Author: Leigh Hatts

An updated edition of Cicerone’s Thames Path is out now.

This just issued guide is the most up to date available. Included are the many changes in London as well as the recovered waterside route at Shiplake.

Copies are available from Cicerone.

The arrival of better weather has allowed work to start on repairing and painting Bourne End Bridge.

The iron and steel railway crossing, which carries the Maidenhead-Marlow branch line, was built in 1895 to succeed a wooden one.

The work will take all summer but walkers will still be able to use the footbridge which was attached twenty years ago.

Some important points are made about the state of the Thames Path by John Orchard of Oxfordshire Ramblers.

Writing in the latest South East Walker, he says that the entire Thames was recently under a flood warning. “Vast swathes of land under water” for weeks has been the situation especially in the Abingdon area.

An interesting point made by John is that paths will take a long time to recover and it may be some time before we can walk the paths without being caked in mud.

But as I write it is still February.

Last week rubbish was dumped in Waterhay car park between Cricklade and Ashton Keynes. The gate was also damaged.

It’s already  reopened thanks to a Cotswold Water Park team working with local farmers and the Freeth family.

It appears that the path in front of Lovell’s Wharf is now open.

This is almost certainly a temporary measure since the section to the north may be closed when more flats are built. But for now you don’t have go inland.

More updates will be posted here.

Meanwhile here is the latest report.

The helicopter crash at Vauxhall has obviously closed the Thames Path.

An inland diversion is far to long.

Upstream walkers arriving at Vauxhall Bridge should go under the bridge. Once up the slope at St George’s Wharf bear sharp right to go up another slope to the bridge.

Walk across Vauxhall Bridge.

On reaching the north side at Pimlico turn left down steps to stay with the river. It will be necessary to walk round a house but there is a path as far as St George’s Gardens.

After that the road is by the river to the next bridge.

Cross Chelsea Bridge to return to the south side and at once go right into Battersea Park.

As HMV faces closure give a thought to the dog Nipper.

Where is he?

He was buried in Kingston-upon-Thames in a spot now covered by Lloyds Bank.

The bank has a plaque and he is remembered by Nipper Alley opposite Wilkinson’s.

HMV is the modern name for His Master’s Voice which was inspired by a painting by Francis Barraud of Nipper listening to a gramophone.

The bank and alley are both in the main street leading from Kingston Bridge.

Chertsey Bridge has been closed until safety checks have been undertaken.

A pleasure cruiser with a crew of just two people became wedged in one of the arches at about 1pm on Saturday and remained stuck for about 90 minutes.

The vessel was sailing downstream with water high and running fast.

The Thames Path is now impassable in many places.

The Thames Barrier closed this morning and although it reopened at 3pm the gates will close again tonight.

This is mainly to avoid flooding around Thames Ditton opposite Hampton Court Palace.

The towpath at Henley is flooded and nearby Sonning Bridge is closed.

Details of more than a hundred flood warnings can be found on the Environment Agency  website.

I often fancy dropping into Kew Gardens or even just Kew Palace when I look across from the towpath but a visit usually costs £16. This means that you will feel that a full day is required to justify the price. I can recall when entry was one penny.

It will be like that again during the Christmas holiday because there is to be free entry from Saturday 22 to Friday 4 January.

Booking online starts on Monday 17 December.