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What Have I Done?

Darkness falls early in England during the month of November. I’d forgotten this as I booked my afternoon train ticket from London’s Paddington Station to the town of Kemble, the beginning of my solo hike along the Thames Path.

I’d been waiting for this trip through 18 long months of COVID travel restrictions, travel bans, and the snail’s pace reopening of both countries. Finally, I could cross this item off my bucket list.

It was certainly light enough when the train left London. It was not crowded, and I enjoyed the 93 minute ride out of the city into the Cotswolds. I never have trouble sleeping on trains, and I was so jet-lagged from my flight from the US, that I was afraid if I gave in to a nap, I’d sleep right through my stop.

Fighting the urge to nod off, I watched the city pass by me through the train window, each stop feeling a little less like London and a little more like the English countryside. It was lightly raining as we left London Paddington and the clouds continued on as we headed west. The sun had already set by the time I stepped off the train at Kemble, and darkness was falling quickly.

A Walk in the Dark

In my jet-lagged state of mind, I’d forgotten about the one mile walk from the train station to the Thames Head Inn, where I’d booked my first night. It was a dark walk to the pub, and after leaving the center of town  there were no streetlights– or sidewalks.    After the bustle of London, and the busyness of the train, the road to the pub was silent except for the infrequent car, and the road had grass and brush lining both sides. It was definitely an isolating feeling.  Every time I saw headlights, I’d head straight for the tall grass along the road to be extra safe. 

I won’t forget that walk from the train station to the hotel… I could see the Inn off in the distance– all lit up like a friendly oasis in the dark fields surrounding it.  The November evening was crisp and the clouds had given way to a dark night full of stars. It was all quite peaceful–except that I was completely alone in the dark.

And it was here, on this dark road, in this very small town, that it hit me.  THIS is what I signed up for.  Anxiety washed over me, and my old friend “self-doubt” came to visit.

What had I done?  

Maybe my dad was right?

Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this?

Solo Hiking the Thames Path

Reading Joyce Mackie’s book about her solo hike along the Thames firmly planted the idea of making my own walk. Shortly afterwards, I received a copy of James Thorne’s Rambles by Rivers (1857) in the mail. That was it– walking the Thames Path firmly rooted itself in my consciousness and nothing would yank it out.

What the Thames Path Is…And Isn’t

Most people probably know some great solo hikers and their accomplishments from books- Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, detailing her solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, or even Robyn Davidson’s Tracks,  describing her 1700 mile journey across the Australian desert with three camels.

Maybe you imagine days of wild camping in a tent? Learning to make a fire without matches? Braving wild animals? Getting lost for days on end and having to forage for food?

Let me set you straight from the start. My hike was NOTHING like that.

There were long stretches of solitude and quiet, and there were maps and trail readings (and even getting slightly lost). Instead of bears and wolves, there were pheasants and swans. The Path is kept in excellent condition; there were just a few occasions I had to slog through mud or climb over fallen trees.

I almost always had good cell phone reception and indoor plumbing.

And each night, after a long day of hiking, I enjoyed a hot shower, a fine dinner in a quiet pub, and a cozy bed for a good night’s sleep– eager to repeat the entire process over again the next day… for seventeen days.

The Thames Path is the Goldilocks Trail…

The Thames Path is the best of both worlds for a first-time solo (and even this inexperienced) hiker! Not too long, not too short. Not too isolated– or too crowded. Not too wild– or too glamorous. It’s “just right” in so many ways.

Amenities Along The Thames Path

As I said earlier, there is good cell phone service all along the Thames Path, even at its most isolated parts. I even found a list of public toilets along the path.  It is a well-marked trail that even has an  app to download on your phone. I highly recommend downloading the app; I used it constantly and it was easier that working through paper maps- although I had that too. The River Thames flows at a pretty gentle grade downhill, and aside from a few footbridges to cross, not much of any climbing is involved either.

The Thames Path and the National Trails System

The Thames Path is one of fifteen trails in England and Wales that form the National Trails system. The UK government administers the National Trails system, but there are partnerships with local highway authorities, landowners, and volunteers that maintain them. All the trails are marked with the National Trail symbol of the acorn. When you see the acorn symbol, know you are on a National Trail.

Thames River v. Thames Path: There is a difference…

The Thames River is approx. 215 miles long from its source in the Cotswolds to its mouth at the North Sea. At the time of my hike in November 2021, the official Thames Path ran 184 miles from the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. As of January 2022, an additional 30 more miles of the path were opened, making the Thames Path officially run from source to sea. This additional mileage was not considered part of the trail until a couple of months after my walk– clearly a sign that I need to return to England as soon as I can to walk this additional stage.

