Swim 27: Day's Lock to Shillingford

This is a beautiful stretch of the Thames with no specific hazards and is about 5.4km long. It constitutes Swims 37 and 38 and a little bit of Swim 39 from Michael Worthington's I ♥ the Thames.

We met at Shillingford Bridge Hotel:

http://goo.gl/maps/77R4

We parked in the hotel car park, changed and organised shuttle cars/personnel carriers, but if it's a nice day you can walk to the start.  We left our dry clothes in a vehicle that stayed at the hotel.  We then shuttled cars to the lay-by on Henley Road, Dorchester:

http://goo.gl/maps/sC6c


We then walked to the start at Day's Lock (a little under 2 km) but if you are feeling lazy, you can try to find a parking place by the church at Little Wittenham close to the start:

http://goo.gl/maps/U4JU

Please wear appropriate foot protection for the walk.  Days Lock is the main gauging station for measuring the flow of water in the Thames. Overlooking the lock is Little Wittenham church. Twin hills rise above the church which are known locally as Mother Dunch’s Buttocks or locally as Berkshire Bubs (from I Never Knew That About The Thames by Christopher Winn).


We stopped for tea and cakes at a small beach near the shuttle parking.  Note that this is the final getting out spot before Shillingford Bridge:

http://goo.gl/maps/o5qP

We then continued on to another small beach opposite a prominent stone built wall approximately 500m downstream from the bridge:

http://goo.gl/maps/4VmV

We then walked back to the hotel to change and stayed there for a spot of lunch.  http://www.shillingfordbridgehotel.com/ 01865 858 567

Shillingford Bridge, built in 1827, is exactly half way between Windsor and Lechlade and between Reading and Oxford ( from I Never Knew That About The Thames by Christopher Winn).

Tell the lock keeper!