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

Stage 12 - Marlow to Henley

Dear Bertie,


Today we headed back on the train to Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

It was a lovely sunny Winter's day. 
 


A pit stop in a cafe in town and your first time in a high chair, eating delicious cauliflower puree. 




We headed back to the river through a lovely park full of dog walkers and mummys pushing prams.

We passed fields of wheat which is used to make flour in our bread -

The path then left the river and took us through a huge deer park with some ruins at the top.

We crossed Temple pedestrian footbridge which opened in 1989 and provides a continuous riverside footpath between Marlow and Henley. The bridge was built in 1989 and at 88 yards, it is the longest hardwood bridge in Britain.

Approaching Henley, we passed the Remenham Rowing club house, where Mummy used to get very drunk with her friends during Henley Regatta.

On the river there were dozens of swans overlooking Henley bridge.

Once we left Marlow, it was just us on the path again.

We passed a very pretty church on the river - All Saints in Bisham - which dates back to 1840 and Edward Riley, FIC (died 1914) a well-known analytical chemist, is buried there.






In a riverside meadow, dozens of sheep filled the path and we climbed through the trees to avoid them being careful not to fall in the river.






And then we had a lovely lunch in a pub in Henley on the river.

And then passed a sign showing that we were in a new county, Oxfordshire.



Before heading home for bed!

TOTAL DISTANCE: 15.3 KM

Breastfeeding stops: 1

Nappy changes: 4

Crying episodes: 0 yah!

Burgers of Marlow (a cafe not burger place), Marlow - high chairs and baby change in the small toilets, lovely staff who warmed milk and vegetable puree. Lots of old people who gave Bertie a lot of attention.
The Angel pub, Henley - great big table with banquettes tucked away, next to spacious toilets with baby change

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29155402