Day 3 Wallingford to Oxford

It’s the tough third day - aches and distance today - a long walk today and hopefully it will be good weather! Through town and up stream to Oxford ! An early start by the bridge (Welsh people’s ford on the road from Wales) which has been here since 1066. Crossing the weir at Benson lock . Shillingford bridge is impressive , balustraded from 1827.
Moving on from the wharf I pass the confluence of Thames and Thame ! The lower section of the River Thame runs from the town of Thame to its confluence with the River Thames just south of Dorchester-on-Thames. Seemingly the Oxford name for the Thames is Isis rather than Thames! I don’t take a detour to Dorchester as the day is long enough!
High on the hill on the other cliff top bank is the Clifton Hampden Manor House but I pass by the bridge and down the Clifton cut and onto Culham and Abingdon.
I’m on the wrong side to see the town which is one of the oldest inhabited in UK.
It’s still impressive with church and Almshouses and bridge! The walk north here is muddy and slow and not that interesting really ! Nuneham house on the other bank looks impressive with its Capability Brown gardens and a boathouse. It’s been a day of willows , ducks , rowers and fishermen ! The rest of the walk towards Oxford is bridges,Oxford boathouses and then it’s Oxford ! The folly bridge is a weird house and opposite the Head of the River pub and now I must find my hotel !
A long day and long walk of 23 miles ! And it was sunny too! Czytaj więcej