THE THAMES
FOR MANY OF us, this part of the River Thames will be forever associated with Mole, Ratty and Toad. The location of the book The Wind in the Willows is never identified as such, but once you know that author Kenneth Grahame lived in the village, and once you have experienced a stroll along part of the National Thames Pathway on a sunny day and looked out across the water meadows, you feel in your heart this must have been his inspiration. It is such a quintessential English scene, and so wonderfully described in the book, that even a first-time visitor feels he already knows it.
THE PICNIC
Of course we get ourselves in the mood for such an outing by reading extracts from the adventures, and we have a recording that we play in the car on the way there. And it’s a strange sensation but Judith and I still get the same sense of fun and wonderment from the words as the girls do. It’s a book that will never go out of fashion, and will always appeal to those of us who get great enjoyment from the whole concept of messing about on the river. But Kenneth Grahame didn’t have that part of the river all to himself, for Jerome K. Jerome mentions the local pub – the Swan Public House – in his wonderful comedy Three Men in a Boat.
The Picnic Site
Best places are either in the meadows or at Beale Park – head for some shade and enjoy.
We tend to hire an electric launch from the Swan Hotel in Streatley. Heading down the river we like to visit Beale Park, particularly to see the goats and the ponies, and there is much excitement if we spot a kingfisher among the many other birds in the park! As we sail down to Pangbourne the water meadows there are the perfect destination for a summer outing. Or heading up the river our only task is to find an ideal spot for a picnic, and often we are spoilt for choice. And before we go home, a walk through the village is always a must.
CHEAT’S PICNIC
There are a number of local farmers’ markets – at Reading, Henley and Aylesbury for instance.
• Bucklebury Farm Shop – for venison and wild boar sausages.
• Highclose Farm Shop – for berries and other fruit.
• Anil’s Authentic Sauces – for exotic pickles and preserves.
• Baker’s Basket, Aylesbury – for a variety of breads and cakes.
ALSO IN THE AREA
• Basildon Park, near Reading – as famous for its shell room as for being one of the locations in the filming of Pride and Prejudice.
• Ashdown House, near Lambour – 17th-century Dutch-style house with an Iron Age hill fort in the grounds.
• Greys Court, Henley-on-Thames – Tudor manor with beautiful rose gardens, a wisteria walk and a maze.
• Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames – wonderful house designed by Sir Christopher Wren and with a Grinling Gibbons carved ceiling in the drawing room.
• Wellington Country Park, near Reading – part of the Duke of Wellington’s estate. Good nature trails and wildlife.