The River Thames - photos and stories
- Thread starter Ponyutd
- Start date
clicker
nanook rubs it....
Trying to place it - if it was between hampton Court and staines, nearer the Staines end, then no we didn't...it was getting dark by then. It rings a bell for an incident in a self cleaning toilet near the bank that decided to take on it's own agenda.
ska invita
back on the other side
clicker
nanook rubs it....
Not really I must admit - the path gets narrower and very mud track like. I cycle around london but am walking the Thames path, the bods who do try and navigate past the amblers make it a chore at times. I'd imagine on a weekday when there aren't loads of walkers and kids and dogs and buggies, you could get a stretch in - but it'd be stop/start/ring the bell the whole way.
ska invita
back on the other side
The walk around the Rotherithe curve is a nice/earie one - with plenty of pub action too
ska invita
back on the other side
nice pic
Ponyutd
Greebo likes this....r.i.p.
I like the Maidenhead stretch for cycling....also Windsor. On a warm day it's fantastic, all smiley tourists around Windsor, and some huge fields to cycle through. I think I put some photo's up a few years back cycling around the Eton school cycling/running track when I went to Windsor.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
As you walk upstream it's the last lock before Staines (no idea of any auto-lavs though, maybe in Staines?). It's, I think, the only lock that non-boat folk are allowed to cross. The island is the natural meander of the river, the lock cuts through the neck of it. The island has beaches that are good for swimming. It's also the natural course of the river, so you've missed a bit. So back to the barrier and start again, and this time do it properly
(Desborough Island between Weybridge and Walton-on-Thames is the same deal, but with no lock; a man-made cut in a straight line created the island, so you need to walk round that too. It too has beaches if you fancy a dip.)
toblerone3
Grrrrr
This one was taken on the Thames somewhere near Cricklade I think.
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toblerone3
Grrrrr
.dp
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fredfelt
Mostly unknown member
You can easily take a day trip from London and take in a stretch in a day trip starting and finishing at different train stations. There are several stops between Oxford and London which are on the Thames. You'll need a sturdy bike to cycle the Thames Path and some stretches are bumpier than others.
Assuming you have a sturdy bike Oxford to Goring and Streatley would suit for a days cycle. Even Oxford to Reading if you are on a mission!
Or to make it a bit shorter do Appleford to Goring and Streatley - Oxford to Abingdon along the Thames path is quite bumpy. All of these places are on the same line - but you'll need to plan around trains for the smaller stations.
North of Oxford is also good for cycling - but the river starts to bend back on itself more so you may get frustrated about covering lots of distance but not going that far!
I know the river very well around this area through cycling, rowing, loafing, running, swimming, even through looking out of the window when it's flooded!
hipipol
Peckham Wry
Get the overground or district line out to Kew - total arse of a job riding that far
bottom of the station rd, turn right - wall of the Gardens opposite you, then right at ther river, then along the raised topathy thing - on your right will be Kew Gdns, then the Old Deer Park, opposite bank, Syon Park - there are Cranes nesting in the tall beeches, there young will be trying out their wings soon
Keep on going past the locks, could have a little stop at pub on the richmond river front then off again, under the bridge along the path, the water meadow on your right to wards Ham
You could also head a little inland and end up in Richmond Park or climb the hill and look down over the river, watch the day go by.....
The Roebuck on the Hill does a well nice sunday lunch
I once saw a Harrier like birdy take a rat there, fuckin ace, specially all the day trippers squealing!!!!
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hipipol
Peckham Wry
The real source, ie furthest from the sea of the Thames is at Seven Springs - though some idiot named it The Churn in some dim and distant time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Churn
Luckily the source of the Churn has a pub right next door!!!
http://www.pub-explorer.com/gloucs/pub/sevenspringscheltenham.htm
Its a Green King pub run as one of their Hungry Horse out of town eatry/pub - so ales for them as wants em
Directly across the road from said pub are some holiday let cottages
I hired one about 10 -11 years ago for a 4 day party, put a big soundsystem in and away we went
Was early early April, non of the others rented out, it was snowing so only the diehard or the mad were out there
Your choice as to which camp I fell in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Churn
Luckily the source of the Churn has a pub right next door!!!
http://www.pub-explorer.com/gloucs/pub/sevenspringscheltenham.htm
Its a Green King pub run as one of their Hungry Horse out of town eatry/pub - so ales for them as wants em
Directly across the road from said pub are some holiday let cottages
I hired one about 10 -11 years ago for a 4 day party, put a big soundsystem in and away we went
Was early early April, non of the others rented out, it was snowing so only the diehard or the mad were out there
Your choice as to which camp I fell in
Ponyutd
Greebo likes this....r.i.p.
