News for all who enjoy the. Thames Path

Transcription

1 I S S U E 4 N E W S L E T T E R W I N T E R The Thames Path Partnership includes a diverse range of organisa ons and individuals who have an interest in the Thames Path Na onal Trail. In this issue we re introducing the Thames Estuary Partnership, taking an estuary walk and having a look at a new App which can photograph GIS informa on. News for all who enjoy the Thames Path Thames Estuary Partnership INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Thames Estuary Partnership 1 Thames Path Overview 2 Winter Walk 3 Wildlife along the Thames New Mapping App Volunteer Task Diary Volunteer Training Event Revetment on the Thames Thames Estuary 11 Path End notes 12 hames One of our key partners on the dal Thames through London is The Thames Estuary Partnership (TEP). Overseen by Pat Fitzsimons, who is also the Deputy Chair of the Thames Path Partnership, TEP is a non campaigning organisa on looking a er one of the world s premier rivers, working towards a thriving, sustainable river for London and the South East. They connect people, ideas and the Thames landscape to drive social, economic and environmental improvement in the Thames Estuary. The only non campaigning organisa on looking a er one of the world s iconic rivers, the Partnership provides a framework for sustainable management along the Thames Estuary. TEP runs a programme of events highligh ng current issues in the estuary. If you become a member of TEP you will receive discounted access to these events as well as receiving a London Thames Pass. The pass gives you discounted rates to fascina ng and more unusual a rac ons on or near the Thames. The London Pass includes Fuller s Brewery Tas ng Tour, the largest Family run brewery on the Banks of the Thames in Hammersmith through to exploring Tilbury Fort which has protected London s seaward approach from the 16th century through to the Second World War. There are numerous interes ng sites to see as you wind your way along the Thames Path through London. With a strong network of over 4000 stakeholders, including the Corpora on of London, University College London, the Environment Agency, The Port of London Authority, Natural England, Thames Water and Essex County Council, The Thames Estuary Partnership work to achieve a flourishing living and working river for London. For further informa on on the TEP visit:

2 PAGE 2 Trail Overview Created for the public to enjoy the beau ful landscape with its rich wildlife, flora and fauna, the 184mile long Thames Path Na onal Trail is unique. It is the only long distance path to follow a river for most of its length and it's the iconic River Thames which gives the Trail its character and creates the countryside through which you walk. Star ng in the Cotswolds as a track across water meadows and fields beside the infant River Thames, the Trail passes through villages in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, on surfaced pavements through historic ci es un l finally it passes through the capital, London, to the Thames Barrier in Greenwich. The Thames Path provides a walk alongside the liquid history of a wonderful River. The Thames Path Partnership is responsible for the management, development and promo on of The Thames Path Na onal Trail to ensure a great trail experience for all. It involves a wide range of organisa ons and dedicated Trail volunteers help to maintain the route and keep it to a good standard for all who use it. Plan your day visit or holiday to The Thames Path using our interac ve online map: onaltrail.co.uk/thamespath. Why rush? Pace yourself to the meandering river if you like you can plan to walk the Trail a sec on at a me (there are 15 sec ons ranging from 9 15 miles, see map above) and take days, weeks or even years to complete it! The Thames Path Companion guide lists details of campsites, B&Bs, hotels, self catering co ages and inns around the area. Other useful contacts, such as taxis, hospitals, vets, are provided as well as car park loca ons. It costs 4.95 and is available from our online shop: onaltrail.co.uk Thames Path Na onal Trail Office Signal Court, Old Sta on Way, Eynsham, Oxford OX29 4TL

3 ISSUE 4 A Winter Walk along the Thames PAGE 3 Walking the Trail Thames Path south bank (sec on 4) route guide, reproduced by kind permission of Transport for London. TfL. For further details of this walk, and more, please visit Thames Path Transport for London

