The Thames Path: day 10

Day 10

Oxford - New Bridge

21.59km / 13.42 miles

4:47:19

1,258 calories 

Cumulative total: 236.45km / 146.93 miles

Today was hard and I don't know why. I was caffeine-deprived when I set off as the kitchen at the hostel was closed, and I couldn't be bothered going to the station to source coffee. In retrospect a mistake. I plodded off down the path out of Oxford very slowly; my hip flexors were sore and generally it was stupidly tough going. 

The scenery was still good though. As you leave Oxford the river is exposed and the banks slope into it on either side, particularly on the city side where the vast flood plain of Port Meadow offers a green buffer to the urban development beyond. It was breezy too and the water was rippled.

Then everything becomes more sheltered again as you pass Godstow Lock and the ruined abbey, and here the river winds its way along, bordered by reeds and rushes. It looks tricky to navigate to be honest.

Past King's Lock I was walking through beautiful wildflower meadows filled with bright buttercups, which helped cheer me up a bit.

Even more cheering was a friendly face waiting at Eynsham Lock - Helen, who I'd met through Adventure Queens and a couple of New Year's Eve campouts. She had brought coffee and croissants and we sat and had a good chat for a bit. Eynsham Lock is a lovely spot, just downstream of Swinford Toll Bridge; Helen said they charge the princely sum of 5p per car to cross!

Caffeinated, I carried on. There's an annoying if pleasant detour towards Bablock Hythe, a few kilometres through fields before the path eventually meets the river again. If one were on a walk in the countryside one would probably quite enjoy these fields, but when one is on the Thames Path they're less pleasant and more a barrier between you and the river!

Safely back by the Thames I had lunch, then moved on. More fields and more wildflowers, a lovely lock (Northmoor) and some cows and calves to navigate around. But slightly sooner than I'd expected there was the end of the road and the welcome sight of the 'Rose Revived' which revived this wilted Yorkshire rose with a cold drink.

Then I waited for a bus. The only campsite I could find for tonight was a few kilometres up the road from the path. Originally I'd gaily planned to walk it but by now I am not keen on any extra walking! There's a bus from the path to the campsite every two hours - but it was late, and I'd just given up and started trying to find a taxi when the bus appeared and whisked me to the site. 

The campsite is by some lakes and I was able to go for a short, cold swim which was incredible. Now it's teatime and an early night - I want to make sure I catch the bus back to the path tomorrow morning!