Shepperton to Staines

This walk began at the most southerly point of the Thames between Shepperton and Weybridge where the river goes through a series of the most extreme meanders. The navigation channel here has been simplified by channels and locks cutting through the meanders creating four islands in the middle of the river. The picture of the left shows pollarded willows in Dumsey Meadow just downstream of Chertsey Bridge. In 1824 James Snelling and Dolby Haines were convicted at the Old Bailey of stealing swans from near Dumsey Meadow and sentenced to seven years transportation to Australia.

Pastry served with crisps and cucumbers (!) at Shepperton Bakery

Blues Brother statue on balcony overlooking Pharaoh's Island

Sinking houseboat opposite Chertsey Meads Spiral Ball

Windmills

Birdcote at Chertsey Meads

The M3 crossing the Thames

Penton Hook meander just beyond Laleham is the most extreme of the Thames' meanders. The neck of land seperating the upstream and downstream parts of the meander was eroded so badly that flood waters broke through in the early 19th century. A lock wasl also built at the same point so that two channels cut through the peninsula. The map of the meander now looks like a big fat exclamation mark! The island was used as a mass burial ground during the great plague of 1664.

Towpath approaching Staines

Kingston to Shepperton

This was the first walk in the non-tidal Thames and was the longest walk so far. Including the stretches to and from the stations at the beginning and end of the walk we covered some nine-and-a-half miles.

The first section of the walk ran along a broad path on the Middlesex side of the river alongside the grounds of Hampton Court Palace.

Continuing upstream, we switched back onto the Surrey bank and as the sun went in we found ourselves passing Molesey Hurst the home of the British bare-knuckle boxing championship until 1824. One fight in 1816 lasted 68 rounds, leading to the death of one contestant. The survivor was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to two months imprisonment.

In the late afternoon we walked in the shadows of the escarpments of some of the numerous reservoirs built in this section of river passing on the other bank numerous islands such as Tagg's Ait, Garrick's Ait, Ash Island, Benn's Ait, Platt's Ait, Grand Junction Island, Swans Rest Island and Rivermead Island. There is a lot of interesting information about these islands at http://www.taggs-island.com/home.html

Natasha, Ray and Raja

Detail of Hampton Court garden gate Mistletoe balls on tree at Hampton Court Impressario and music hall magnet Fred Karno's houseboat the Astoria is moored just upstream from Hampton Court Bridge. It was built at Brentford in 1913 at a cost of £20,000 (nearly £1m in today's prices). He is said to have entertained many of his stars (who included Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin) on board this boat. Fred Karno eventually sold the Astoria after he went bankrupt in 1926.

Fred Karno has strong associations with this stretch of river as he bought the nearby Tagg's Ait in 1912 and built a new hotel on it called the Karsino and New Island Hotel. Built at a cost of £60,000 (£2.7m in 2005 prices), Its ballroom had a capacity of 350 and the Palm Court Concert Pavilion could hold almost 1,000 people. The hotel complex incorporated a garage capable of containing 40 cars, badminton, tennis and croquet lawns; a billiard room, electric lighting and a German beer garden all run by more than 70 staff.

Three notable visitors to the resort included

Lord Curzon (1859-1925) - A former Viceroy of India he was responsible for drawing the boundaries of the province of Bengal and the eastern border of the newly independent state of Poland. He scoffed at the idea that Middle Eastern oil could be economically valuable saying "personally I do not believe in the likelihood of Persian oil deposits being worked at a profit."

Lady Diana Manners (1892-1986) - Feted as supposedly the most beautiful woman in England. A film star she married Duff Cooper a cabinet minister under Chamberlain and Churchill. During the war she wrote to the Home office suggesting that large magnets be placed in London parks to attract falling German bombs away from buildings.

Oswald Mosley (1896-1980) - Britain's home-grown facist went on a drunken boat trip from Westminster to Tagg's island in 1916. On the return leg his boat ran aground and his party had to go back to Tagg's island to pick up a car to get back.

Later in the 1980s the Astoria was bought by Pink Floyd guitarist Dave Gilmour who set up a recording studio on it recording the albums A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell there.

The Astoria is moored between Tagg's Ait and Garrick's Ait

There was a lot of shabby-looking fruit along the path