The shallow River Thames at Clifton Hampden

Wednesday, 26 October 2011 10:28

Poor River Thames punters - at Clifton Hampden the river runs over a bed of hard sandstone and apparently their poles are pretty ineffective as they bounce and cannot get a grip.

Clifton Hampden Bridge

So shallow is the river that it moved a "Water Poet" to write ......

"At Clifton there are rocks and sands and flats
Which made us wade and wet as rats;
The passage bare, the water often gone
And rocks smooth-worn, do pave it like freestone."

Thatched cottages at Clifton Hampden

John Taylor - the self styled "Water Poet" (1578-1653) was a Thames Waterman and ferried people across the river in London in the days when London Bridge was the only crossing. He became the Clerk to the Watermens' Guild and wrote about the Watermens' Disputes in the mid C17th. A prolific writer and a keen observer of people and styles in the C17th, he is studied by social historians.

Clifton Hampden Church was restored by "good old" Gilbert Scott in 1844.

It perches on a little cliff before the bridge

George Gilbert Scott also designed the bridge, after his host complained that the staff often arrived late from Long Wittenham as they missed the ferry. Gilbert Scott is said to have drawn the design on his shirt cuff. The red brick bridge with its six tudor style arches looked wonderful in the sunshine as we looked back.

Clifton Hampden Bridge

Clifton Lock followed almost immediately and once above the lock the river once again feels very isolated. Long Wittenham and Appleford are far enough away not to encroach on the banks and only the arch of Appleford Railway Bridge reminded us of the nearness of so called civilisation. 

Appleford Railway Bridge

This is the third bridge on this site. Brunel built a timber one in 1844 that was thought to be too low. It was replaced by an iron one 12 years later and then in 1929 the current bridge was erected. I think it rather ugly, but maybe a coat of non-grey paint would improve it.

Sutton Bridge makes up for the railway bridge. It is an elegant single arch (sometimes known as Culham Bridge) and is an extension of Sutton Courtenay Bridge over the weir stream of Culham Lock. 

Sutton Courtenay Bridge

Culham Lock cut and Sutton Bridge

Beyond the bridge we entered the lock, which has unusual paddles .....