The weather was grey and a little fresh but it was dry and remained so, which was just right for a ‘shorter’ day’s walk. I planned to cover 8.5 miles for the day and walked 8.97 so that was the most accurate estimate so far in 6 days of walking.

I stopped at Burgers tea room for a morning snack and coffee. It’s a bakery. The history is that it’s been taken over by a Swiss Burger family in 1942 and produce 32 kinds of chocolate. The tea room is lovely. It was easy to get a table without booking although it seemed quite popular from the outside. The staff was lovely too and the coffee reasonably priced.

Just before I started the walk by the Marlow suspension bridge where I stopped last time, I walk past Higginson Park, a beautiful park with a lovely autumn feel.

I passed Bisham church on the other bank, which had great reflections on the Thames.

There was also a goose perched on a tree, calling; I don’t know much about birds but I don’t often see geese perched on trees. I’ve seen them on the ground and I know that they normally nest quite low and I see them flying. However this one was on its own and calling constantly.

The ground got muddier as I got around Temple Mill Island, but it was still very passable. I was only wearing trail trainers rather than walking shoes and I’ve not had any issues with mud today.

I went across over the Temple bridge towards Hurley and then across again at the next bridge.

The muddy path didn’t last very lonng at all.

There were a lot of leaves on the ground which is beautiful at this time of the year, but you do have to watch your footing because you can’t see any lumps in the ground and tree roots,etc.

Shortly after Hurley Lock, I met a lovely couple who were walking the Thames Path downstream. They were doing it non stop. Nicely encouraging

On the other side of the lock, just before the other footbridge to cross back towards Hurley, therewas a water point which may be useful to some of you doing the Thames Path, especially if you’re doing it in a summer for example,

I saw a herd of white deer and a pheasant!

I’ve never seen white deer before so it took me a minute to work out what animals were in front of my eyes!

I then got stuck in a field full of sheep. There was a gate at the end of the field, but that has a lock on and some barbed wire behind. Obviously, even if I did try to go over the gate, I’d be in another private property. So I followed the edge of the field, all the way back, then headed towards Aston.

Being away from the Thamesside as I progressed towards Aston it feels a little bit more of a drag.

There I went past something that looks like a giant stone Jenga.

And a useless gate with no fencing attached.

The colours of the trees were totally beautiful, in the tones of yellow and orange and reds, juxtaposed with some green, and the grass and the brown branches from the leafless trees . It was beautiful.

In Aston I walked on a tarmac road towards back towards the Thames and I saw a field with a number of birds including ducks, gees, pheasants and small chickens and other birds.

I saw a lot of red kites, circling and calling each other with the very distinctive sound of red kites.

After about six miles, my shoulders were starting to ache. I may need to get a new rucksack.

I just carried on, going past Hambleden Lock and a Marina. I was impressed by the power of the water at Hembeley Lock.

I think went on to Remenham.

As I left Henley business on the North side of the Thames behind me, the path turned back South, towards Henle-on-Thames.

At that point, I started to catch my first glimpse of Henley-on-Thames, lying South, with its tower.

I arrived in Henley in just under 4h from Marlow.

I was hoping to get a sunset photo but the cloud coverage was too dense.

I ended my day with a real lovely dinner at ‘the Bistro at the Boathouse’.