There were train strikes yesterday and more tomorrow, so I left home at 5 am to give myself enough time for a decent walk and head back before the train services begin to run down.
A chilly grey morning to peer through the locked gates at Windsor Castle. Not a corgi in sight nor Paddington Bear.
Ugly scaffolding surrounds the Henry VIII Gate. The armed police ignore the chap approaching in the early hours wearing a beanie hat and a suspicious backpack.
The Elizabeth Bridge underpass is decorated with a huge mural by Cosmo Sarson, created for the 2012 Olympics. Apparently, a phone app allows each face on the wall to “talk” to you.
There’s something irresistible about the curves and lines of bridges — this time underneath the M4.
Where there are bridges, there is Brunel. The Maidenhead Railway Bridge, built in 1839, is supported by a pair of arches which, at the time of their construction, were the widest and flattest in the world.
I cross back over to the south bank at Maidenhead and enjoy a peaceful stretch following the bend of the river round to Cookham. The tree branches bow down into the water. It’s one of the most beautiful sections so far.
The far bank is dotted with stunning houses set in immaculate grounds with private boat houses.
The sun is out by the time I reach the end of my walk at pretty Marlow, travelling through Berkshire to Buckinghamshire.
I’ve not seen a great crested grebe in 3,000 miles of hiking and now I’ve seen two pairs on two consecutive days — wonderful birds.
Time for a well-earned beer with a book in the sun before my train home. I’m currently reading Demon Copperhead, a reworking of David Copperfield in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. It’s been a while since I’ve found a novel that’s so hard to put down — I’m rooting for the little fella.
Walk distance: 16 miles.
Total distance: 87 miles.