[Note: I wrote this post last Thursday after arriving back in Oxford. I didn’t have time to upload pictures before our group left for London, so I am only now posting. A complete set of pictures from leg 14 of the ramble may be found here]
When my oldest son Theo turned nine we bought him a Nintendo DS for his birthday. We also bought him a game he was desperate to play, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. One morning Theo woke Tara and me up. He was in tears because the game was over. The end credits had rolled. He was grieving that there wasn’t any more of the game to play. As one who loves games myself, I was touched by Theo’s feeling at the time. It’s something extraordinary to find oneself so wrapped up in a story, to feel almost like you are part of what is happening, and to feel like you have lost something when you reach the end. Roleplaying games can do that. So can really good books. And, as I’ve learned this semester, so can a 185-mile ramble.
I left our house in Oxford at 4:30 AM today for the Oxford Tube. Weather reports called for rain through the morning. I arrived at Victoria Station with a steady rain falling, but the radar suggested that things would lighten up later in the morning, so I grabbed a cup of coffee and reviewed the plan for my final leg of the Thames River Path. The 10-mile stretch from Tower Bridge to the Thames Barrier traverses a part of London unlike anything I’ve hiked to this point. Wharves, docks, and homages to London’s seafaring past are everywhere. I didn’t think this would be a thing, but on today’s ramble I encountered the ugliest site on the entire 185 mile path, a one mile stretch through an industrial wasteland not far from the Barrier. For your viewing pleasure:
East of Tower Bridge, the path wanders through once-blighted urban neighborhoods that are experiencing renovation and revival, with all of the mixed blessings that come with gentrification: wealthier residents bring economic revival, raising rents and contributing to London’s affordable housing crisis. While hiking the path today I also came across individuals trolling the shoreline of the Thames at low tide, participating in “mudlarking,” an activity first described to me by my friend, Dan McGregor. Apparently with some effort it is possible to wander in the mud and gunk of the Thames River and uncover extraordinary treasures, that is if one doesn’t mind the fact that the Thames still receives occasional deposits of sewage. There are entire communities of mudlarkers in London, and apparently it is not too difficult to find artifacts on shore from nearly 2500 years of history along the Thames.
Between Tower Bridge and the Barrier, one also traverses land steeped in maritime history. My personal favorite: St. Mary’s Church, Rotherhithe is located a short distance from where the Mayflower launched from London in July 1620. The Mayflower Captain, Christopher Jones, is buried at the church, though the priest I visited with at the church told me that they are uncertain where on the grounds he is. A few miles east of Rotherhithe sits the Cutty Sark, one of the last great tea ships ever built (1869-1895). The Old Royal Naval College sits along the banks here as well. With so much history it is impossible to even scratch the surface on a ramble.
Leg 14 ended at the Thames Barrier, an engineering wonder. Prior to its construction from 1974-1984, London was subject to tidal flooding. London was ravaged by floods through much of its history. The Barrier may be mechanically raised and lowered as needed, protecting central London from dangerous storm surges and high tides, and allowing for the flow of water downstream toward the sea as needed. Over almost 40 years of operation, the Barrier has been utilized over 200 times.
Today marks the end of a journey I began over two months ago, but the story really stretches back ten years for me. I have always wanted to ramble. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a dream of mine, though one that at this point seems an outlandish wish more than something I’m capable of doing given where I am in my life. When I began planning this ramble, I did so thinking that the Thames River Path was something I could complete during a Study Abroad semester. I was thrilled by the idea of learning some things about the country where I am living, to explore small towns and see new things that would deepen my appreciation for the experiences that one can only have when studying abroad.
This happened for me, to be sure, but as the prospect of completing this ramble became real, the journey changed for me. Initially excited about seeing wonderous, unknown treasures around every river bend, I didn’t think about the way that hours of time by myself would impact me. There is something deeply spiritual about spending hours alone on the Thames River. Approaching the last 100 yards of the path, I broke down as memories of the 185 miles washed over me…
That first leg, the one where Tara and I got soaked on the walk to Abingdon and accidentally took the slow bus back to Oxford…
The walk from the Kingston Bagpuize bus stop to Newbridge, the one where I almost died but was rescued by a kind landscaper willing to let me hitch a ride the rest of the way…
The domesticated deer herd on a rich river estate between Henley and Maidenhead…
Seeing Windsor Castle from the forested Thames Path…
Learning about the rules and strategy of rugby from locals at the pub in Cricklade…
Those blisters…
The smell of the wood fire burning at The Red Lion’s pub hearth in Castle Eaton…
The rainbow above the source…
There are too many memories to put into words. Reflecting on the whole of this ramble, the ancient churches and quaint river towns are etched in my memory, but what will stick with me most are those hours between those towns, the vast solitude and stillness of fall days interrupted by the shrill call of a red kite, the hum of a passing river boat, and the gentle sound of the River Thames lapping over the nearby shore. Reaching the Barrier, the game is over, leaving me with tears, a sense of accomplishment, of loss, and a deep appreciation for the gifts I received along the way…
Return home…
Vic, I really enjoyed following your story about your ramble. Good on you for completing a dream!
Vic, I have really enjoyed reading about your travels along the Thames path. What a journey! Thank you for sharing. I wish I could have been there to smell the fire in that pub.
Thanks for sharing this journey. I have really enjoyed following along. And while I’ve (we’ve, really, Jeremy too) done a lot of hiking on many trails (some of the AT included), I’ve never completed one in its entirety. What an accomplishment!