4 PAGE 4 Wildlife along Charlesjsharp Wildlife Shelduck Charlesjsharp Dunlin CheepShot Shoveler Weston DeWolff, Charleston County School of the Arts Charlesjsharp Harlequin Duck Tu ed duck Jeff Buck Avocets The amazing meandering River Thames is a very important water feature. While the majority of the sites of par cular importance for birds are outside Greater London, the river, its tributaries and adjacent waters and wetlands within Greater London also provide important habitats. The diverse habitats alongside the river bring an abundance of birdlife some of which use the river for migra on over the winter months. The Thames is par cularly important for migra ng birds in severe winters and cold spells, because it provides an area of ice free water. Many birds live in climates where the temperature never drops too low (as in Britain), so they don t have to worry about surviving extreme cold. Some avoid the cold of winter by migra ng to warmer climates i.e. the River Thames. They come to Britain through the winter to stock up on fat reserves on our estuaries and mudflats before returning to their breeding grounds. The Thames Estuary has been in the top five interna onally important sites in the UK for the high number of waterbirds found there during winter or migra on. If you live nearby or you are travelling from afar to take a trip to the Thames for a winter walk along the River, it is worth having your binoculars to hand as you never know what rare birds you might spot on this tranquil river. Some of the over wintering birds on the Thames include, Tu ed Duck, Dark bellied Brent goose, Avocet, Dunlin, European white fronted goose, Gadwall, Grey Plover, Knot, Redshank, Li le Grebe, Oyster catcher, Pintail, Shelduck, Ringed Plover, Shoveler, and occasionally, Hen Harrier. The Harlequin Duck, listed as endangered in Canada, is one of the many rare species currently overwintering on the Thames River. Maintaining and improving the health of the river is something we need to take seriously in order for such species to survive. The Tu ed duck is o en seen in winter on the Thames, numbers increase in the UK in winter because of birds moving to the UK from Iceland and northern Europe. Avocet can migrate to the Thames Estuary and Marshes. Within the

5 the Thames PAGE 5 A Pingstone European white fronted goose Hans Hillewaert Black tailed godwit CheepShot Li le Grebe Wildlife Thames Estuary, Avocet are largely restricted to the lower marine reaches of the river. The mudflats at Higham Bight and Mucking Flats are par cularly important for this species and small numbers also breed amongst the saline lagoons at Cliffe. Avocets feed on insects, crustaceans and occasionally small fish. Black tailed godwits prefer muddy estuaries where they feed chiefly on inter dal invertebrates, with food located by sight and touch. A wide range of invertebrates is taken, including molluscs, ragworms, crustaceans and earthworms. Dunlin feed principally in extensive muddy areas of estuaries on a wide range of invertebrate prey, including polychaete worms, gastropod snails, bivalves, crustaceans and occasionally small fish. They are the second most widespread wintering estuarine species in the UK, occurring throughout Britain and Ireland. The European white fronted goose winters in Britain in na onally important numbers. It breeds in western Siberia and winters in Western Europe, with about half the popula on in Britain. It overwinters in na onally important numbers on the Thames White fronted geese forage on farmland for grass, clover, grain and winter wheat. Li le grebe chiefly overwinters on inland freshwater sites. The Shelduck s diet includes a variety of invertebrates but predominantly the snail Hydrobia. Breeding Shelduck are widely distributed within the dal Thames where suitable habitat occurs. The Shoveler winters in Britain on shallow freshwater areas with plen ful marginal reeds or emergent vegeta on. The Thames Estuary is an important area for this species with an average of 300 birds wintering annually. So as you walk along the Thames Path, even if you don t see a rare breed you may well see a flash of blue from one of our residents the fabulous Kingfisher.