Why Did I Walk Alone?

Lots of reasons– the Thames Path provided opportunities: to be by myself and to have that thinking time each of us seems to desperately crave. It was an opportunity to find self-reliance, independence, and courage.

Coming right down to it, I walked the Thames Path to confront and overcome Fear. Fear of being alone– of something happening that I couldn’t handle. Fear of not encountering people on the Path, and, ironically, fear of encountering people on the Path. Fear of being lonely or homesick. Fear of getting hurt (or worse), and fear of getting hopelessly lost.

Fear of failing.

Living with the anxiety and turmoil of COVID for the past eighteen months had made a deep impression on me. Fear can hold us all back from a lot of things. And I realized I was doing less living and more fearing than I ever wanted.

My remedy for this was to challenge myself in a way I had never done before.

Preparing to Walk The Thames Path

A 184 mile hike takes preparation. I used several resources to acquaint myself with the Thames Path, develop my packing list, and note places to visit along the journey, both on and off the path. Consider these resources when planning your trip:

Resource List

• The Thames Path, Trailblazers Guide by Henry Stedman and Joel Newton: My “hiking Bible” because of its detailed maps of the Path and points of interest along the way. I highly recommend the Trailblazers Guides for their comprehensiveness and accuracy.
• Rambles by Rivers by James Thorne, published in 1857
• HikingwithDaveandBarbara.com: Wonderful blog by an English couple who hike all over Europe and Asia. Great videos and text.
• National Trails website has information for all the National Trails maintained by the UK.
• Joyce Mackie’s Walking the Thames Path: One Woman’s Journey of Adventure and Self-Discovery.
• From the App Store:
• ‘Thames Path Map Lite’ (approx. $5 USD). This is an excellent digital map that kept me on course during my walk. The app also shows public footpaths in the general area as well. *If you are considering leaving all the paper at home and just going digital- don’t. It sounds great in theory but what happens if your phone is lost? Wet? Out of battery? A backup is not a bad thing.
• Rome2Rio app: Works similarly to Google Maps with easy-to-read list of options for transportation from anywhere to anywhere.
• Train Pal : Train ticket booking app
• Booking.com. I booked accommodations online for each night.
• There were also a few terrific Facebook Groups I joined for ideas, confidence, and moral support: Love Her Wild, Adventure Queens, Solo Female Travelers, Thames Path Walkers, and The Thames Path National Trail.
• Any good currency converter app

Packing for a Thames Path Hike

My backpack for the Thames Path hike was almost item for item what I packed for my Iceland trip the previous August, and the total pack weight was 15 lbs. Here’s my photo from the Iceland trip with a complete list of items. I left my inflatable pillow and flip flops behind for this adventure.

• Long Underwear
  • One long sleeve activewear shirt
  • One lightweight Henley long sleeve shirt
  • One medium weight hoodie
  • One collapsible day pack
  • Rain poncho
  • Three pairs hiking socks
  • One pair lightweight sneakers for after hiking
  • Two pairs hiking pants
  • First aid supplies
  • Toiletries (including toilet paper)
  • Journal/Pen
  • Thames Path Trailblazer guide
  • One emergency On the Go toilet
  • Travel-size CPAP machine (not pictured)
  • Walking poles (not pictured)* Most important item I used every day! Saved me a lot of slips on wet leaves and mud.
  • Collapsible water bottle
  • Swiss Army knife
  • Personal alarm

I minimized pack weight by removing pages from my guidebook as I completed each stage, leaving the pages behind at each evening’s accommodation. Perhaps the person that found them was inspired by the read?

Personal Safety on the Thames Path

As a woman traveling solo on the Thames Path, personal safety was at the top of my mind, and I continuously searched for news articles mentioning crime on the Thames Path prior to my hike. I also asked questions about Path safety in some of the Facebook groups to which I belong (see list above).

In the end, it comes down to risk management. And doesn’t everything? Nothing is ever 100% safe, even crossing the street. But I did put some thought into reducing my risk…

I carried several items that gave me some peace of mind. First, my walking poles could certainly be used defensively if needed. Also, I purchased a can of marking spray upon my arrival in England. Note that Mace is illegal to carry in the UK.

Use Common Sense…

I also purchased a personal alarm before I left, which I attached to my clothing. I could just give a quick pull if needed. It could also be used as an alarm for a hotel door or window for extra reassurance at night, although I never felt the need to use it.

Most importantly, I let my family know my plans and checked in with them each night after arriving at my destination. Sunset in the UK in November occurs early (around 4:30 PM), and I made a great effort to end each day’s hike before nightfall, only misssing my deadline twice. 

