Day 15: Shillingford - Day's Lock, Dorchester

All the weeks that have gone by with great weather, and then for the bank holiday weekend its goes cold and rains – constantly. The plan was to walk yesterday, but it rained – all day – and night. Then the plan was to walk today, as far as Culham. But it rained – most of the day.

In the end we visited a local museum in the morning, then went for lunch at the Barley Mow in Clifton Hampden. After a good lunch, the rain seemed to be easing, and we took the decision to walk a short stretch that afternoon. And luckily the rain was coming to a stop and for most of the walk not a drop of water was falling from the sky.

This short walk began away from the river, dropping down the first track by the bridge. We immediately pass a very muddy field with a family of Saddleback pigs, with a litter of piglets. As soon as they spotted us, they made a beeline for the fence near us. We then wound our way through the alleyways of Shillingford, coming out at the river end of Wharf Road, where the heights of floods from days gone by are recorded on the wall of the riverside cottage.

However, we must leave the river behind for a while, and head up to the main road – and this is a busy road, where we have to evade the spray from passing cars as they drive through the standing water. Soon, by the big road sign for Dorchester, we cross back over and walk the short path through a field and back down to the river.

The walk is then simply one through the riverside fields, where the grass is now pretty long. Whilst it’s no longer raining, the grass is very wet, and my trouser legs got quite damp. Very soon we spy the small hill to the left with the small copse of tree on top. This is Whittenham Clumps. Then just ahead is the lock-keepers cottage for Day’s Lock and beyond, the lock itself. Here, there is a red horse chestnut in full bloom.

But this is where we end the walk, but we must still take the path to Dorchester village, where the Abbey is clear on the skyline. As we approach the village, the rain sets in again – we were very lucky, and at least I got a bit of the path walked, even if it was my shortest leg! We call in on Dorchester Abbey itself, and the tiny tearoom in the old grammar school building. This is run by the WI and is simply two large tables in a small room. Tea or coffee available at good value, plus an excellent selection of homemade cakes. Worth a visit – if you can get a seat!

Upstairs, there is also an exhibition as part of the Artweeks festival taking place across Oxfordshire, in different location. I was sorely tempted to buy something, but resisted. Then we paid a quick call into the Abbey itself, where there was an unusual sound sculpture installed, which played out angelic chants at random, based on how people moved around the abbey. It was called Thin Air.

All in all a good day out, shame the walk wasn’t a bit longer.