T he Attractions, T he W ildlife and the People ost people think of the Thames as London’s River. But those who Mlive around and along its banks will tell you it’s England’s River. Those who live and play on it know its quiet backwaters, its locks with pretty gardens and dedicated lock keepers, its wildlife, and the folk of the Thames. Describing beautiful countryside, quaint riverside villages and rushing weirs, this brief guide aims to give you a taste of a most picturesque stretch of the Thames from Remenham to Gookham. Blue kingfishers dive from low breeding coots and moorhens and are overhanging branches, swans glide important features for the emergence elegantly by, grey herons patiently of dragonflies and damselflies. stalk the shallows and great crested The shady wooded islands on this grebes, nearly extinct at the end of the stretch of the river are ideal for the rare r last Century, show off their splendid loddon lily which flowers in late April. plumage in midstream. Away from the river there are The summer other valuable wildlife sites. ’ months bring Downstream of Marlow, sand martins the steep slopes of Quarry to form colonies Wood, an ancient beech in the river banks woodland, harbours and the beautiful rare species of flora. tree-nesting Chinese The flat expanse mandarin duck which is becoming of Cock Marsh increasingly common. is an exam ple The river banks are rich in wild of unimproved flowers among them meadowsweet grassland, once common along the Thames. ingfisher 1. Fawley Buckinghamshire begins at 5. M e d m e n h a m The site of another this point. Remenham Farm and village lie disused fern- and a favourite rendezvous for on the opposite side of the river, these those who journey along the river. The were fortified in time of Civil War. Fawley road through the village provides access to Court (above) was designed hv Wren and the river and towpath. There is also a slip­ built in 1684. The grounds were laid out by way for small craft. Nearby, Medmenham Capability Brown in 1770. You can moor Abbey (a b ove) has remains of the 13th your boat here and walk up from the river. Century Cistercian foundation which later Open to the public from March to October. achieved notoriety as a meeting place of the 10. M a r lo w With its graceful suspension bridge and Gothic 19th Century Church opposite the rushing waters of the weir, the riverside at Marlow makes a charming scene. There is access to the river as well as car parking at Iligginson 10. M A R LO W Park on Pound Lane. Public mooring is available in Iligginson Park and a public slipway is found at the end of St Peter's Street. Extensive riverside open spaces are found at Pergola Field, Riverwoods and Gossmore Lane where there is also a riverside car park. H u rley T e in p 1 e DANES FIE LD L o c k Loc F a c t s The catchm square miles (1,295 The navigable lengi This is from Town 1| Temple a major source of pu B rid ge m ile s 7. HURLEY 1 R I V E R THAMES Well End B 12. SPADE OAK 1.1. BOURNE END FOOTBRIDGE * 1 4 . CO C K MARSH ^ 17 . HEDSOR II Winter Hill I Hedsor Wharf Q H e d s o r Priory t ' ! i W 2 o o k h a m \ Lock od OdneV Common\ \ 15. COOKHAM DEAN 16. COOKHAM 18. CLIVEDEN ent area of the Thames basin measures 5,000 1,000 hectares) and extends into 14 counties, '.i of the river channel is 134 miles (216km). Jridge Cricklade to Teddington. The Thames is blic water supply for London. kilometres 1 - 2 . R e m e n li am - Viking ship-borne attacks on Anglo Saxon A pretty collection of buildings arc England between the late 8th and the 11 th clustered around the church on the south Centuries. There is an extensive view over hank, hacked hv the woods of Remenhain the valley from this location. Hill. Parking spaces arc available adjacent to the church. By walking downstream - 7. Hurley - from this point along the towpath you can The village, lock and the river flowing view Tem ple Island. Built by James Wyatt between the many islands present a year , in 1771 as a vista for Fawley Court. This is round attraction. Close to the river are the earliest example o f ‘Etruscan' style. several splendid buildings including the church, dovecote and tithe barn. These - 3 . H a m b l e i) e n L o c k - were once part of the Benedictine Hurley This delightful lock and weir with Priory which was founded in 1087. The picturesque weather hoarded mill nearby large