Walking between Marlow and Henley

[whole diary]

[TonyN]

I am intending to do a walk from Marlow to Henley sometime soon. Someware I have seen information on a ticket easement that allows travel out on one Thames branch and return on another providing you have a return ticket to the furthest point.

Can anyone point me to the official Information if this still applies.

[Birdie100]

As someone who enjoyed his first train ride of 2021 from Shiplake to Twyford, here’s your answer! Amazing to think it’s taken until 4th June to travel by train. A few years back I’d been on the underground returning from the NYE fireworks by 12.15am!

https://uk.railway.narkive.com/yp78gXVJ/y-shaped-journeys

[grahame]

As someone who enjoyed his first train ride of 2021 from Shiplake to Twyford, here’s your answer! Amazing to think it’s taken until 4th June to travel by train. A few years back I’d been on the underground returning from the NYE fireworks by 12.15am!

https://uk.railway.narkive.com/yp78gXVJ/y-shaped-journeys

Well researched!!!  That thread is 16 years old and it does not appear in the more recent (current? mirror) easement list as far as I can see.   Even 16 years ago, it was rather obscure.

I believe there is (or has been) similar arrangement for walkers on
the Henley and Marlow branches, allowing people to walk along the
river between the two.

Perhaps these are a relic of the rail + Salters steamer arrangements

Indeed, Windsor too IIRC^▸ (if I recall/remember/read correctly). I had to remind the gripper when he wueried my
Marlow ticket on a Henley - Twyford train.

It's not advertised though, so I dont see the reason for having it.

'Thames Path' easement of CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day')) route validity:
Twyford - Henley-on-Thames
Maidenhead - Marlow
Slough - Windsor & E. Central
CDR tickets issued to stations on the above First Great Western Link
branch lines are valid to return from stations on the other branches,
provided that the ticket is issued to the furthest point. This is to
enable customers to walk the Thames Path. This easement is therefore
sometimes referred to as the 'Thames Path Ticket'

I will enquire a bit further - may be able to get some follow up.

[grahame]

I will enquire a bit further - may be able to get some follow up.

I should have an answer as to whether this still applies over the next few days.   

[TonyN]

I did the Marlow to Henley walk last Tuesday the 8th

I used an Anytime day return in the end.

The day did not start well I had intended to catch the 08:28 from Pershore. This would have got me to Marlow at 10:57.

I looked at trains from Pershore on my phone at about 07:15 and found that the 08:28 was showing as 45 late.
I rushed round and got the car out (I had intended to walk to Pershore station).
I arrived at the station just in time to get straight on the 07:44 at this point I checked the 08:28 again
and found it was cancelled.

As I had missed breakfast and was an hour early arriving at Marlow.
(Via a Plus 0 connection at Twyford. Only made because I worked out exactly where to travel on the 9 coach TFL^▸ (Transport for London)▸ rail service).
I had a cooked breakfast sat outside the Strawberry Grove cafe in Marlow. The first breakfast out since March 2020.

A pleasant walk along the Thames took about three and a quarter hours with stops at the 3 locks along the way. Good views can be had at all these locks as the path has to run near the lock. There are security fences around the locks due to Covid. (At some locks on the Thames the path now completely by-passes the lock). The Thames path was quite busy in places. Work on the stands for Henley Regatta has started.

My journey home was enlivened by a drunk who boarded the train at Henley and made a lot of noise at Twyford. He was taken away by two burley BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)▸ constables at Reading.

Marlow Bridge

The Flower Pot at Aston

Hambleden Mill

Water Irises between Hambleden and Henley

[TonyN]

I forgot to say in my post yesterday that the Refreshment Kiosk and toilets where open at Hurley lock when I passed at about midday.

[grahame]

I will enquire a bit further - may be able to get some follow up.

I should have an answer as to whether this still applies over the next few days.   

I have confirmation that the easement still applies:

'Thames Path' easement of CDR^▸ (Off Peak Day Return [ticket type] (formerly 'Cheap Day'))▸ route validity:
Twyford - Henley-on-Thames
Maidenhead - Marlow
Slough - Windsor & E. Central
CDR tickets issued to stations on the above First Great Western Link
branch lines are valid to return from stations on the other branches,
provided that the ticket is issued to the furthest point. This is to
enable customers to walk the Thames Path. This easement is therefore
sometimes referred to as the 'Thames Path Ticket'

Not only does it still apply - I am encouraged to publicise it.  A real opportunity for a great day out.  Thank you to my contacts at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) for following up on this and in such a positive way.

[grahame]

Today ...

07:53 Melksham to Swindon - class 158
08:40 Swindon to Reading (calling at Didcot) - class 800
09:15 Reading to Twyford - class 387
09:46 Twyford to Henley-on-Thames - class 165
Walk to Marlow
16:00 Marlow to Maidenhead - class 166
16:24 Maidenhead to Reading - class 340 345
16:53 Reading to Swindon (calling at Didcot) - The Mask
17:36 Swindon to Melksham - class 158

All trains on time - all connections made (include a one minute change at Maidenhead). Super off peak day return, Melksham to Didcot. Off peak day return Didcot to Marlow, used Thames Path easement to travel to Henley-on-Thames on the outward trip.

Total price paid (I think) £24.30 (receipt downstairs and I'm, in bed letting a sleeping dog lie at present, so can't check) with a Senior railcard. It would have been £12 more without the split - no day returns Melksham to Marlow so a more expensive period return, and having to buy an extra Twyford to Henley-on-Thames single.  For someone without a knowledge of rail fares, I suspect they might buy two singles at £27.60 Melksham to Henley and £28.80 Marlow to Melksham - totalling £37.30 with a railcard or Groupsave, or £56.40 without.

Talking Groupsave - are Groupsave tickets valid on Crossrail trains like the one I used from Maidenhead to Reading?  Technical question - I used my senior railcard whic I know is valid - I am asking for a local writeup.

Ticket not checked all day - nearest I can was the Train Manager from Swindon to Reading rushing through calling for "unchecked tickets from Swindon" but so fast that I and probably many others missed the opportunity.  Considerable local travel from Marlow to Bourne End and from Cookham to Furze Platt which I suspect was unticketed, at least by some of the people making the journey.

Some trains getting busier, notably the 08:40 Swindon to Reading which was a Taunton Starter.  That may have been because I attempted to take my reserved seat from Swindon (it was occupied by a sleeping bloke, though, so I found a seat reserved Bristol to London that was still unoccupied and used that).  I wonder if all the reservations were in that part of the train and the rest may have been quiet?

Lovely day (not too hot) - thanks for the inspiration, TonyN.  Lots of pictures tomorrow.

[MVR S&T]

Class 340?

[grahame]

Class 340?

345, thanks. Corrected.

[grahame]

Lovely day (not too hot) - thanks for the inspiration, TonyN.  Lots of pictures tomorrow.

Main transport interest pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.5055/posts/10159313024017094

Other series from the day:
https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.5055/posts/10159313630447094
https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.5055/posts/10159313071827094
https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.5055/posts/10159313049617094
https://www.facebook.com/graham.ellis.5055/posts/10159313037687094

Random pictures Facebook-free for those who prefer

[TaplowGreen]

Impressive "action" selfie in the 2nd picture Graham - you're looking fit and the beard's been trimmed? Did the woman or the dog pursuing you manage to catch you? 

[froome]

Impressive "action" selfie in the 2nd picture Graham - you're looking fit and the beard's been trimmed? Did the woman or the dog pursuing you manage to catch you? 

The dog definitely looks like it is going for the ankle.