It’s all about the feet (Thames River Ramble–Leg 4: Tilehurst to Henley-on-Thames)

It wasn’t supposed to be this way.

I hopped the train from Oxford to Tilehurst via Reading on Thursday morning eager for the 12 1/4 mile ramble to Henley-on-Thames, a global hub for rowing sports that attracts some of the best crew teams in the world every year during the Henley Royal Regatta. When I began the day I anticipated writing a blog post reflecting on the unfamiliarity of rowing to someone like me, an American living in parched, arid West Texas. Every Abilenian knows: you can’t crew on Cedar Creek.

I really wanted this post to be about the rowing, but a few miles out of Tilehurst concern set in. Recall from my Leg 1 post my concerns about my feet. I thought that I had sufficiently addressed the problems leading to blistering. I’m now wearing wool hiking socks and moleskin covering. Legs 2 and 3 went mostly okay, though blistering was still a manageable problem.

All of this changed in Leg 4. Nearing Reading, my heels and one of my blistered toes really began hurting. I pushed forward, insisting that I would not let the discomfort rob me of the 12-mile adventure. Every mile my steps led to ever-increasing amounts of pain. About 4 miles from Henley I took one of my socks off to address a new blister that was forming. My foot was a horror show. I will spare you the details.

I intended my Thames River Ramble to be a spiritual experience. I did not expect my spiritual journey would entail the mortification of the flesh.

So sadly for me, Leg 4 of my ramble really was all about my feet. I successfully completed 12 miles, in pain. When I began the day I had envisioned the possibility of continuing on to Marlow, another 8 miles. My stamina would easily have allowed this. It was extremely frustrating to admit that my feet would not permit me to go forward. I have come to the conclusion that my hiking boots are not usable for the rest of my ramble. Today I have been wearing my athletic shoes around Oxford. I’ve already walked 7 miles with only minor pain from my boot-inflicted injuries. As I get closer to London I anticipate the path will become more paved, so I have fewer worries about wearing my athletic shoes for this part of the ramble where waterproofing is less a concern. I’m still trying to figure out what to do about my ramble toward the Source. I may need to invest in some trail shoes that aren’t going to destroy my feet.

Aside from the distraction of my foot pain, the ramble from Tilehurst to Henley-on-Thames is lovely. Tilehurst is a suburb of Reading. Reading is a major town with an urban center that rivals the size of Oxford. Between Reading and Henley-on-Thames sit several small villages, each charming and worth a visit for travelers wanting a taste of small town like in Oxfordshire or Berkshire. In order to provide a brief respite to my ailing feet I did take a journey into Sonning to grab a drink at the historic Bull Inn. The present pub dates from the 16th century. Once owned by the Bishop of Salisbury, at present the Inn is owned by St. Andrew’s church, which sits nearby. Both the pub and the church are worth a visit. The church is gorgeous inside but looks older than it actually is. Most of what is current dates from the Victorian era. Sonning is absolutely lovely. In the late 19th century, novelist Jerome K. Jerome wrote a well-known book about three men on a two-week river holiday down the River Thames. The book, Three Men in a Boat, describes Sonning as “the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river.” Jerome also has a delightful passage devoted to The Bull:

“If you stop at Sonning, put up at the “Bull,” behind the church. It is a veritable picture of an old country inn, with green, square courtyard in front, where, on seats beneath the trees, the old men group of an evening to drink their ale and gossip over village politics; with low, quaint rooms and latticed windows, and awkward stairs and winding passages.“

St. Andrew’s Church, Sonning

Resting in Sonning gave me a chance to reassess my plans. At that point my goal was to journey forward and hope my feet could get me to Henley-on-Thames. They did, thankfully. Across this entire 12-mile stretch are some phenomenal river estates. Can you imagine having a home with a boat garage that sits underneath your house?

Doing some research on Henley-on-Thames, I’ve learned just how expensive it is to live in the rowing mecca of the world: a few years ago Lloyd’s Bank found Henley to be the second-most expensive market town in the country, with an average home price of £748,001.

As I made my way to the train station at Henley, I was grateful that I made it to the end of my journey, a successful leg, albeit an unpleasant one. After 4 legs, I have covered about 52 miles of the Thames River Path. I am planning to complete Leg 5 next Tuesday. My goal on that Leg is to get to Maidenhead. Meanwhile, the next few days I’ll be nursing my ailing feet back to health. I am determined in this: the rest of my ramble cannot be about my feet. (Note: a complete set of pictures I took on this leg can be found on my Facebook page)

Return home…