Exploring a nicer bit of the River Thames

The upper reaches of the River Thames were part of an EFOG walk led by Lynne on Sunday 15th June, round the twin towns of Goring and Streatley, one each side of the river.

We began by crossing to the north bank - the Streatley side - and headed uphill and past the church of St Mary, clearly decorated for a wedding the previous day with a lovely arch of roses around the door. The group headed for the countryside and views across the fields of Berkshire, clearly visible on a beautiful sunny day. At the village of Aldeburgh we stopped at another Church of St. Mary, this one the home of the effigies of nine members of the de la Beche family. These were knights in the late 13th and early 14th century, variously Constable of the Tower of London, guardian of King Edward 111's eldest son and Sheriff of Berkshire and Oxfordshire. This latter gentleman - Sir Philip - was rumoured to have been seven feet tall !

From there the walking became a little more interesting as the paths clearly required some attention! We hacked our way through the undergrowth towards St Clement's Church in Ashampstead, which is home to some rare medieval wall paintings uncovered in 1895 by the church vicar. Outside there was a working water pump that some of the members checked for authenticity.

Our journey took us through fields of poppies and through an entire field of beautiful thistles, with a large population of bees that tested the resolve of some of us! Photo opportunities and breathers coincided a number of times on the way up! Following some advice from a loca dog walker, a slightly unassuming path opened out into a field of cows and a spectacular view of Streatley and Goring that the locals like to share. We headed down the edge of the field on National Trust land, managed into a beautiful wildflower meadow. We were mindful of the mum cows with calves here just before making our way back through the towns to the station - after a lovely day in the countryside.

Sue C.    17th July 2014