So back to Cricklade to continue our journeying along the Thames. As we’d walked down to our lift the afternoon before I’d noticed a car park sign and possibly toilets. Hopeful, I directed Jane to this point to drop us off. I was correct, a useful start to the day and our path was almost opposite leading off from the Main Street. First a short walk through the edge of the town and as we met an old farmhouse a useful historical sign which amongst other information told of ‘Cricklade Cheese’ – in the past mature cheeses were dispatched down the river towards London. So we had discovered our first goods to be transported.
Having started our journey yesterday in Gloucestershire we are now in North Wiltshire and will be for most of the day. Round a corner we meet the illustrious Thames and it delights us not only with water but as if called on demand, two swans.
We are in a pleasant meadow with more notice boards about wildlife but we can hear an impending rumble from the A419- luckily there is an underpass for the Thames and foot travellers!
Nothing too dramatic happening at this point, just a gentle, peaceful, meandering, small river. Whilst the river doesn’t always travel west to east for consistency the lower or right hand bank will be referred to as the south side or lower side. For about half a kilometre after the road we are on this lower bank and then need to cross a bridge and for a short while change banks, and then back again. Not much bird song- should there be? Nothing remarkable just serenely beautiful.
Back on the southern bank near Water Eaton House we have an easy stretch along a very meandering river. A warm day so grateful for odd patches of shade. Again we are struck by the greeness close to the river, a rare sight this summer.
At Water Eaton our path takes us away from the river but not before we have looked over to more gravel pit lakes- visible this time. We enter this typical Cotswold village and meet a young couple taking a rest – we will meet them again. After the village we are on a track, some of the names are great – forty acre barn. This provokes a discussion as Richard was a farm manager – did this refer to the capacity for storage or just next to a forty acre plot? We are on Blackford Lane – was there a ford? We briefly touch the bank of the Thames before we are off on another track. Here we meet a father and daughter resting whilst mum has gone on and then come back- we decide after chatting that they are German, they too will also feature later over our four days. An abundance of autumn fruit along this path.
Having crossed over a small stream which flows into the Thames we meet our companion again and have sight of our first craft on the Thames.
We decide in is time to look out for a place to stop for lunch and having crossed over a wide stream joining the river we decide this will suffice. As we sit we can see really large dragonflies dipping to the river, so big you were almost left wondering if they were birds!
Great to be back by the river and our next stop will be Inglesham Church -St John the Baptist, built mostly from around 1205 there are also Saxon elements. In the 19th century William Morris the craftsman helped restore and preserve many of the wall paintings and carvings.
At this point the Thames Path until recently had to leave the river and follow the minor road where the only route then was to walk along the verge of the A361. Luckily for us there is now an alternative alongside the river for this last stretch of day 2.
The plants and particularly the reeds along this penultimate stretch for today have been magnificent with a wide ranging palette.
Round the corner everything changes we get to a point not far from Lechlade where the river turns as it is joined by the River Calne and the now abandoned Thames and Severn Canal – this was last used in 1927 and boats would have continued to Stroud. There’s an unusual lock keepers house at this point – it’s round and apparently the horses would have been kept on the lower floor. There isn’t a lock anymore but this is the point beyond which boats other than canoes of similar cannot travel, although it is used to turn. At one time this must have been a hive of activity. So now the river changes- it suddenly widens and we see a range of craft as we approach Lechlade- our destination for the day.
As we left the church and went back to the river we entered Gloucestershire again for a short distance. The border then goes through the middle of the river. So we’re back in Wilts but as we exit the river path and cross the old toll bridge- halfpenny bridge, with it’s hexagonal toll house we are once again back in Glos. Tomorrow we will visit another county- one closer to home!
This is the shortest day of the four just over 21km – tomorrow is much longer!
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 