A new and old stretch from Wallingford

Monday, 25 April 2011 19:21

I think we were "Wallingforded out", so we decided to risk the traffic and move on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Boat House

The Boat House pub has a "gastro pub" menu, but do not allow boats to moor outside on their terrace any more (We did back in the early 2000s). However it is a very pleasant place to sit for a summer's (oops - I mean late April!) evening meal. Leaving Wallingford behind ......

There are one or two landmarks below Wallingford: some nice houses, Wallingford Rowing Club and lots of private moorings in the old wharf area.

OUBC Boathouse

The "new" Oxford University Rowing Club Fleming Boathouse, opened in 2007.

Just below here we spotted some activity - a cruiser had somehow become stranded on the bank. Your guess is a good as mine as to how. A four wheel buggy and a row boat were trying to rescue it, rather ineffectively we thought. The buggy was in danger of falling in the water and the man in the rowing boat was just faffing around!

Stranded cruiser

Brunel's impressive Skew Bridge at Moulsford carried the Great Western Main Line (and still does); it was built in 1839. A few years later it was widened by adding a second upstream bridge to the first - but it was not such good quality as IKB's! The islands upstream of the bridge are reputedly haunted and were once the site of a weir and flash lock.

Spot the train on the Bridge (from upstream)

You can see Brunel's original arch through this upstream arch of the later bridge and from below, the main arch of his bridge from downstream.

Upstream arch

Main navigation arch from downstream

Moulsford has some fine houses that line the river and the Preparatory School must be attractive to parents who wish their male offspring to experience the delights of the river.

Moulsford Preparatory School

Now, as we approached Cleeve Lock, I was looking forward to having some water aboard. We have never run out, but there is always a first time!

To be continued ....