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