25/07/20 - The Thames Path from Lechlade

Distance - 9 Miles
Geocaches - 9
Pub - The Plough at Kelmscott
Walk Inspiration - Walks along the Thames Path - Walk 4

Back on the Thames Path, following a route from a  lovely little Guide Book that details walks from the Source to Greenwich.  This is Walk 4 and is notable for the point at which the Thames ceases to be navigable by boat and the first lock.

The route is a tiny 3 miler - not worthy of the journey down - so I extend it to walk into Kelmscott.  This transpires to be a genius move for reasons that I will detail later.  Surprisingly, I would have taken in three counties (Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Oxfordshire) even if I had stuck with the original route.

Starting point Lechlade.  I can feel the town's history as I make my way up the high street.  The centre point is its church with a little market square in front.  As always, the Mappiman eye is on the post walk watering hole.  I spot the oldest (the Swan), the biggest (the New Inn Hotel), the first Lechlade micro brewery (The Crown) and a closed down former Arkells House (now unnamed, but was an Italian restaurant on Google Maps).  Decisions will be made on my return.

Oldest

Biggest

First Micro Brewery

The first part of the walk is a there and back diversion to Inglesham Church. There must be a reason the guide wants us to go there, especially as no one likes re-tracing steps. It's right next to the Thames, where the first crossing of the day is made and then across a couple of fields - complete with a guard that gave me quite a shock when I noticed him out the corner of my eye.

First Thames crossing today

I really have no words

The church is not too much to look at from the outside but unusually for me, I try the door, finding it unlocked. Inside is quite amazing - 400 year old wooden box pews, wall murals from the C12th and a 1000 year old carving of Mary and Jesus.

Church Exploration

Ancient Texts

And Carvings

Suitably humbled, its back to the River and back into Lechlade, walking under the Halfpenny Bridge, with its little toll house on the side.

Halfpenny Bridge - the Toll Cost

The Thames all the way to Kelmscott now, with the course of the river seemingly unable to make up its mind in which direction it wants to flow.  Much snaking, passing many WWII pill boxes and the first lock, St Johns. Here is a statue of Father Thames, originally created for the 1851 Great Exhibition, before moving to a couple of places along the nascent Thames.

Preparations for the German Land Invasion

Father Thames

The OS Map shows the Big Blue Cup of Joy at the tiny hamlet of Kelmscott.  And this, blogfans, is why I love my walking adventures.  For once, the map holds true and the a more delightful village pub I could not have hoped to find.  12:03pm.   Of course, I pop in.

Village Cross no doubt beheaded by Cromwell

New rules are followed - hand sanitizing in the garden before entry, paying by card but old habits die hard.  I probably broke the rules by returning my empty Hook Norton glass.

To get back to Lechlade, its agricultural field walking through wheat crops.  The Trout Inn offers a break point, should you so desire, but I press on, with the clouds looking increasingly ominous.

The storm broke 10 mins after I finished the walk

The Plough was indeed an inspired choice - the Crown was all locked up, the Swan reopens in two days time and I was more seduced by the chipper than the New Inn.