Updates

Henley-on-Thames’ many unique assets include the offices of the Open Spaces Society in Bell Street. Its general secretary Kate Ashbrook has always defended the rights of way along both sides of the nearby Thames. But Kate of course has a wider brief keeping watch on paths and commons which may be suddenly fenced off in […]

There is some confusion I learn over the date of the 800th anniversary fair on London Bridge. It is NOT this weekend 28 March. The date was changed when it was realised that it would clash with the G20 demonstations in the City. The new date is Saturday 11 July. It will be a rare […]

Oxfam’s Fabric 4 Life campaign, which is encouraging walkers to bring their old outdoor gear for refurbishment and resale, is being promoted by Fiona Lincoln and Mark Stephenson who are walking naked to the Outdoors Show at Birmingham. You might see them  on the Thames Path between Tower Bridge in London and Oxford where they turn […]

This afternoon I had a look at the diversion at Rotherhithe which will last until at least June. So far Southwark Council has not put up any diversion signs. It’s complicated because there are currently two closures caused by building work at Rotherhithe’s King’s Stairs. The first, which prevents an early return to the river […]

The very last stretch of towpath between Lechlade and the Round House near Inglesham has been closed for urgent repair work. The problem is confined to where the path leaves Wiltshire for Gloucestershire but the only alternative is through the town. The diversion is across Halfpenny Bridge and ahead up Thames Street to the High […]

Fawley Court just north of Henley has been sold by the Polish Marian order. The purchaser is Urs Schwarzenbach who owns Thames-Side Court on the edge of Shiplake to the south of Henley. Thames-Side Court is well-known for its narrow gauge railway which can be seen from the Thames Path. The Fawley Court mansion comes into […]

The World Pooh Sticks Championships will be held on Sunday 29 March at Day’s Lock close to Dorchester-on-Thames. The annual event used to be held in January but in 1997 the Thames froze over. The custom was started in 1984 by lock keeper Lynn David. He often saw walkers dropping twigs into the water and […]

After watching the Shrove Tuesday pancake race on the Thames Path in front of Southwark Cathedral I went to the opening of Roni Horn aka Roni Horn at Tate Modern. My interest was in her Thames photographs called Still Water (The River Thames, for example) 1999. The 15 photographs are very similar. They are taken […]

Visiting the Van Dyck exhibition this morning I was surprised to find it very crowded. I forgot that it is half term week but this is a very good once in a lifetime exhibition. The show is at riverside Tate Britain which is appropriate for many of the characters depicted lived along the Thames in […]

The Thames Barrier was closed today which must have been a good idea. The water was still very high at Waterloo Bridge this afternoon. The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings all along the River Thames. You should check its website or call the flood information number 0845 988 1188 before going on the Thames Path.