This is (one) of the Wittenham Clumps.
And this is a rather dull view of the river, taken by someone I was chatting to the other day!
Hardly dull...all it needed was a bit of light! Beautiful shimmering river,a meadow, a bridge, a hill in the background with a copse....marvellous!
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
The real source, ie furthest from the sea of the Thames is at Seven Springs - though some idiot named it The Churn in some dim and distant time
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Churn
The Churn's a tributary of the Thames, isn't it?
hipipol
Peckham Wry
Technically yes
However it is as I said the furthest start point from the sea
Lived in Cheltenham for a number of years as I result I am firmly of the belief that Seven Springs is the TRUE source!!
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Lived in Cheltenham for a number of years as I result I am firmly of the belief that Seven Springs is the TRUE source!!
Fair point.
I drank in the oldest pub in London last week
Having been to the field that is supposed to be the source, dragging a baby in a buggy with us, I was berated all the way home as Frau Bahn was telling me the true source was in some wall somewhere that had water gushing out of it all year, but she can't remember where that was
I guess the miserable field we went to is a contender, as that is where the Thames Path starts. But would be happy for it to include the Churn, as that would make it longer than the Severn and the Shannon, so yet another victory for the English over those Celtish barbarians.
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Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Oh please do. There's a big redevelopment to the right of the pic now with some ugly brown decking facing the water. It's public at the moment. I hope it stays that way. Will take some pics
Watergate Street steps, Deptford, 2011. The Deptford Ferry ran from this point to a pier on West Ferry Road, Isle of Dogs until about WW2.
I really must get round to sorting out some more Deptford photos and putting them online...
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
Is that the thing being built inside what's left of Paynes Wharf?
This was taken in 2011
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
Yeah, it's called Paynes and Borthwick
http://www.paynesandborthwick.com
http://www.paynesandborthwick.com
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
I'm not sure I approve of the current trend of keeping the facade of a historic building and putting something completely unrelated inside it.
I took quite a lot of photos at Deptford riverfront at the Open House weekend last September - did Convoys Wharf and the Master Shipwrights House. I really must sort them out and put them online.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
I don't think anyone lives there yet. Punchdrunk staged a play there recently:
http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-...any-aims-to-create-17th-century-ve_33720.html
http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-...any-aims-to-create-17th-century-ve_33720.html
Treacle Toes
Time
Have I posted on this thread before?
No, obviously, I haven't read the whole thread yet.
Speaking as a Londoner, born and bred the river is my favourite place...in town and out of town...I adore it. It has it all, London would never have existed without it. 
PS: An Uncle, once dived off one of the London bridges to raise money for charity. Nuts eh? Yeah he absolutely was.Yet everytime I cross a bridge over the Thames I fantasize about doing the same. I will however choose my bridge well and it will probably be somewhere out there towards the mouth. 
No, obviously, I haven't read the whole thread yet.
Speaking as a Londoner, born and bred
the river is my favourite place...in town and out of town...I adore it. It has it all, London would never have existed without it. PS: An Uncle, once dived off one of the London bridges to raise money for charity. Nuts eh? Yeah he absolutely was.Yet everytime I cross a bridge over the Thames I fantasize about doing the same.
I will however choose my bridge well and it will probably be somewhere out there towards the mouth.
Bahnhof Strasse
Met up with Hannah Courtoy a week next Tuesday
Desborough Island cut
fredfelt
Mostly unknown member
Hardly dull...all it needed was a bit of light! Beautiful shimmering river,a meadow, a bridge, a hill in the background with a copse....marvellous!
Thanks! It's a picture from my phone.
When I said it was dull I meant the other picture of the railway crossing which is a label from a beer called River Crossing. The same brewery has a label which is a picture of Didcot power station - and they call be beer 'Power Station. Great stuff!
I'll miss the cooling towers of Didcot when they are taken down.
