Day 10 - 27th October 2014 - Oxford to Near Abingdon

It surprised me how little of this fine university city is visible from the river. Other then the line of boat sheds for the university rowing teams there's little else to hint that it's Oxford. Perhaps the proliferation of high speed (dangerous) cyclists on part of the path were also a giveaway? It's been a few weeks since I hiked in to Oxford, an excellent trip to Namibia intervened - photographs linked here. Whilst I found a few things to try photographing on this stretch I seem to have only a couple that make it.

Railway Bridge Reflections

White Bridge

Day 9 - 17th September 2014 - Pinkhill Lock to Oxford

Took the train to Oxford for this section, hiking upstream to Pinkhill Lock then back to Oxford. Another warm dry day, grey throughout except for sun just for about three hours early afternoon. There's more activity on the Thames as it widens and enters more populated parts. Oxford marks 54 miles of the path completed - or 108 as I'm hiking both directions.

No, I don't know what it is either!

The Lock at King's Weir

Bridge at Godstow Abbey

Dangerous Heron

Reflection of Swinford Bridge

Under the A34

Bridge at Godstow Abbey - II

Day 8 - 8th September 2014 - Newbridge to Pinkhill Lock

It's 14 miles to Oxford - or 28 miles hiking as I'm hiking each section in both directions. So, 14 miles was today's quota getting me just beyond Pinkhill Lock before turning back to Newbridge. Day 9 will see me in Oxford. Totally different weather from the last two outings when I didn't see the sun all day. This section was wall to wall sun making some images possible whilst ruling out others. The photograph (third one down below) of the shadow of the weir superstructure on the waters of the weir at Northmoor Lock is an example of an image for which not only is the sun is essential to cast the shadows, but also the particular time of day is important. Any earlier and the bright slots of sunlight would not yet have appeared whilst not too much later and they, along with the railings, would have stretched too far out to the left. My arrival at the right time was pure luck - an essential ingredient in at least some of my work. The second photograph of the weir was taken about 5 hours later when, this time, the sun's low position made the image possible creating the contrast of the bright warm back-lit spewing water with the cool light in the shaded remainder of the image. Whilst the first works well for me in b&w, the second requires its colour.

Under the Newbridge Willows

Disused Boat House

Weir at Northmoor Lock - I

Weir at Northmoor Lock - II

Day 7 - 5th September 2014 - Chimney Meadow NNR to Newbridge

Another good day hiking but after my previous day this one provided me with a few more images to work on. The day once more was overcast with an even grey sky and almost no breeze. Not much use for landscape vistas with big skies, but ideal for closer more intimate images with the absence of harsh shadows. Butterflies are now almost always shown in full colour so my monochrome Comma harks back to older times when all wildlife photography was in black and white.

I met and hiked for part of the way with Tim and Jean from Olympia on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. They are on a 15 day hike for the whole of the Thames Path. The coincidence is that in May this year I traveled and photographed all round the peninsula, their home territory. My photographs from the trip are linked here on my website.

The Old Bridge at Newbridge

Comma

Shifford Lock Footbridge

Cow Parsley

Fungi on Dead Poplar

Day 6 - 27th August 2014 - Radcot to Chimney Meadow NNR

After a break of almost 9 months I’m back hiking The Thames Path. Not hiking in the winter was a consequence of the severe flooding of the Thames - and many other areas in England. But once spring was here and the river banks had dried out I was distracted by other things. After my first day back it feels almost as if there hasn’t been a break. The stretch I’m on at present isn’t exactly the most inspirational - photographically, or anything else for that matter. It’s mile after mile of wide open fields through which The Thames meanders and whose river banks are overrun by Himalayan Balsam. Add to that the overcast weather made a less than inspiring return. However, I did enjoy the 10 mile hike but struggled to find anything that really grabbed my imagination. Hoping not to draw a blank, I did manage two or three photographs that just about make it.

Thrashing Willows

Rushey Weir

Sycamore Seeds

Still Rained off ...

I crossed the upper Thames in a number of places by car this morning to see whether there's any prospect of my resuming my hike. No chance ... Whilst the river is now flowing in the main within its banks (but only just) there remains extensive flooding of the riverside meadows making the path, at least in places, impossible to hike. With more rain forecast and little prospect of abatement any time soon this looks like a project on hold for weeks (months?) yet. One day ...

I went within half a mile of the source of the Thames today for the first time since I started in September. Then it was dry, as I believe it usually is. But now it's flowing vigorously right from the source across what is usually a gently sloping grassy meadow.

Rained Off ...

The heavy rain of the last few days, and tonight's to come, has scuppered my plans for hiking over the next week at least. The path is inundated making hiking impossible.  It will be some time whilst the flood plain fulfils its role and the waters abate before the hiking the path path becomes a realistic proposition. No doubt there are some amazing images waiting for me but hiking out to them is out of the question. And the mud will be something to contend with long after the waters abate, so, until then ...