I’m someone who would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared, so some of this might seem like overkill to you.  And in retrospect, maybe it was. Overall, I felt very safe while walking.

Following the Thames Path

The great thing about walking alongside a river is that– you’re walking along a river! You’d think it would be a no-brainer, but the Path, especially in the beginning stages, veers away from the water from time to time. That said, the Thames Path is very well marked, and with the exception of a wrong turn on the path somewhere in the middle of Oxford, I had no trouble. Whenever I was uncertain (particularly in London where there were some detours due to construction), I used my Thames Path app, which was accurate and reliable.  There are many different kinds of markers on the path, but each was pretty obvious.

Along the Thames Path

It’s not a great use of blog space to give a stage-  by-stage description of the Thames Path. You can find that in the resources I mentioned above. However, this post might give you some general insights I learned on my hike.

Some hikers are keen to take in the history along the Path. Some might be drawn to it for their love of literature, and others for the natural beauty, or perhaps bird watching. Some for quiet.

That said, I’m an “All of the Above” type person and I vowed to fit as much as I could into this trip, but I was surprised just how much there is to see, experience, and learn. 

Be an eager student. The Thames Path has a lot to teach you.

Through the Countryside….

The Thames Path starts in the Cotswolds and wends its way through small towns, villages, and smaller cities on its way towards London. There are times, particularly before reaching Oxford, when you will feel very isolated, but I had plenty of sheep and cows for company.

I began my walk on a chilly but sunny November morning, and took my time at the source of the river– taking in the quiet and solitude. Of course, I spent some time among the sheep that were grazing nearby, and let the magnitude of the walk ahead of me sink in.

Ironically, at the beginning of the trail you will not see any river at all.  The source of the mighty Thames is an underground spring, and it is marked by stone sitting in a quiet meadow dotted with sheep. 

It’s quite some distance before the underground spring pokes its head above ground.  I don’t even remember the actual point I became aware of it.  All of a sudden, there was water at my left.  It was there as my companion and I would rarely leave its side throughout my seventeen days of walking.

Through small villages and towns

And larger cities like Oxford and Greenwich..

And, of course, right through the heart of London…

It’s the ultimate sightseeing tour…

The Thames Path for History Lovers

The River Thames meanders through different eras of British history. Follow the river around a bend, and wander into a completely different era. From “pillboxes” that guarded the country during WWII, to Tudor history, to Runnymede, where the Magna Carta was signed.

The Thames Path for Art Lovers

The sheer amount of public art I saw on the Thames Path was a huge surprise, increasing in its frequency as I approached London. I made it a point to stop and look each time, even though it added significant time to my day.

Father Thames sits at the River, just past Lechlade. I came upon him early in the morning and spent some time sitting with the statue in the quiet, giving him a rub on his head for good luck as I left him.

The public art at Runnymede is stunning..

Whatever you do…Don’t miss Kew!

I intended to stop only briefly at Kew Gardens, but Kew is so much more than a quick drop in!! The original 90 minutes I’d planned turned into over three hours staring at the incredible artwork, not to mention the gardens. Inside, outside, all over the place. It did throw off my hiking schedule for the day, but this was so worth it! Be sure to leave yourself ample time to enjoy all that Kew has. 

 As an amateur beekeeper, I spent a lot of time admiring The Hive:

Past Kew, public art pieces increase considerably as you walk into London. During the later stages of the Thames Path, you often have a choice of which bank you walk, northern or southern. No matter which side you choose, you won’t be disappointed… I’ll walk the opposite bank next time to catch what I missed the first time around.

Seventeen Days Walking: Alone- Not Lonely

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure I could complete this hike.  Though I can walk six miles comfortable without a pack or need of a rest, I am by no means an experienced hiker.  It didn’t matter that I’d have a comfortable bed in a pub every night; this hike would be a physical challenge as well as an emotional one.

Lots of space (and time) to think

The hike– the very act of putting one foot in front of the other for hours on end– seemed to make room in my head for all kinds of new thoughts. One observation would open up a whole chain of memories I hadn’t thought of in years– people I’d lost track of, past experiences and conversations with others.

Passing by a mulberry tree reminded me of the mulberry tree outside my childhood home. I remembered long-forgotten conversations with family or friends… it was as if all the space in my head that was constantly taken up with thoughts and decisions of daily living was suddenly vacant creating room for lots of other thoughts. I was grateful for the space I had to think, reminisce, and dream.

