Sunday 16 June 2019

Barley in the Breeze ...

It's Wednesday (12th June) and it's still raining at our Beale Park Mooring ... when we heard the familiar sound of ...
fuel boat Merchant with Chris and Stanley on board.  
We had been looking out for him but really didn't know that he'd be this way today so it was good for him and for us.  This photo was taken as they were leaving and Stanley's face says that he really didn't want to leave Still Rockin' the biscuits behind!
An hour later hotel boat African Queen came by in the pouring rain ... it always amazes me that the boat has to be steered from outside.

It has rained for nearly the whole three days we've been here except for a few hours on Thursday afternoon when we managed to step off SR and take a short walk through the wet meadow to blow away the cobwebs and cabin fever!
Time to move on on Friday (14th) but not too far so it was 9:45 when we pulled the pins ...
and continued upstream on yet another dull but so far dry day
Through Twyford Railway Bridge ...
where on the other side even the cows were undecided what the weather was going to do next!
Have I told you before? ...
how much I love this reach of the River Thames?

Nearly there ...
just half an hour later we're at our destination, Goring, where there are loads of mooring spaces to choose from.  It wasn't long before the heavy rain returned and all the spaces were occupied.

Saturday morning was a shopping and washing day ... it's been too wet to get washing dry so I'm hoping that today's the day ... and it was thank goodness! 
But not on Sunday morning ...
look ... a giant duck waiting for the lock and getting drenched!
It cleared up after lunch so off for a walk ...


This Blue Plaque caught my eye on the building which is now The Boathouse Dental Surgery.  Samual Saunders was a boat builder here from 1894 to 1911, was the founder of Saro Ltd of Cowes and a pioneer of air and marine craft.





The view of Samuel Saunders' boat building from the river
The Swan at Streatley still under refurbishment was supposed to open during the summer of 2018 but now it's apparently summer 2019 ... there still seems to be a lot to do though.
We walked to the top of the hill to the crossroads and turned right ...
Grade II listed 17th century ... Place Manor, Streatley
Townsend Farm first appeared on the census in 1851 ...






and we turn right into Townsend Road
Houses along here are are all different styles and sizes but the one thing they would have in common is that they'd be expensive!







We arrive at huge barley fields ... and in today's wind looks amazing ...
Wonderful!
Our walk eventually takes us down the hill and back to the River Thames ...
with Cleeve Weir on our left and ...
Goring Lock on our right
We continue our walk back towards the High Street and called in to 





... the Parish Church of St Mary's ...








There's been a church on this site since Saxon times and maybe even earlier
Back over the bridge by Goring Lock (we're moored to the right of here) we can see the late George Michael's home.

Time to move on tomorrow.

2 comments:

Vallypee said...

Have I told you how much I love travelling with you on the Thames? Another lovely post with gorgeous pics, Carol. I never tire of seeing them. It’s been very wet here too, but the rain has finally stopped for a few days. Long may it last!

Carol said...

Val you're welcome aboard Still Rockin' anytime! It'snot raining today (Monday 17th), we've moved on to Wallingford and the sun is shining! We're sitting on the rear deck under the canvases and it's too hot for me! Never satisfied!! Hope things are going well with Hennie H and the dock of course.