L2L Day 17 Windsor to High Wycombe - 13 miles

The accommodation was room-only so after a cafe breakfast I headed off and crossed the Thames for the first time today.

Now on the Eton side, how many Union Jacks can you have in one street?

I'm sure they're showing appreciation of the monarchy rather than any kind of support for Farage....but perhaps the No Entry sign might suggest otherwise!??!!

One last look at Windsor from the river bank.

Under the A332 bridge there were some really impressive largescale portraits painted directly on to the concrete. 

It was good to see that none of them had been defaced. Though there was plenty of graffiti elsewhere, there was none on this wall.

To Eton boys, this part of the river where they are allowed to swim, is known as Athens. 

'School Rules of the river, 1921' read as follows..." Fifth form Nants in First Hundred and Upper and Middle divisions may bathe at Athens. No bathing at Athens on Sundays after 8.30 am. At Athens, boys who are undressed must either get at once into the water or get behind screens when boats containing ladies come into sight"

And they run the country!

At Boveney Lock I met Alan who is a volunteer lock keeper. 

He told me that in mid Summer the lock can be used up to 40 times a day. The locks can be operated by the boat crews themselves but Alan told me that on the busiest of days, the lock keepers have a few tricks up their sleeves to ensure that everything is kept moving swiftly and safely.

Mary Magdalen Church stands on a site which has been a place of worship since before the Romans arrived. 

The parish has always been small and over the centuries since, attempts to keep it going have failed. It's now maintained by Friends of Friendless Churches. 

I was even invited in to play the piano. What a lovely organisation.

Just up the river, a perfect nesting spot 

and this confident Robin was reluctant to leave his perch.

I liked these gates.

What a shame that all us who've hurtled along the M4 will have been oblivious to these elegant bridge supports at Maidenhead. Built in 1961.

Just a short distance upriver, the railway line to the South West crosses the river with this Brunel beauty built in 1838. 

Called the 'Sounding Arch' with a span of 128 feet, it was the longest and flattest brick arch in the world.

With weary feet, I stopped in Maidenhead for a coffee at Jenners - a family run cafe for the last 60 years. 

In addition to serving a very nice bacon sandwich, they are campaigning to keep their tenancy against a backdrop of the Council refusing to extend their lease. A story not dissimilar to the Waterside cafe in Arundel.

Refuelled and phone recharged, I signed the petition and continued along the riverside path.

The verges were full of periwinkle.

In Cookham, by sheer chance, I discovered the Stanley Spencer Gallery 

Not having realised before that he had lived here and used Cookham and the Thames as an inspiration for many of his paintings.

It's a very popular, two storey gallery 

with a significant number of his paintings and drawings - many of the well known ones 

along with others by his first wife Hilda Carline.

I had a very interesting conversation with Mandy who runs the gallery.

Before retiring, she was an art teacher, has exhibited her work and in retirement enjoys dinghy racing and Morris Dancing - How's that for a wide set of interests? She also gave me directions past the 11th Century Church

to a recommended pub just up river - The Bounty. Good it was too!!

Then onward to Bourne End where I'd planned to catch a bus for the remaining 6 miles to High Wycombe.

My accommodation this evening is an area that feels a world away from where I've been this afternoon.

For supper, I enjoyed a very tasty Halal burger.

Though it does have a chair making museum!!!! The signage would suggest you might need to carefully consider your options. 

Instead of receiving treatment you could end up being reupholstered!!!