on January 11th, 2009

Walking the Thames Path, part 2

It was time to walk the Thames Path again, well part of it anyway. I now have the National Trail guide, also a map case to keep my OS Explorer dry.

I originally thought to drive to near the end of the path (or the beginning?), the source near Kemble. However it turned out that my Explorer map doesn't reach quite that far, so I settled for the next chunk in that direction instead.

Last time, back in June 2008, I walked from Cricklade to Ashton Keynes, and the back via some local roads and bits of ex-canal.

I packed light as usual, the trusty GPS, the map, the new camera, some choc/wafer bars, a small bottle of drink, and my fuzzy walking top. I'd driven to the end of the street before I remembered I should probably bring my waterproof jacket just in case.

I drove to the Waterhays carpark, a small one for bird watchers visiting the Cotswold water park (the many lakes that were once gravel pits).

Leaving my big coat in the car and collecting up the rest of the bits, GPS in my hand, map case around my neck, I turned northwest, meeting up with part of the Thames Path I'd walked before and walked 15 minutes into Ashton Keynes.

AK doesn't look much different this time of year, same cotswold village, fairly quiet. I wandered through it, following the trail, which through most of the village doesn't have sight of the Thames at all. Eventually while leaving the village I found it, now only 6 feet wide or so.

The Thames Path follows the river for quite some time. It's sticky and muddy this time of year, it would have been nicer frozen. At least the mud is not deep. Between lakes, past bird watchers, we reach a large lake, and on one edge of it a series of neat looking buildings. Lots of security and a shiny new appraoch road, I think construction is mostly finished. It turns out to be the Lakeside Mill Estate (or some such), a retirement area on the lake. I wonder what those cost..

Soon afterwards I crossed the road, and then followed the trail across the entrance to Somerford Keynes. It runs parallel to the west of the village, through the edges of fields. At this point I was ready to turn around, so I followed one of the local paths east into the village. I walked south through the centre of the village, until I reached the turning east again, towards Ashton Keynes. Shortly afterwards I turned south-east onto another local path.

The way back to Ashton Keynes was a lot of guesswork. According to my map the side path I was on would eventually turn south and meet back up with the Thames Path, just west of Ashton. Thanks to my GPS I just kept following turnings east and south until eventually I walked past a large building. It was surrounded by much barbed wire and warning signs that proclaimed that everyone was being monitored and trespassers would have a hard time. The path led past it however, and soon after through some gate pillars that had seen better times, out onto a road I'd seen before.

Just south of me was the sticky muddy Thames Path again. Here I managed to slip and cover myself in mud. This made the trudging all the way bck into the village and through it to the car rather damp. I drove home sitting on my waterproofs, at least they came in handy.