Henley on Thames

It has been nearly two months since we first ventured out this year. In the intervening months we have had winter, and the infamous Beast from the East!!! However the weather was looking better for mid April so we booked four days at the Club’s Henley Four Oaks site. We had been before but the last time was over ten years ago. When we set off from home on 16th April it was a mixture of cloud and sun and still not particularly warm but it did seem as though we have cast off the shackles of winter. We cut off across country to the M40 which proved to be far less busy than the M1 would have been if we had followed TomTom. The Oxford Services has dedicated parking with the coaches which is handy and refreshed by a coffee we set off to complete the journey to the site. Arriving on site about an hour and twenty minutes after midday meant that we didn’t have a great choice of pitch and the only ones available were near the road with one on the same side as reception. 

Our first full day on site and we decided to walk into Henley on Thames. Perhaps with the passing of the years this seems a longer walk than it once did!!! Henley is a prosperous Thames side town with house prices to match as Margaret discover as she conducted her research looking in the windows of the various estate agents. However it is free just to wander along the river and take in the view. We have fond memories of boating on the Thames from the Tideway to Lechlade in our younger years. At the bridge I set off to take some photographs whilst Margaret sat outside the Angel pub. Once back on the towpath it is a very nice walk to Marsh Lock and weir but we detoured through Mill Meadows Park to get back into the town as we were ready for a coffee! Refreshed we made our way through the High Street and back to the site.

By Wednesday the really hot weather became a reality. We had decided to take the bus to Marlow. The service is quite frequent so no need to worry about the timetable. Marlow is much smaller than Henley but does have a charm all of its own. The centre piece of Marlow is the iconic chain link suspension bridge which was opened in 1832. It was designed by William Tierney Clark who also designed the Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest which is really an up scaled version of Marlow Bridge. Like Henley there is a nice riverside park in Marlow where we found a shady seat to rest for a while. A most remarkable thing happened as we were sitting under the trees, a Red Kite swooped down to try and relieve an office worker of his lunch!!! Not wishing to be pray for the Red Kites we retired to Burgers Artisan Bakery across from the Park for some lunch. BTW, I don’t think they do burgers!!!

The massive change in the weather from low teens to mid-twenties was taking its toll on my body thermometer which was struggling to adjust. Quite a nice problem nonetheless so we decided to stay put on our final day at Henley Four Oaks. Our pitch was ideally suited to watch the comings and goings on the site.

Friday and time to go home which was more or less a reverse on the outward journey. Now, those of you who are fans of the Vicar of Dibley will recall the opening sequence where they pan the camera through a high arched bridge, that bridge is on the M40 and you pass under as you head in the direction of Oxford from High Wycombe.

More pictures here http://www.davidklyne.co.uk/travels_in_the_uk_2018.html