Day 13: Reading - Goring

A day of contrasts today, beginning with the weather. The nature of every one of these legs along the Thames Path has been you have to arrange the means of transit to and from the start and end points. Today I decided to drive and park at Goring and get the train back to Reading to start the walk. Early morning at Goring it was misty, damp and decidedly cool. By the time I arrived in Reading the skies were blue, the temperature much higher and the sun was out. And bar the odd bit of cloud during the day, this was the weather I took with me on what was a great Easter weekend.

The walk was also one of contrasts particularly with the environment on opposite banks of the river. It began on the southern bank next to Clearwater Court, the headquarters of Thames Water. This is the building where the windows were being washed during the hosepipe ban last summer. The path between Reading and Caversham Bridges passes further offices and riverside houses and flats. After Caversham Bridge the land by the riverside opens up, passing Reading Rowing Club’s buildings we are on the Promenade with parkland on the Berkshire side of the river. Across the water the houses of The Warren form the river frontage. So on one side of the river are the large Thameside houses that have already become familiar. On the other the municipal park with the Rivermead leisure centre at its centre, plus to odd drunk slung over he benches.

After the leisure centre is passes the path passes the land where the Reading Festival is held and where the WOMAD Festival was also held, up until last year. Soon the houses on the Caversham bank end and give way to fields. Meanwhile on bank where I’m walking, the path approaches Tilehurst and the railway line. The path is squeeze on a strip of land between river and railway with little to see other than the fields on the opposite bank. Some of this stretch reminds me of the walk past the reservoirs in West London, but the graffiti is more amusing (“FREE STONHENGE ’85” “NO DOGGING”).

Then at the Roebuck pub, and at the point where the path arrives in West Berkshire, the path heads away from the river up some steep steps and over a railway footbridge onto the main Oxford Road. The reasons for this diversion is a recalcitrant Purley landowner in the 18th century who refused access to his land for the towpath, leading to huge delays for river traffic of the time. The office path now weaves its way through suburbia then finally hits the road to Mapledurham Lock. Sadly Mapledurham is one of the locks that is being worked on this winter and access is not possible. Instead we are diverted onto the meadows immediately upstream of the lock, missing the view of Mapledurham House and Mill.

The river now follows a huge arc en route to Pangbourne. This is a popular stretch on his sunny bank holiday with people walking in both directions. This stretch provides good views of Hardwick House and its impressive stable block that forms the stud farm here. At Pangbourne there are plenty of people having picnics on the riverbank, but I must continue over the bridge and onto the north bank. The bridge at Pangbourne is still a toll bridge charging 20p for each car. This is a private bridge run by the Whitchurch Bridge Company.

Whitchurch, the village on the northern bank begins a stretch of the walk that becomes a stroll through the rolling Chiltern countryside. The path follows the main road through the village then turns off along the farm track to Hartslock Farm. It also serves further houses, and also passes a doggy playground. We then follow a footpath down some steep steps and immediately up again and then winds its way through the riverside woods, back down to the river.

Out of the woods and up against the river once more, we arrive at Gatehampton Manor and then shortly afterwards pass under one of Brunel’s brick railway bridges, an impressive construction sat in this part of the Oxfordshire countryside. Then its just a short walk up to Goring Bridge and the village itself.