses lining the river



Unfortunately the heavens opened as we crossed a barley field and it got very wet.  I covered you with the hood and then we hid under a tree waiting for the rain to pass.  Unfortunately it didn't so we ploughed on through the fields alongside the river.



We crossed the Days Lock - The World Poohsticks Championships were held each year on the Little Wittenham and Dorchester footbridges next to Day's Lock for 35 years until 2015. The game is described in A.A. Milne's book, The House at Pooh Corner.  I'll read this book to you one day!
















After meeting Grandpa on the path near Culham, the rain got much heavier so we had to rush through a field of angry cows 

And take shelter in a pub where we had average burgers, you drank your milk and played with Grandpa.

Before catching the commuter train back into London before your dinner!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 10 KM

Feeding stops: 2

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Feeding stop:

Shillingford Hotel: Very old school, open for drinks/ your early lunch. Baby change and comfy sofas in the bar area.

The Barley Mow, Clifton Hampden nr Culham: high chair, baby change, no comfy sofas, food average.

Travel:
Outbound, 3 changes: Clapham Junction - Reading - lift from Grandpa! You can take a bus from Didcot to near Shillingford though.
Inbound, 3 changes : Culham - Didcot - Reading - Clapham Junction

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29505599

Stage 16: Cholsey to Shillingford

Dear Bertie,

Today you are nearly 5 months old and we met Grandpa for our next leg of the Thames, Stage 16, Cholsey to Shillingford.

Grandpa picked us up from Reading station again and we headed to a cafe in Cholsey for your milk lunch and bacon sarnies for us.

Grandpa dropped us at the river on Ferry lane  and we journey'd north up the Thames path.

We passed through the town of Wallingford which has a medieval castle, where Henry V11 lived before it fell into disrepair and is now in ruins. 

        We went under a lovely old stone bridge. 

Grandpa then met us for the last half of the walk at Benson Lock weir.  It is the first pound lock built by the Thames Navigation Commission in 1788 and was replaced by the present masonry lock in 1870. The distance between Benson and Cleeve locks downstream is 6.5 miles (10.4km) which is the longest distance between locks on the River Thames. 

And we reached Shillingford for a picture on the bridge overlooking the river and an old wooden boathouse. 

Before getting cosy in the Shillingford hotel bar for your milk lunch and some late lunch for us!

Well done Bertie - we are doing so brilliantly!

DETAILS:

Total distance - 11km

GPS link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2166552622

Travel:

Outbound: CLJ - Reading - Cholsey - lift to river with Dad

Inbound: Dad lift back to Reading - CLJ

Feeding stops:

Cafe in Cholsey - Cafe Denorme: good for bacon sarnies, no baby change.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cafe+Delorme/@51.5750766,-1.1705025,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x4876bd51d418139f:0x1dab0e30fcab3e2a!8m2!3d51.5750725!4d-1.1529875

Shillingford Hotel:

Open for lunch, nice sofa area near the bar, basic food and happy to warm food for you too

http://www.shillingfordbridgehotel.co.uk

Stage 15: Pangbourne to Cholsey

Dear Bertie,

Today you are over 6 months old and well and truly into weaning!

We arrived in Pangbourne for a short walk through town and over the lovely Whitchurch bridge with white painted railings. 

And we stopped in a pub for your latest vegetable puree lunch and milk. 

We then walked through a lovely village called Whitchurch on Thames and the path took us away from the river, where you fell asleep.

We went up a big hill and through a big Gruffalo wood looking down at the river below.

We passed a huge boathouse 

before arriving at the small Cholsey station for our journey home

TOTAL DISTANCE: 12.8 KM

Feeding stops: 2

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Feeding stop:
Pub in Pangbourne - can't find which one but there is the Ferryboat and Greyhound Inn

Travel:
Outbound, 3 changes: Clapham Junction - Reading - Pangbourne

Inbound, 3 changes : Cholsey - Reading - Clapham Junction

GPS link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29505599

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2130236463

Stage 14: Reading to Pangbourne

Stage 14: Reading to Pangbourne

Dear Bertie,

You are now 5 months and you are a very happy boy! I have sadly lost my photos from this walk so here is a super cute photo of you at home the day before this stage in January 2018...

Today we headed back to Reading, (a fancy modern station), on a lovely quick direct train from our home - Clapham Junction. You had a yummy puree on the train alongside the commuters. At the station, Mummy grabbed a quick snack then we headed out across the busy road past an industrial estate to join the river path. Soon after you dropped off to sleep for your lunchtime nap and we took on Stage 14 of our river mission.

