Updates

The tomb of St Edmund d’Abingdon is a dominant feature at Pontigny Abbey in Burgundy where he is called St Edme. As the name suggests, St Edmund of Abingdon was born in Abingdon. This was about 1175 when he was known simply as Edmund Rich and lived with his parents near today’s St Edmund’s Lane off West St Helen Street. […]

A diversion from the river in Rotherhithe might be about to become redundant. At present upstream walkers, having crossed Greenland Dock, must suddenly turn inland down narrow Randall Rents because, although New Caledonian Wharf ahead has a good path, there is no walkway further on. At the end of Randall Rents, the diversion continues past […]

Wittenham Clumps is a well-known stage on the Thames Path. The tight tree group on top of Round Hill is the great landmark on the approach to Dorchester. Artist Paul Nash’s images are the most famous and so it is no surprise to find half a dozen in the Paul Nash exhibition at Tate Britain marking […]

The Environment Agency has appointed four new resident lock-keepers to serve on the River Thames. Relief keeper John O’Hara is the new lock-keeper at Radcot in Oxfordshire, Northmoor keeper Mark Winks moves to Osney in Oxford, relief Aiden Mahon to nearby Iffley and Benson keeper Katie Marshall to Romney below Windsor Castle. “I’m delighted to […]

The Optic Cloak is a new landmark on the Greenwich Peninsula. It can be seen from the Thames Path but at present the temporary diversion along Tunnel Avenue allows for a closer view. The tall artwork, by Conrad Shawcross, is camouflage for the soaring flues of an energy centre providing low-carbon energy to homes on the Peninsula.

A temporary diversion is in place for a year in Oxford. This is at the start of Stage 17 north from Osney Bridge. The towpath beside the channel with a view of allotments on the far side is closed. The temporary route is right for a very short distance along Botley Road and left into Abbey Road. […]

The Trout at Tadpole in Oxfordshire has been reviewed in The Times. Tom Chesshyre writes that “The Trout is on a remote section of the Thames”. He is right. I recall dropping in on a hot day in the early 1980s before the Thames Path was invented. It was a simple pub with just a […]

The official diversion route on the Greenwich Peninsula caused by building work has been made available by Greenwich Council. But the one below may be better: https://twitter.com/greenwichlove/status/760101744202350592 The signs, mainly intended for downstream walkers, do not correspond with the council map. Once in Blackwall Lane do you turn down Mauritius Street or Azof Street? But it does not […]

The predicted diversion along the west side of the Greenwich Peninsula is being put in place for the next two years. This is to allow unimpeded luxury flat and liner terminal redevelopment After Victoria Deep Water Terminal the Thames Path runs round Bay Wharf to a T-junction. It is at this T-junction that walkers will now […]

A four part comedy drama in which mother and daughter spend two weeks walking the Thames Path starts on Radio 4 this Wednesday 27 July. Episode one of Guilt Trip sees mother and daughter start out at the source. Later the mother offends a camp site warden. Mother and daughter are played by mother and […]