Stage 21: Bablock Hythe to Tadpole

Dear Bertie,

It's back to Oxfordshire to complete stage 21, with Papa this time! We left home the night before, you wore your jim jams in the car and had a picnic dinner of cheese sandwich and big pear slices. 

                                          Then we tucked you into another big boy bed in our big shared room in the

                                          Trout Inn at Tadpole Bridge.                            

                                          In the morning, we drove to our starting point, Bablock Hythe - 

And headed on to the path in the drizzle. 

                                           We watched a big white dog chasing a stick into the river - 

We passed under some enormous pylons with electricity buzzing and you told 

 me how you would like to build a pylon when we get home and we talked about what you would need for that 

Our first lock was Lockmoor with pretty tall flowers but no boats going through for your strong arms unfortunately. 

We passed a big field of cows and you were so brave and said 'morning vache' as we tip-toed around their giant poos, but Papa managed to get some poo all the way up his leg and was rather grumpy about it. 

On a narrow path we met a big brown Mummy horse and her baby and you bravely stroked them. 

We had a lovely snack stop at Newbridge on a small pontoon on the river.  You met a giant St Bernard dog, found some funny pedaloes and had a wee, then we headed back on the walk. 

We passed some very tall silver trees with bird boxes on them. 

And we crossed a big, rickety, old wooden bridge - 

We passed the enormous Chimney Meadow Nature Reserve; an ancient landscape and vital refuge for wading birds, and popped to the bird hide overlooking the wetlands. 

Then walked through a beautiful tunnel of pink flowers which smelt very sweet, 

before arriving back at The Trout Inn at Tadpole Bridge for macaroni cheese on the lawn  

and your favourite strawberry ice cream. 

While waiting for Papa to collect the car you ran around the garden with a giant stick. 

And you sat by the river watching a big family and their brave yellow dog swim  

and we talked about going river swimming together 'when my bigger'  

Then you played in the summer house 'train station' before we hopped in the car and drove home. What a great day and long walk again.  Well done Bertie!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 15 KM

GPS route: https://www.strava.com/activities/6016399603

Feeding stop:
Picnic on the river then pub at the end.

Travel:

We drove. In the morning we all drove to Bablock Hythe and parked at the Ferryman Inn, walked back to The Trout. Nico then got a taxi back to Bablock Hythe to collect the car and then us!

Travel from London possible via train - Paddington to Oxford, or CLJ - Reading-Oxford, then using the S1 bus from along the route back to Oxford stn

Accomodation: The Trout Inn, Tadpole had lovely, smart and comfy bedrooms, spacious too for toddler and baby cots, and amazing food too.

You can also stay at the start at The Ferryman, Bablock Hythe.

Stage 20 - Oxford to Bablock Hythe

Dear Bertie

It's back to Oxford we go!  It's over 2 years ago since we left the iron bridge over the Thames in Oxford, and now we are back to finish the last few stages of this huge walk we have done together. I feel so proud of us both.

For our next leg from Oxford to Bablock Hythe, your favourite 'auntie' Salad,  (Alys but you get the letters muddled),  is joining us. After a sleepover at her parents' lovely big house (with a moat!) and their massive dog Dotty who you loved bossing around insisting,  'sit Dotty'!   Hooray!

After a yummy breakfast of porridge and wild blackberries in the morning at Salad's house, we hop in the car to Oxford and start back on the river, loaded up with you, Lola and a lot of snacks.

Passing lots of houses along the river and school kids on their way to big school on their bikes.  'Good cycling' you tell them! You are such a kind and encouraging boy.

We cross a lovely big curved wooden bridge. 

Then we headed into some enormous meadows with lots of pleasure boats parked.  You spotted a cheery bright yellow one and said that was Bertie's boat. 

We then walked past a small boatyard where 2 men were using their strong arms to hoist a boat up to fix a problem. 

We passed some ruins - Godstow Abbey - a 12th Century nunnery and explained how all the walls and roof had fallen in. Henry VIII's mistress lived here. More recently they filmed the 'Mama Mia' movie inside the Abbey. You love dancing to that Abba song! 

We passed 3 locks today - Kings and Godstow and Eynsham - where Mummy once swam 10k in just her cossie and no wetsuit. 

We passed a big stone marking an Oxford boundary.  Robert Nucknell served his first term as mayor in 1885 and Francis Twining was his sheriff, that was a long time ago! 

Then we went under the big road - the A40 - which had some 'colouring' on the wall and we tried our echo voices, 'ECHO!'  

We passed the Eynsham lock which was the end of Mummy's big 10k swim she did here before you were born. 

Then we stopped by the river for snacks and Lola's milk.  Uou played with Salad while Lola rolled around and we all did stand up wees in the bushes. 

After snack stop, we passed a huge boatyard called Oxford cruisers which is a family run boatyard. They restore, maintain and repair narrowboats, Dutch barges and cruisers. We saw big cranes and hoists and a lot of building and noise going on.

Nearing the end of our walk, we passed under a very old toll bridge - Swinford - a privately owned toll bridge which costs cars just 5p to cross, though they stopped taking payment during the Covid pandemic Salad's Mummy told us. The bridge is made of the famous Oxfordshire yellow stone. 

Nearing the end, we went through a big field full of happy bouncing sheep then stood next to a huge pen full of sheep which smelt a bit of poo.

Then it was back to Salad's house to play on the rusty old tractor and to eat our sandwiches with Dotty in their outside courtyard. 

You tried lots of food you had never tasted before; pea and courgette soup, corn on the cob and lemon barley water, which you said were all delicious. Then you helped Salad's Daddy chop logs and load them into a wheelbarrow in the rain, before we got in the car and drove home to Papa. Well done Bertie, that was another long walk!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 18.9 KM

GPS route: https://www.strava.com/activities/6034438788

Feeding stop:
Picnic on the river

Travel:

We drove.

Travel from London possible via train - Paddington to Oxford, or CLJ - Reading-Oxford, then using the S1 bus from along the route back to Oxford stn

Our accommodation: Aly's house, Stanton Harcourt.

Lots of options in Oxford, The Ferryman at Babcock Hythe for the start and the pub at Stanton Harcourt also looks nice for the end.

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