Goring to Reading

Today's walk had more variety. After a short start along the riverside (with Great Crested Grebe), the path gradually climbs the side of the Chilterns. Although never far away from the river, there's one little down-and-up bit which strayed from the idea of a gentle level walk. Fortunately, the very steepest slope has steps and a handrail installed.

We passed through Whitchurch-on-Thames, chatting to a local gentleman about local history and archaeology. Other places visited had made claims, but Whitchurch, he was confident, goes back even further in time. It turned out that the gentleman we were speaking to was also responsible for having the steps - those we had climbed on that steep slope - installed; they are now named The Hartley Steps in recognition.

Whitchurch Bridge has been taken away and a new one is being built: a substantial temporary footbridge took us across the Thames instead.

After coffee and cake at Food KICK in Pangbourne, we went back to meadow walking, along to Mapledurham Lock.

There is a cafe at the lock, 'Tea on the Thames', which the guide book had said was open 'often' but we weren't sure what that meant, and hadn't been able to find out more - so we hadn't banked on a stop. It really seems to be open pretty much full-time now. We just had an ice cream.

The path then took a wierd winding way round some residential roads, before taking us back to the river. The railway line was never far away all day, and seemed to have a train every few minutes,  but at this point we were immediately below the line for half a mile. Later, the river and path curved away, and we were again back to sounds of nature. This took us on to Reading.

The little villages we have visited had claims to fame. All, it seemed, had featured in Midsomer Murders at some time. and they all had competing claims as to which had the longest history. Reading had no such pretensions: a go-ahead industrial town with much evidence of rebuilding all around.