Thames Path NaƟonal Trail Office, Speedwell House, Oxford, OX1 1NE InformaƟon: [email protected]T:01865 810224 Volunteers [email protected]T: 01865 810211 W www.naƟonaltrail.co.uk/thames‐path/ INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Events online 1 Organised Events Calendar 3 Missing Jigsaw Piece 4 Trail Overview 6 Volunteer Task Diary 7 Along the Trail 8 Circular Walk 10 End notes 13 Erith Lighthouse 12 NEWSLETTER AUTUMN 2017 ISSUE 7 follow @nƩhames News for all who enjoy the Thames Path New Online Events Calendar Launched We have just launched an online events calendar! This calendar is not just for large organised events ‐ we’d love Parishes and Towns and local organisaƟons to promote their fetes, regaƩas etc – the things that make the Thames special. Organisers can add events to the website to aƩract parƟcipants and keep the public informed of acƟviƟes along the trail. We hope that it will also allow organisers to avoid potenƟal clashes with other events. The past few years have seen a tremen‐ dous growth in the use of the Trails for large organised charity events. Organisers of these events have started working more closely with the Thames Path Trail Team to plan ahead, keep everyone informed and support improvements to the Trail. Thanks to all who have sent in event forms to the Trails Office with details of events taking place this year and also pledged a donaƟon to the Trails. ConƟnued overleaf From the website you can download a registraƟon form for events on the Thames Path and also find guidance on managing an event on the trail.
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New Online Events Calendar Launched · News for all who enjoy the Thames Path New Online Events Calendar Launched We have just launched an online events calendar! This calendar is
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Chilterns Walking Fes val 16 September – 1 October 2017 Explore new areas of The Chilterns—family‐friendly, accessible and inclusive walks in the autumn Walking Fes val
Walking for Health in Oxford In Oxford, as in many towns and villages there is an active Walking for Health group and events run weekly. There is a regu‐lar health walk every Tues‐day morning, star ng at Oxford Town Hall, St Al‐dates, OX1 1BX. The walks o en go along the Thames Path. They are designed for people who want to take some exercise by walking for about 2 ‐ 3 miles in about an hour. Every one is welcome and there is no charge.
Volunteer Task Diary Practical work is carried out along The Thames Path and The Ridgeway to ensure walkers enjoy using it. Work is carried out by the National Trail Team, volunteers, local highway authorities, landowners and contractors. Volunteers are welcome to help maintain the Thames Path by joining the task team led by the National Trail Team. The location and activities for the next 3 months are shown below. Please ensure that you book early as the practical tasks are popular. Locations for tasks may change and volunteer numbers can be limited due to type of task.
Volunteer to help with a task by contacting the National Trail Team.
Book in advance and as soon as possible. E: [email protected] T: 01865 810211
Thames Path National Trails Team
SEPT 4th RW ‐ Scutchamers IB 1 4th TP – Workshop S 2 5th TP ‐ Northmoor G 3 6th TP ‐ Inglesham S 4 7th TP – TBC 11th TP – workshop S 2 12th RW – Wendover ST 5 13th RW – TBC 14th TP – Inglesham S 4 18th RW – Bishopstone S 6 19th TP – Swinford BBQ 2 25th RW – Bishopstone 6 26th TP – Inglesham S 4
OCT 2nd RW – West S 6 3rd TP – Workshop S 2 4th RW – West S 6 5th TP – Inglesham S 4 9th RW – Watlington W/C 10th TP – Inglesham S 4 11th RW – South Stoke W/C 7 12th TP – Inglesham S 4 16th TP – Dorchester W/C 7 17th RW – Snap W/C 8 18th RW – Wallingford W/C 7 19th TP – Northmoor G 23rd RW – Princess Risborough W/C 5 24th TP – Cholsey W/C 7 25th TP – TBC 30th RW – Snap W/C 8 31st TP – Dorchester W/C 7
KEY IB = Interpreta on boards G = Gate S = Signage ST = Steps TBC = To be confirmed BBQ = :-)
Here’s a quick update on the larger scale works and other assortments along the Thames that you might find interes ng.
Our aim is to ensure all enclosed sec ons of the Thames Path receive at least 2 grass cuts per year. As well as your on‐going commitment to our volunteer grass cuts, we also have 3 separate contractor grass cuts in opera on, with the second cut having now been completed.
