A Shiplake Figure of Eight 12th July 2019
The weather gods were playing nicely, so Peter and I headed to Shiplake, on the River Thames for a relaxed paddle, taking in the delights of St Patrick’s Stream, the River Loddon and the Hennerton Backwater.
Launching from Mill Lane in Shiplake, we headed upstream for a mile and a half, sheltered from the light north westerly breeze by the tree lined banks and wooded islands (or Aits) found on this beautiful stretch of the Thames.
This narrow boat’s name perfectly capturing our mood…
We took the quieter inside loop around the aits, sharing the water with just the Greylag and Egyptian residents.
Before long, it was time to duck across the busy stream of craft and enter St Patrick’s Stream, our first backwater of the day.
Here, the moderate flow took us down the most idyllic waterway I have yet to paddle. Entirely rural for the first mile or so, this wild and beautiful stretch invites you to lazily drift around its gentle meanders with only one mildly acrobatic tree manoeuvre required. Even the multitude of fishing platforms were unoccupied.
Before reaching the confluence with the River Loddon, a small tributary meets the stream, where a stone weir below a pretty road bridge creates a lively spot of water in which to briefly play. Beware though….here be dragons!
After a while, the stream teams up with the River Loddon, widening slightly and gently increasing the flow. The peaceful mood remains unchanged with high trees concealing the substantial dwellings beyond…..well mostly substantial…
…until the final approach to the Thames reveals the manicured lawns, stunning boathouses and attendant slipper launches of the well-heeled of Wargrave.
Rejoining the mighty Thames for a few busy hundred yards, we then took a right fork through the Wargrave Marina, before slipping under the low arch of Fiddler’s Bridge and entering the peaceful waters of the Hennerton Backwater.
A little over a mile of semi-rural drifting past tree-lined banks and a few more rather big houses (what do they do with all those rooms…we mused!), brought us once more back to the Thames.
All this frantic paddling meant it was definitely time for lunch. Turning upstream onto a wind-ruffled Thames, we shortly spied a tiny patch of nettle-free bank and stopped for victuals (inevitably, a much larger and more suitable lunch spot lurked a couple of hundred yards further upstream – noted for future reference).
Rested and fuelled for the final two miles of upstream paddling, we set off and were pleasantly surprised to find the increased wind now at our backs, making the upstream leg very easy indeed! The river was now busy with large craft, many of which were probably heading down to Henley for the regatta festival, where a flotilla of SotP souls would be gathering the following day for legendary shenanigans.
Sharing Shiplake Lock with a handy narrowboat was the final stroke of good fortune on what had been a perfect day on the water.
Thanks to Peter for his excellent company and for introducing me to one of the very best paddles in the South.
Arriving home, I refuelled, swapped gear and headed off to deepest, darkest Surrey for an excellent bankside wild camp with Maj. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Jim
Launching from Mill Lane in Shiplake, we headed upstream for a mile and a half, sheltered from the light north westerly breeze by the tree lined banks and wooded islands (or Aits) found on this beautiful stretch of the Thames.
This narrow boat’s name perfectly capturing our mood…
We took the quieter inside loop around the aits, sharing the water with just the Greylag and Egyptian residents.
Before long, it was time to duck across the busy stream of craft and enter St Patrick’s Stream, our first backwater of the day.
Here, the moderate flow took us down the most idyllic waterway I have yet to paddle. Entirely rural for the first mile or so, this wild and beautiful stretch invites you to lazily drift around its gentle meanders with only one mildly acrobatic tree manoeuvre required. Even the multitude of fishing platforms were unoccupied.
Before reaching the confluence with the River Loddon, a small tributary meets the stream, where a stone weir below a pretty road bridge creates a lively spot of water in which to briefly play. Beware though….here be dragons!
After a while, the stream teams up with the River Loddon, widening slightly and gently increasing the flow. The peaceful mood remains unchanged with high trees concealing the substantial dwellings beyond…..well mostly substantial…
…until the final approach to the Thames reveals the manicured lawns, stunning boathouses and attendant slipper launches of the well-heeled of Wargrave.
Rejoining the mighty Thames for a few busy hundred yards, we then took a right fork through the Wargrave Marina, before slipping under the low arch of Fiddler’s Bridge and entering the peaceful waters of the Hennerton Backwater.
A little over a mile of semi-rural drifting past tree-lined banks and a few more rather big houses (what do they do with all those rooms…we mused!), brought us once more back to the Thames.
All this frantic paddling meant it was definitely time for lunch. Turning upstream onto a wind-ruffled Thames, we shortly spied a tiny patch of nettle-free bank and stopped for victuals (inevitably, a much larger and more suitable lunch spot lurked a couple of hundred yards further upstream – noted for future reference).
Rested and fuelled for the final two miles of upstream paddling, we set off and were pleasantly surprised to find the increased wind now at our backs, making the upstream leg very easy indeed! The river was now busy with large craft, many of which were probably heading down to Henley for the regatta festival, where a flotilla of SotP souls would be gathering the following day for legendary shenanigans.
Sharing Shiplake Lock with a handy narrowboat was the final stroke of good fortune on what had been a perfect day on the water.
Thanks to Peter for his excellent company and for introducing me to one of the very best paddles in the South.
Arriving home, I refuelled, swapped gear and headed off to deepest, darkest Surrey for an excellent bankside wild camp with Maj. The perfect end to a perfect day.
Jim