Facing My Shadow Side

Self doubt and fear can overpower me if I let them, but it was important that I overcome my “shadow side.”  Whenever I felt fear or anxiety welling up inside me, I ran through the litany of things I had working my favor. I had proper clothing and hiking boots.  I had a map and a cell phone. I am a generally careful person. And after a few days of hiking, my confidence felt steadier. Anxiety more easily gave way to me reassuring myself that I would be fine.

As an introvert, I enjoy spending a lot of time alone and in my head.  I love to daydream, think, explore, and ruminate in solitude, and I really didn’t feel lonely, even though I was very much alone.  Other hikers and locals walking dogs would appear on the trail in its early stages. We’d nod hello and continue on our separate ways. 

After reaching Oxford, the path becomes far more populated so being isolated was less of a concern.  There was always a person, road, town, or train/bus line very close by. 

Where to Stay Along the Thames Path

Walking from Pub to Pub or Using a Home Base?

During the first half of the trip, I used my Booking.com app to find a place each evening. Since I was not walking during the warm weather months, it was easy to make reservations. I enjoyed walking with my pack each day and setting up my home each night. There’s something deeply satisfying about being self-sufficient. Everything I had was on my back. Not more, not less.

Lodging During First Half of Hike

I stayed at all of these accommodations which were all clean, safe, and right on or near to the Path.  

• Kemble: Thames Head Inn
• Cricklade: AirBnB at Godby’s Farm. It was beautiful, clean, and had a washing machine for guest use, but note that it is about a half mile off the Thames Path.
• Lechlade: The Riverside Inn
• Newbridge: The Rose Revived
• Dorchester-on-Thames: White Hart Hotel
• Near Oxford (Woodstock): The Blenheim Buttery. This was off-path as I visited Blenheim Palace. Woodstock is a beautiful town.  Easy busy connections back to Oxford and the Path.
• Pangbourne: Elephant Hotel
• Henley-on-Thames: The Catherine Wheel (two nights because I loved this town so much that I stayed an extra day)

London Home Base

My home base for last week of hiking was Yotel in London. Efficient and inexpensive.

As I got closer to London, I experimented with setting up a home base– just to see how it worked out. Public transportation is ubiquitous in the UK; why not take advantage of it? Using London as a home base, I was able to take the train (and later the Tube) out to where I’d left off the previous day, walk the next stage of my hike, and then take the train or bus back into London. I’d spend my evenings wandering around London, seeing different parts of the city.

Since I stayed in one place for the last half of my hike (6 days, plus my two free days at the end of the hike), I was able experience the feeling of coming home to the familiar each night. I created my own little neighborhood around my hotel and got to know the woman who worked at my favorite coffee shop, the person who helped me with my laundry, and the hotel clerk. These personal touchpoints made me feel at home.

Again, the surprise was on me. I loved both moving from town-to-town and establishing a home base equally. It was great spending each night in a new place and using my late afternoon and evenings to explore. New town, new adventure, new people.

Lessons from a Solo Hike On the Thames Path The Idiot Check

It seems so simple– wake up, get dressed, and set off for a day of hiking. And waking up after my first day of hiking in preparation for my second day, I was amazed at how quickly everything came together– or so I thought.

My walk from Godby’s Farm to the Thames Path in Cricklade was about half a mile- I was on an emotional high from making it through my first day of hiking without too much trouble, and I couldn’t wait to get back out again! I walked through the town, with a steadier rain falling, and readied myself with my walking poles when I got on the Path.

Only my walking poles were not there. I had left them back at my AirBnB…

Lesson: ALWAYS do an Idiot Check before leaving a place. It will save you time and headaches later on. Things Don’t Go As Planned…It Will Be Okay

Part of the reason I wanted to do a solo walk was to flex my self-reliance. What would happen if something didn’t go as planned? Could I get myself out of a jam?

Day 3 of my walk was one of the most isolated (and lengthy) stages of the Path. It is 16 miles in length- from Lechlade to Newbridge. I was doing a great job walking along a fair amount of farmland and avoiding all kinds of poo: sheep poo, horse poo, cow poo. At Mile 11, I spied a shortcut across a field. Rather than stay on the path that hugs the edge of the river, I cut across the open field, finding that off the path was quite muddy.

I made it across most of the field before “muddy” turned into more water than soil, and I was unable to find dry ground. It seemed pretty impenetrable and after walking back and forth, testing some areas with my poles, I chose what I thought was the best place to cross.

With my first tentative step, my foot hit the ground and then kept sinking, down, down…and down some more. I recall that wonderful line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: “He chose poorly.” 

 I sure did.

My boots are waterproof but no amount of membrane will save you if water enters from the top around the boot opening! I was wet nearly to my knee and my boot was completely covered in mud.

Worse, every time I tried pulling my foot up out of the mud, I could feel my hiking boot start sliding off my foot! 

