Shiplake and the Banks of the Thames
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Shiplake and the banks of the Thames Introduction The walk takes us from Shiplake (strictly speaking Shiplake Cross), through Lower Shiplake, along the banks of the Thames as far as Shiplake College and then back to the start. Key points are numbered on the map and correspond to the numbered sections below. Shiplake is a two-village parish. The oldest part is the area known as the village of Shiplake Cross. It is close to the parish church of St. Peter and Paul, Shiplake College (formerly Shiplake Court and farm), the local primary school and the Plowden Arms pub. The newer part, near the river and the station, is Lower Shiplake which is the "commercial centre", with all the shops, a post office etc. The name Shiplake most likely stems from 'stream where sheep are washed‘ (sheeplake) but it has also been suggested that it could be named after the final resting place of a Viking ship (ship loss) as the river was too shallow to navigate above Shiplake. 1) Shiplake Memorial Hall and Institute Shiplake Memorial Hall was built in 1925-6 as the gift of the Mardon family in memory of their son killed in the First World War. It was prominently supported by the Thames Lodge of the Freemasons. It was used as a temporary classroom for evacuees from London during World War Two, as the local primary school was not big enough. In 2013 a complete refurbishment and expansion was undertaken costing £450,000 (almost the same as it cost to build the original). At the western end of Memorial Avenue is a primary school, originally built in 1847 but replaced in 1963 and extended since then. However, we walk east, towards the river. 2) New Cross New Cross is where the Memorial Avenue meets the main A4155, Reading to Henley road. There is pressure to install a pedestrian crossing here, for children from Lower Shiplake going to the primary school and for Shiplake Cross residents going to the shops in Lower Shiplake or the parish church. The chief reason for the junction is Mill Lane, which gave access to Shiplake Mill and Shiplake Lock, and is now the southern access route into Lower Shiplake. By 1900 there were enough houses in the centre of Lower Shiplake to warrant a new road, directly from New Cross. These included Fairholme, Westfield, Lashbrook Cottage and Thisteldown. This is why New Road was created! We'll see how many of these still remain. 3) Mill Road We reach a T-junction with Mill Road, the main road through the village. The centre of the village is to the left – five minutes walk takes you to the station and the Baskerville Arms. (This was named after the Baskerville family who owned Crowsley Park, a few miles west and which used to be part of the parish of Shiplake – remember the Hound of the Baskervilles ?). The Thames Path passes along this road, rather than the river bank – we will see why later. We take the narrow path to the left of Virginia Cottage. On the right we reach the quant Lashbrook Chapel. Page 1 of 4 Shiplake and the banks of the Thames 4) Lashbrook Chapel It is likely that the Lashbrook Chapel building was originally the store for the nearby paper mill. The mill closed in 1907 (we will see what's left later) . In June 1914 the store was referred to as the Parish Room and daily services were held here. The last service at the chapel was held on 27th October 2002. We continue down beside the house on the left and over a small stream – the Lashbrook. 5) Over the Lashbrook The path we use here has only become a public right of way after a 13-year battle with the owner of the adjacent house on the left, an action championed by the Ramblers and inspired by a local, David Ramm. Round the back we reach the Henley – Twyford railway branch line. 6) The Regatta Line The 4-mile long branch line to Henley was built in 1857, as part of the Great Western Railway. Electrification started this year (2015). Initially the only intermediate station was Shiplake. It was converted to a double track in 1897 and Wargrave Station was opened in 1900. In 1961 it reverted to a single track. Wargrave and Shiplake stations were demolished in 1985 and replaced by bus shelters. Passing under the railway (duck !) we join what was a dead-end path and can now go down to the river. This area is still called Lashbrook. 7) Lashbrook. Historically there is an interesting reason why the first stretch of riverbank that you will take is not the Thames Path. The towpath coming south from Henley is on the west bank. However, the owner of Bolney Court, about 2 miles north of here, would not allow it to pass through his land. Boat owners were therefore forced to take their horses across to the east bank at the Bolney Ferry and then back to the west bank at the Lashbrook ferry. These ferries of course have long gone. The Thames Path for simplicity therefore took a simple route that skirts Bolney Court to the landward side, and goes straight through Lower Shiplake to the lock (there are plans to reroute it at some time in the future). A notice board to the left (designed by David Ramm) shows the layout of the ferries. We walk now along the river bank and past a big marina. eventually we reach a gate and a path off to the right. 8) The Wargrave Ferry Wargrave, on the opposite bank, is a much larger place than Shiplake. Where we see the pub on the opposite bank – The George and Dragon - there was a ferry: the steps can still be seen on our side. The path off to the right is along the line where the track from the ferry to Shiplake used to go. Particularly before Wargrave got its own station, this was an essential route between the two places. If you were to take the path, and go under the railway, you are at the eastern end of Mill Lane – the western end of which is at New Cross. Looking back we see an impressive building on the hill above Wargrave, Wargrave Manor. Page 2 of 4 Shiplake and the banks of the Thames 9) Wargrave Manor Wargrave Manor is the first of four significant buildings we see on the last part of the walk. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book but the current building was built the late 18th century and altered in the 19th and 20th. It is a Grade II listed building with grounds of about 125 acres. It was once owned by Gertude Jekyll's family and most recently the Sultan of Oman bought it in the 1980's. Although it's fully staffed all year round, he does not live there but his mother and some of his wives do. He only visits the manor about twice a year and when he does so he only stays during the day. When he is there, there are armed security men at every entrance and guard dogs patrol the grounds. He often donates money to organisations in the village. He provided money to extend the youth centre and provided his own chefs for an Omani evening as part of the Wargrave Festival in 1985. About 100 yards further along there was an earlier ferry across to Wargrave. We continue right along the river bank to the railway viaduct. This was a wooden bridge in 1857 but replaced by this iron bridge when the track was doubled. Note the double set of piers still remain, but only one track, from when the line was reduced to a single track. There were plans to use these supports to make a pedestrian bridge, funded by the Millennium Project, but objections eventually caused the idea to be dropped. There are now revised plans so it may become a cycle route - some time in the future. Now we come to. …….. a big gate. 10) "The Back Garden Route" The route ahead has been the towpath since 1775, long before any houses were built here, except the Mill House. As late as 1933 an OS map shows there was a fenced path along the river bank to allow unhindered access as far as the mill . Since then, the owners have claimed the river bank as their own – but allow us to exercise our right of way across. There are 12 gardens to cross – most have a gate at each side. Be considerate, don't take photos or deviate from the path. At the end, we reach a boat house, have to go up the final garden to Mill Lane, round Mill House and back down to the river again. Here is where the Thames Path joins us, at Shiplake Lock. We will follow that as far as the college. 11) Shiplake Lock and Island On the left of the path to the lock we see the remains of Shiplake Mill, initially a corn mill and later a paper mill. It burnt down and was demolished in 1907. As with many locks, the location was chosen because an island in the river gave the opportunity to have a lock and a weir. The original lock was built in 1773, of fir wood. This was rebuilt with oak in 1787. It was rebuilt again in 1874. Steel gates were installed in 2009/10. The linked island is unusual in that it was purchased by the City of London in 1891 for camping.