The Nomad is in the UK right now, continuing his epic walk along The Thames Path. His last saunter along the walk ended short due to inclement weather. Here is his first report back from his latest meanderings.
So far I’ve only managed to cover a couple of sections of The Path, and both were totally different in their appeal.
From Runnymede, through Windsor Great Park, and on to Cookham you see a river full of pleasure activities, surrounded by history and fine homes. The finest of these homes belongs to The Queen. The Long Walk through Windsor Castle should be taken instead of the Thames Path as you can stop for a good pint at the Two Brewers, at the entrance to the Long Walk. Buy a pastie in the town and play the tourist for a while before continuing by the Watermans Arms, dating from 1542 AD, on to Cookham. If you have time in Windsor, take the open bus to Eton and the surrounding countryside for a nice hour or two.
I drove on to Cricklade to do the final section of The Path through meadows, and it is here where The Thames is merely a brook. It is not as interesting a stretch as the previous sections of the wal, but there is some history here in that the water meadows have been preserved and you can find the old Thames/Servern canal that is now dry. I recommend staying in Cricklade at the Vale Hotel and having a pint of Horizon bitter while enjoying the village.
The Nomad.