Scoop, don’t lift…

Rather than lifting my foot out straight up, I pushed it forward, then lifted, like I was scooping up the mud to see how much I could bring up on my foot and leg.

It’s a lot. My boot, sock, and lower pant leg were caked with mud and soaked through.

Mud is nowhere near the worst thing in the world, but I knew I couldn’t make it through the last five miles of my walk without changing into some dry pants and socks.

Fortunately, a town was about a mile away. I got off the Path at the Trout at Tadpole Bridge. The pub was offering a lovely Sunday roast complete with linens on the tables. I made a fine entrance walking in –dripping water and mud with every step, and I remain very grateful to the host that day, who was very kind in not cringing (at least outwardly) when I entered the pub.

At the Trout, it was easy to call a cab service to drive me to my reservation at The Rose Revived in Newbridge. I spent the first hour there cleaning my boots, myself, and my clothes in my bathroom.

Lessons: Roll with setbacks and learn to break down your problems into smaller solveable solutions. Secondly: Scoop, don’t lift, when trying to extract your boots from mud. Also, putting crumpled up newspaper (or even toilet paper) in your hiking boots each night will help to absorb moisture. Trusting My Instincts

As I said earlier, one of my biggest reasons for walking was learning to overcome Fear. Fear. Everyone asks me if I was ever afraid for my safety while walking. I wasn’t for the most part, except for one section of the Thames Path in the city of Reading.

I had entered Reading from Pangbourne, around 10:30 am, and it was a beautiful sunny day. The Path was fairly desolate that morning but Reading is a largish city and the Path goes right through it. The Path is also a quite narrow at this point– there are no sweeping views of the river bank. Here, the Path has the River on the left side of it, and a brick wall or a chain link fence on its right. After some distance feeling hemmed in on both sides by water and barrier, it gives way to a parking lot of some sort before continuing on with the river and wall theme.

Is it Anxiety or Instinct?

At that parking lot break, I past a man sitting in a car just staring at me. Now I know that I was quite a sight all kitted out with my backpack, water pouch, and walking poles– but I couldn’t shake the weird feeling I had.

So I followed my instincts, leaving the trail and heading directly into the city of Reading. I took a train up a couple of towns to Shiplake, where I picked my walk and entered Henley-on-Thames. And a beautiful walk it was.

Lesson: Trust your instincts. Letting Go of the “Shoulds” and “Musts”

I’m a planner. I love “to-do” lists and schedules. One of my favorite parts of traveling is the planning itself. I make lists of everything I want to see and do and plan out my days as carefully as I can.

In those first days of walking, I was almost obsessed with the mechanics of my hike. I would look at my pedometer constantly to gauge my speed and distance, plotting out exactly where I’d break for a rest or a meal. If I didn’t think I was walking as fast as I should, I’d pick up speed, or I’d skip past things that had caught my interest– because I thought that I SHOULD be somewhere else.

You are right where you ought to be…

But where did I really have to be? (Except maybe at Heathrow for my return trip home). I obsessed over stopping or not stopping to enjoy something and how that would affect my hiking for that day and finishing the entire path in the time I had allotted.

If I hadn’t learned to let go of the “musts” and “shoulds”, I would have missed some amazing opportunities. A trip off-trail to Blenheim Palace, a day off hiking to visit the Tate Museum– even experiencing the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony in Central London.

Lesson: Like the song says… Let It Go. I was so caught up in reaching my destination that I was forgetting the journey was the most important thing.

It took me more time than I’d like to admit to come to terms with this. My walk was my walk. I could race through it in order to get to my desination or enjoy the surprises that came with slowing down. I chose the latter. And so should you.

Allow Yourself to be Surprised

I wish I had kept track of the number of times my expectations were overturned– almost always for the good.

Finishing the Thames Path

After seventeen days of hiking, I reached the official end of the Thames Path at the Thames Barrier. This massive structure protects London from the high tides and storms moving up from the North Sea. Though this final stretch of hike is not the prettiest, there was still a feeling of accomplishment like no other when I arrived.

I had taken my sweet time on the last stage, walking around the Naval College and checking out the Prime Meridian in Greenwich. Somewhat fittingly, my last day of hiking ended as the sun was just setting.

A year out of my Thames Path hike, I’m still culling lessons from the experience. 

Sometimes I stop in my middle of my day and just remind myself that I didn’t dream any of it. I walked the Thames River. When I’m in the middle of a busy day, I remember the quiet paths of the Thames and the freedom of walking from town to town.

And if you are reading this, perhaps you are saying to yourself, “I could never do this.”

Trust me… you can.