We only have funding for 2 grass cuts and so our volun‐teer cuts are crucial to keep‐ing the trail open. On top of this the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Richmond Borough Council undertake grass cu ng regimes along the trail through their reaches. The last thing we need now
is a warm and wet August! You might be interested to learn, especially those of you that sign up to the Chimney Meadow grass cu ng day that within 2 weeks of us cu ng that reach, we then received a complaint from the public that it was overgrown and so the need for three cuts from our volunteers are crucial along such reaches, nothing grows like a riverbank during the summer!
Some weldmesh and gabion stone revetment works have taken place between Pangbourne and Mapledurham, where the erosion had become an issue to trail users, further works are required here, we’re going to build a boardwalk through a marshy, water meadow area, to improve access for all, but also to ensure users won’t cause further damage to this fragile eco system.
We have further large scale revetment works programmed in for both Streatley and Oxford City. As the river banks are high with a narrow topped bank along these reaches, sheet piling is our only op on, but this will be off set with pre‐planted coir rolls, with shade‐resistant riparian vegeta on planted in the coir rolls. The Oxford City reach is also going to see a widened new surface along with des na on signage, to encourage the public to walk and cycle as part of a Government ini a ve to improve city walking and cycling links.
A new replacement bridge with ramping to replace steps, crossing the Thames near South Cerney will be installed, and a new in keeping surface will be put down just upstream of Marlow – this will link up with previous surfaces and pro‐vide a level path along the Marlow reach for all to enjoy.
Further downstream we are looking to work with partners to undertake a full London condi on survey on both banks through the capital. User feedback on the Thames Path through London highlights signage and development as two factors that need to be inves gated. When we know about development taking place, we ask the Highway Authority to provide us with diversion maps which are then uploaded onto our interac ve website map here www.na onaltrail.co.uk/thames‐path/plan and so help forewarn trail users. This
is not the only informa on that can be uploaded, for example businesses along the Thames adver se their hotels on the site and recently all London Premier Inns did just that. There are many other business adver‐sing their products such as pubs, boat hire and cycle hire companies. The website peaks at around
70,000 hits during the summer months with 12% of the traffic coming from overseas, so it is certainly worthwhile for Thames side businesses to adver se themselves.
One of the largest developments taking place through London is the Tideway tunnel. This is London’s largest build since Crossrail. It is upda ng London’s sewerage system to cope with the demands of the city well into the 22nd century. Overflows of untreated sewage into the dal River Thames add up to tens of millions of tonnes every year. This is unacceptable and the Thames Tideway Tun‐nel will clean up our river. During the 25 kilo‐metre intercep on, storage and transfer tun‐nel build, there are some diversions around the Thames Path. Its legacy will not only clean up the river but also provide opportu‐ni es for further riverside frontage for public access. To learn more about Tideway visit www. deway.london/ With development comes our opportunity to create new riverside walking through London and another large development taking place is Ba ersea Power Sta on. Because of the dangers in walking next to industrial areas such as Ba ersea, there has nev‐er been riverside access for the public through such areas, however thanks to the development taking place, once completed, and for the first me we’ll see the Thames Path running next to the Thames through this area.
We’ve been ‘researching’ the possibili es of working in partnership with one of the breweries that has a connec on with the Thames, to brew a Thames Path Trail ale, unfortunately we haven’t had any success to date, but if you do know or have connec ons with a brewery who would be interested in working with us then please do get in contact with us.
Moving yet further downstream, we’ve had mee ngs with the English Coast Path Team, Greenwich and Bexley Borough Councils to inves gate further the linking up of our exis ng Thames Path Na onal Trail with the crea on of the English Coast Path Na onal Trail South East. This work is on‐going, but some parts of the English Coast Path Na onal Trail have already been created and can now be walked, whereas others sec ons such as the estuary areas have more challeng‐es, ranging from environmentally sensi ve areas, river delta systems feeding into them and heavy industry and so require more me for their crea on. Visit: www.na onaltrail.co.uk/england‐coast‐path All the best, The Thames Path Trail Team
Buy this classic enamel pin badge to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this much loved Trail. Perfect for your hat, your rucksack or your lapel, wear it to show your support for the Na onal Trails.
Maps and guide books also for sale, visit Thames Path website the Na onal Trails Shop
A quality mug in a contemporary design lis ng memorable places along the Trails. If you've walked the Trail then it's a must!
Na onal Trails Office, Speedwell House, Oxford, OX1 1NE