Many Rivers to Cross – Thames

Did you know about the Thames Path National Trail? No, I’ll bet you didn’t, but this is one of the river’s greatest and most beautiful secrets. The trail follows the river from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier where the river meets the sea.

The upper reaches of the trail trace the development of the Thames from its source, a tree-shaded hollow in a remote meadow, to a stream and then a navigable river, the route passes through a tranquil landscape of river banks bordered by willow and alder, water meadows built by the Romans and still grazed by cattle and sheep, fields planted with crops, hedgerows, woodland, and attractive unspoilt villages. The trail also passes through several historic market towns and cities. There’s a special ‘real ale’ route that follows the river and introduces you to many special regional beers – can’t be a bad way to travel!

Insects are in abundance during the summer when dragonflies and damselflies, amongst the largest and so most noticeable, are active – if you are travelling by boat rather than cycling or camping, this isn’t a problem but if you are staying on the riverbank, make sure you have midge protection. Of Britain’s smaller mammals, it’s very common to see rabbits and not unusual to come across a stoat or a weasel, particularly in the dusk or early morning. If you’re very lucky, and travelling when not many others are around, you may even see an otter, creatures which are returning to the upper reaches of the river after many decades of absence. One creature that’s still struggling to maintain its place along the river is the water vole which most of us know as 'Ratty' from Wind in the Willows. While at one time they were common on the Thames their numbers have crashed in recent years, partly because of intensive farming methods, and partly because of invaders like the mink which both prey on them and steal their homes. The majestic mute swan is often considered to be the symbol of the Thames and is increasing in numbers as a result of the 1980s ban on anglers using lead weights. Swans had a habit of eating the discarded weights in place of grit which they consume to help break down plant material in their gizzards – because lead is poisonous they died in large numbers.

Thames barrier photograph by Kit_Hartford, used under a creative commons attribution licence

 

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