We passed lots of big buildings and hotels and Mummy remembered when she came here as a teenager to go to Reading Festival where she worked as a steward directing people to toilets, got foot rot and came home early. I wonder if you will like festivals when you are bigger? 

This part of the walk wasn't very pretty, and we walked through some woods underneath Tilehurst station.

Near the end of the walk at Purley on Thames, we left the river path and walked through some residential streets likeHazel Road, with houses and driveways. I hoped we would have a family house of our own one day with a garden for you to play in.

After crossing the railway we were about to take, we joined the river again opposite Mapledurham House, a 12th century family house. The Mill at Mapledurham is the only one still working on the River Thames.

A bit further along the river we approached Pangbourne and the lovely Whitchurch Bridge with clean, white, wrought-iron railings. It is a toll bridge and the original charges ranged from a halfpenny (1⁄480 of a pound) per pedestrian, sheep, lamb, boar or pig. We didn't have to pay anything today!

Then we arrived at our end station for the day - Pangbourne - and Mummy spotted a nice pub for the start on the river - The Swan - of our next stage.

Well done Bertie, we are doing so well!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 11.75km

Feeding stops: 2

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Travel:
Outbound, direct NO changes: Clapham Junction - Reading 

Inbound, 2 changes : Pangbourne - Reading - Clapham Junction

GPS link: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29106893

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/2109040885

Half way point of Bertie walking the Thames

Dear Bertie,

We are now over half way through our walk! 12 stages done and 11 to go :) 

At this point I thought you would like to know where the idea came from...

When you were growing in Mummy's tummy, she felt quite sick and walking was the only activity that she could do without wanting to throw up. As you got bigger and heavier, going uphill was harder work so Mummy did lots of walking around our local London parks and along our local, flat and very pretty River Thames.

When you were 5 months old inside Mummy, she did a 48km walk from Hampton Court to Tower bridge which was where this idea started.

Near to the end of pregnancy, when you were 34 weeks old inside Mummy's tummy, the water which was keeping you warm and safe broke and Mummy was admitted to hospital for a few weeks to make sure that you were OK. 

You stayed inside until you were 37 weeks old, but during those hot summer weeks in hospital, Mummy needed something to keep her busy while awaiting your arrival and that's when she found this blog by The Rambling Man:

https://ramblingman.org.uk/planningatrip/planning-a-thames-path-walk

The website showed a route walking the entire length of the River Thames from its source in Kemble, Gloucestershire to its mouth in Crayford Ness, Dartford. Mummy broke the 183 mile walk into 24 more manageable and baby-friendly stages, starting East so that the earlier stages were near home when you were smaller and Mummy was very anxious, and finishing the walk in the West. 

Mummy intended to start the walk much earlier, but anxiety about feeding you, your weight and general baby admin was quite hard at the start, so we began our big adventure in November when you were 3 months old. You are due to finish the walk by March when Mummy will be going back to work.

But I promise I will find other adventures to keep us busy on our days and weekends together forevermore!

Stage 13 - Henley to Reading BACKWARDS

Dear Bertie,

It was another joyful morning on South West Trains and delays meant we went backwards again, starting in Reading.

We are weaning at the moment so you had yummy swede puree on the train before we hit the river path in the city centre.

We joined the river at the big Reading bridge. 

And entered a wood which is famous for its abundance of the famous Christmas plant, Mistletoe.  When you are a teenager, you may want to get some of this so that people will kiss you underneath it.

We passed through another Gruffalo wood with very tall trees. 

We passed through a lovely place called Sonning where there is a posh school and a big lock. 

 

We entered a new county called Berkshire. The county is known as the Royal County of Berkshire since the Royal residence of Windsor Castle is in the county.

We stopped off in a pub for a pit stop lunch and you admired the large selection of ales.

Before being very careful, looking left and right and left again before crossing a railway line.

We crossed a long wooden footbridge across the Henley lock. 

And arrived in sunny Henley where people where walking their dogs in the park.

And then we read the latest headlines on our train home.  I hope Brexit doesn't ruin your future! Luckily you have a French passport if it all goes to s$%t...

TOTAL DISTANCE: 14.7 KM

Breastfeeding stops: 2

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Feeding stop:
The Baskerville, Lower Shiplake - smart pub restaurant, comfy banquettes with pillows, and tiny baby change above the loo in the ladies
GPS linkhttps://ridewithgps.com/routes/29106871