Although much of the Thames towpath is a public footpath and part of a national trail it sometimes occurs to me that it would be difficult to tow a barge with a horse on the towpath. The reason is that in some places trees now grow between the path and the water.  Just prior to […]

Cicerone who publish both The Thames Path guide and my Lea Valley Walk guide has launched the Cicerone Forum, e-newsletter and blog. To explore the website which shows the full range of guides and gives access to recent newsletters and the blog go to http://www.ciceronepress.co.uk

A plan for a new Walton Bridge has been approved by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn. The present crossing is a temporary Bailey Bridge dating from 1953. It was erected following 1940 war damage. Earlier more attractive bridges here were painted by Canaletto and Turner. The existing bridge will remain in place whilst the new one […]

Following last year’s Putney Debates festival at Putney Parish Church I thought it was the right time to check out its new permanent exhibition which is the festival legacy. Although the Thames Path signage at Putney still directs downstream walkers away from the river and along Putney Bridge Road this is out of date. St […]

Thames Path Guided Events Programme covering March to September 2008 is now available.  The programme, produced by the National Trails Office, features guided walks and events taking place on the Thames Path.    Experienced National Trails volunteers, local walking groups and representatives from other organizations lead the walks, the majority of which are free of charge.  There […]

News that Chris Evans has had a huge response to his call on BBC Radio 2 for Pan Yan pickle to be brought back will be of interest to those who walk the Thames Path. The pickle was invented in 1907 by the Maconochie Brothers who built a huge pickle factory on the Isle of […]

Walkers passing along Bankside in central London must turn up Bear Gardens and go left again to find the remains of the 1587 Rose Theatre. Now, twenty miles further on at Kingston-upon Thames, there is a modern version also called The Rose. It stands at the back of the new Charter Quay with its front […]

The Thames Barrier was closed on Thursday afternoon at 2pm due to spring tides and high river levels. High tide at 3.15pm in central London saw ferry passengers walk up rather than down Bankside Pier. Only five of the steps outside nearby Tate Modern remained dry. These scenes are interesting considering that in the last […]

The Henley-based Open Spaces Society has called on Wokingham Borough Council to reject an application from Henley Festival to close the Thames Path for an unprecedented 145 hours during this year’s festival. Says Kate Ashbrook, the Open Spaces Society’s general secretary: “The Thames Path National Trail is of international importance and, to many, the Henley stretch […]

Many will be familiar with Henry Taunt’s photographs of the River Thames which are often reproduced in books about the river in the 19th century. Now Graham Diprose and Jeff Robins, two photographers on the staff of the London College of Communications, have selected seventy of the Victorian pictures from the thousands taken by Gaunt […]