lock island provides an ideal place for can be reached from the large car park on riverside picnics and walking downstream Hambleden Road outside Mill End. The along the towpath to the new Temple river is dotted with small islands. A walk Bridge. from the river to Hamblcden village - one - 8. T e m p l e & T e m p l e B r id g e - mile - reveals a 14th Century Church and Temple derives its name from the Knights 17th Century Manor House. The village has Templar who once owned land here. The no road names. splendid new wooden Temple Bridge now - 4 . A ston - carries the Thames Path from Bucks to The village is a very rural spot. A ferry once Berks and gives a direct riverside walk from operated across the river. A narrow lane Marlow to Henley. The different streams runs from the Flower Pot Inn down to the unite at this point to form a broad reach of river's edge. There is a small slipway where the river. craft can be launched and there is also - 9 . B is h a m - space for ears. A popular walk takes you A largely Georgian village. The Abbey, built along the towpath to Ilamhlcden Lock. mainly in the 14th & 16th Centuries, is the -6.1) A N E S F I E L I) - scene of a ghost story. Lady Hoby walks The house, now a luxury hotel, was built here without her bead at the witching hour. between 1899 and 1901 in Italian Once owned by the Knights Templar. The Renaissance style and possibly named after church, although rebuilt, still lias a Norman the Danes who were camped here during tower. - 1 1 . M a r lo w L o c k - concerning a monk from Bisham Abbey There is pedestrian access to the Lock from surrounds a bluff in these woods. which there are fine views of the church, - 16. C o o k h a m , O d n k y suspension bridge and river. C o m m o n it C o o k h a m L o c k - - 1 2 . S p a d e O a k - A self-conseiouslv pretty village with Open space by riverside, accessible from bijou cottages and fine 16th Century the car park on Coldmoorhohnc Lane. monuments. The Romans crossed the river here on their journeys southwest from St - 1 3 . B o u r n e E nd - A riverside commuter village, famous for Albans. Footpaths from the ear park on Cookham Moor lead to the Thames ‘Bourne End Sailing Week'. A commercial towpath and Cock Marsh. Only a short marina is located here and pedestrian access to the river is along Wharf Lane. walk from the bustling centre of Cookham This is an ideal centre for walking. village is Odney Common, a peaceful open pasture flanked by backwaters of the - 14. C o c k M a r s h - Thames. Beyond Odney Common lies Owned by the National Trust. This Cookham Lock from where you can attractive area of pasture is often flooded in enjoy views of the beautiful Cliveden winter helping to retain its valuable Reach and the graceful arch of nearby wildlife. The Saxons buried their dead here. Cookham Bridge. Now accessiblc along the footpath from the car park at Bourne End railway station, - 1 7. H e d s o r - across the new footbridge. Hcdsor House, a priory and a church on the hill grace this small location. Hcdsor Wharf - 15. C o o k iiam D e a n , W inter H il l - was once an important shipping point and Large parts of Cookham Dean, including is now privately owned. the village common, arc owned by the National Trust. Winter Hill is an ideal - 1 S. C l iv e d e n - location to enjoy wide views to the north Hills and hanging woods stretch from the and over the Thames as it winds around rivers edge. Ferry Cottage is a point of Cock Marsh heading towards Bourne End interest. Today’s Cliveden House, owned by and Cookham. There are spaces to park the National Trust, stands on the site of one cars on the top of the steep, wood covered destroyed by fire. The House was erected in hillside lying southeast of Marlow. Yon can IN62 for the Astor family. Only 3 rooms walk from this point to the river, and then and wonderful grounds, not forgetting the on to Marlow. Quarry Woods stretch from water gardens, arc open for visitors to Bisham Road to Winter Hill. A tragic legend explore. -T he H is t o r y of -L it e r a r y C o n n e c t i o n s - th e T ham es is th e H is t o r y of E n g l a n d - Herries School in Cookham Dean is where Kenneth Grahame, a descendant Through the years, the Thames has of Robert the Bruce, wrote the served as a highway, line of defence, children’s classic The Wind in the trade route, natural playground and Willows.