A Walkers Tale

Today we are heading out to complete the very last section of the  Thames Path .  I originally started walking bits of the River Thames as a way to make my trips between the north (where I live) and the south (where I have family) a bit more interesting, and from there I have worked my way through various stretches of the trail - and so this trail has been done over quite a long period of time (about two years).

Today is the second of two days spent walking the Thames Path , having walked from Newbridge to Oxford on the previous day. By this point we are now deep into the most rural stretch of the River Thames - and by the end of the day we will have almost walked the full navigable stretch of the river.

Today we are back following the Thames Path  - and over the next two days we are aiming to complete the stretch between Oxford and Lechlade (which approximately marks the end of the Thames as a navigable river). In general the  Thames Path  is one of the easier paths to walk, with much of the trail having both frequent train stations and frequent places to stay that will not break the budget.

Today is our second day walking the Oxford Canal , having walked from Oxford to Kidlington on the previous day. One of the unplanned benefits of having stayed overnight in the Premier Inn by the Technology Centre is that I can stop off at the Greggs on my way back to the canal to get a bacon roll - and from here we turn to head north, and leave behind everyone heading off to work, and start to focus on the quiet canal that lies ahead.

Today the plan is to make a start on the Oxford Canal , which will be the first in a series of walks that will join up the walking I have done in the south of England with the walking I have done in the north of England. When walking my main focus is ticking off as many sections of the National Trails as possible, but in the colder half of the year I tend to do most of my walking along the canals (which does also add some contrast to the walking), and I also walk any Named Trails that look particularly good.

I had planned to complete the remaining length of the Ridgeway National Trail in August - having already done the eastern end of the trail from Goring to Ivanhoe Beacon earlier in the year. In the end I got as far as booking that walk, just to postpone it after picking up a minor injury. But now a month on, I am heading back to walk the same trail, but with the less ambitious goal of just walking the stretch west of Marlborough.

Today is the second day of walking, having walked from Hurstwood to Tonacliffe on the previous day - and today is a shorter day of walking, after which we will have completed the Pennine Bridleway . To start the day we head by train to Rochdale, and then make use of the regular bus service between Rochdale and Accrington that drops us almost exactly on the trail at Tonacliffe.