The Thames Path by Leigh Hatts

The National Churches Trust, still better known by its old name the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, has asked personalities to name their favourite church.

Timmy Mallett has chosen Cookham’s Holy Trinity Church which has the Thames Path running through its churchyard.

“This is my church – I ring the bells here. It’s the spiritual home of the League of Frontiersmen and home of the anchoress who was bricked into her cell for 12 years to pray for Henry II. The choir say they can still smell her at certain times of the year! Brilliant! Stanley Spencer wanted to paint murals in the 1950s – the Church turned him down! Mistake, I think….”

The idea of a new swing bridge for walkers and cyclists spanning the entrance to Deptford Creek has just been given planning permission.

Although it appeared in the original plans for New Capital Quay its construction now seems to rely on additional storeys being added to the already very high blocks of flats.

This new route would save having to walk up the Creek past Waitrose and across the main road’s swing bridge but those operating ships may not be so keen on the additional barrier.

The Deptford Dame blog has more background.

A future stretch of the Thames Path is emerging at Deptford Creek where New Capital Quay is being redeveloped.

Huge blocks of flats have replaced open ground which was once Phoenix Gas Works.

The present route between Greenwich and Deptford is along the riverside for a short distance and then inland at Wood Wharf to go via Thames Street to the closed Rose & Crown (more recently The Thames) and up Norway Street.

One day it will be straight ahead at Wood Wharf to follow the creek back to Norway Street. It’s longer but will be rewarding.

A short section of the new riverside path can be seen off Norway Street where Waitrose has opened under the new flats. This is not big enough to have a cafe but there is good picnic food.

Despite the uninspiring flats there was the lovely sight from the new path of the James Prior tied up the working Brewery Wharf just upstream of the lifting bridge.

Oxfordshire County Council’s Countryside Access Team has received an Access Innovation Award for improvements to the highest bridleway on the Thame Path.

A welcome flight of steps alongside a ramp were installed last year on the path from Whitchurch to Gatehampton. The problem was a worn path on a very steep slope just before Hartslock Wood.

New steps, ramp and handrail have been widely welcomed.

The award was made by the British Horse Society’s Oxfordshire branch.

Henley Royal Regatta runs from Wednesday 3 July to Sunday 7 July during which there will be a towpath diversion.

The Royal Barge Gloriana, which was an attraction at the regatta last year, will be back in Henley on Monday 1 July.

In the morning the barge will travel upstream from Henley to the nearby River & Rowing Museum carrying again the cauldron used last year from Hampton Court to London.

The cauldron has been donated to the museum and Sir Matthew Pinsent, as a museum vice-president, will formally accept the gift.

Queen’s Swan Marker David Barber says that swans on the Thames have suffered from “mindless vandalism”.

He told The Times: “It is most regrettable that swans and cygnets suffer serious injury or even death as a result of mindless vandalism, dog attacks and injuries sustained by ingesting or being caught in abandoned fishing tackle.”

Swan Upping this year is from  Monday 15 July starting at Sunbury and finishing on Friday 19 July at Abingdon.

I have just visited Molesey Lock Cafe which has now been open for two weeks.

The new cafe is being run by Ruth Knight who is a river user, a Dittons Skiff and Punting Club member, and had the idea for a cafe on the site for at least ten years.

Walking east from Hampton Court Bridge you soon find the Thames Path passing between the lock (right) and the cafe (left).

There is a garden with shelter for bad weather. The menu includes hot and cold drinks, homemade cakes, sandwiches and ice cream.

This facility on the towpath is perfect for walkers and is open daily 9am to 6pm until the end of September.

The further surprise is that the Environment Agency hopes to open more cafes at locks along the River Thames. Goring could be next which will be handy since the tea shop by the bridge is only open on weekdays and even then closes at 5pm just as you want tea.

Those who are confused by the many changes on the Thames path between the O2 and Greenwich will be interested to learn that others seem to be in confusion.

Peter Bill reports in the Evening Standard that the Thames Craft boatyard at Badcock’s Wharf alongside Lovell’s Wharf is in dispute with the luxury flat developers.

The plan is, or was, for the boatyard to move downstream to Bay Wharf.

There is more background on the very informative 853 blog.

Plans emerged today for a new Thames crossing in central London.

It would be a pedestrian bridge with a garden linking the Victoria Embankment and the South Bank. The bridge could land opposite Arundel Street on the north side and the National Theatre on the south.

Completion is suggested for 2016 when Mayor of London Boris Johnson steps down.

The London SE1 website has the first details and pictures.

Walton-on-Thames can now claim to have hosted the earliest recorded game of baseball.

Proof that the game is English comes from baseball historian David Block who used a new search system to find the reference in a 1749 newspaper stored in the British Museum.

The Prince of Wales and Lord Middlesex were among the players enjoying “bass-ball”.

The site is Ashley Park Avenue which is turning off the road approaching Walton Bridge.

The discovery was mentioned last week on BBC SouthToday and has now appeared in several papers including the Daily Mail.