6 PAGE 6 Using an App... Voluntering We have a team of volunteers who report on the Trail on a regular basis. In the last issue we looked at how our volunteer monitors reports help us to improve the Trail and how we depend on their photos and accurate loca on details using grid references where possible to map these issues effec vely. Na onal Trail Volunteer Mar n B. found an App which does both so we asked him to tell us how it works.. It's not hard to imagine yourself strlling along It's not hard to imagine yourself strolling along It the is available Ridgeway's from or the Play Thames Store. path It uses enjoying the the Ridgeway or the Thames Path enjoying the inbuilt GPS receiver that most smartphones/ the scenery and taking a few photos to record scenery and taking a few photos to record the iphones have. It takes one photo but stores two the day. If you re a monitor or warden then day. If you re a monitor or warden then you re pictures. One of them is just the photo, but the likely to take photos to record 'areas of interest' other you re contains likely to the take date, photos me to and record helpfully, 'areas the of such as a broken gate or overgrown vegeta on la tude interest' and such longitude. as a broken What gate it actually or overgrown displays or anything that may impede Na onal Trail users. To enable you to accurately report it you mats at the same me, i.e. Decimal ( , can vegeta on be configurable or anything and is that able may to show impede two for Na onal Trail users. To enable you to accurately will not only need a photo or two but also the ) and DMS (51o45 37 N, 1 o16 37 report it you will not only need a photo or two precise loca on of the issue so that appropriate W). ac on can be taken. Unless you have an expensive camera that automa cally records the GPS The app is very easy to use and is also free. You may see some adverts but I have never found loca on you will need to either resort to an OS these intrusive and they don't appear on the map, get out a GPS device or have a good photos. Just allow the app enough me for the memory and excep onal descrip ve powers to GPS to find the signal before taking the first recall it later. If, like me, you have none of photo otherwise it approximates your loca on these, recording it in the wet or the cold or both using mast triangula on which is not accurate can be a li le challenging (and not a lot of fun). enough to pin down that damaged gate. There It may interest you to know there is a are op ons that allow other data to be recorded such as including a map but I found this too smartphone app that can do all this for you. I have an android phone but I believe there is small to be of any real use. By default, the something similar available for the iphone. The photo file name is jpg and contains all the date/ name of the Android app is GPS Map Camera, me and loca on details which makes for quite the icon looks like this a long name. Thames Na onal Trail Office Signal Court, Old Sta on Way, Eynsham, Oxford OX29 4TL Path

7 ...to Map New Trail Issues Note the loca on and take a photo Then please let us know! Whether repor ng by phone or by , please don t forget to add a grid reference and a photo is also very useful! Anyway, have a play with it and see if it meets your needs. Of course, there are a number of apps that claim to have similar results but I found this to be the best free app, at least for Android smartphones. However, if you have found a be er app then please share it. I'm quite happy to be proved wrong. Can you iden fy where this photo was taken? Mar n B. Thames Path Na onal Trail Office Signal Court, Old Sta on Way, Eynsham, Oxford OX29 4TL Voluntering Spot any problems on the Trail? Uneven or muddy surface? Broken gate or sign? Overgrown path?

8 Volunteer Task Diary Voluntering Practical work is carried out along The Thames Path and The Ridgeway to ensure walkers enjoy using it. Work is carried out by the National Trail Team, volunteers, local highway authorities, landowners and contractors. Volunteers are welcome to help maintain the Thames Path by joining the task team led by the National Trail Team. The location and activities for the next 3 months are shown below. Please ensure that you book early as the practical tasks are popular. Locations for tasks may change and volunteer numbers can be limited due to type of task. Volunteer to help with a task by contacting the National Trail Team. Book in advance and as soon as possible. E: nt.volunteers@oxfordshire.gov.uk T: Task Locations for Ridgeway and Thames Path Whether repor ng by phone or by , please add a grid reference and a photo is also very useful! December 5th RW Upper Upham WC 1 6th TP Li le Marlow WC 2 9th TP Ashton Keynes WC CG 3 12th TP Li le Marlow WC 2 13th RW Grimms Ditch WC 4 14th RW Cadsden WC 5 16th TP Ashton Keynes WC CG 3 KEY RW The Ridgeway TP Thames Path WC winter clearance CG Corporate Group R Revetment WS Workshop G Gate Task Dates January 4th RW Cadsden WC 5 5th TP Chimney WC 6 9th RW TBC 10th TP Maidenhead WC 7 11th RW Bury Downs WC 8 12th Eynsham WS 9 16th RW Princes Risborough WC 10 17th TP Dorney Reach WC 11 18th RW Lodge Hill WC 10 23rd TP Castle Eaton WC 12 24th TP Eynsham WS 9 30th RW Streatley WC 13 31st TP Maidenhead WC 7 February 6th TP Marlow WC 2 7th TP Chertsey G 14 8th RW Ashbury (Carparks) WC 15 9th TP Ashton Keynes R 3 13th TP Chertsey G 14 14th RW Lodge Hill WC 10 16th RW TBC 20th RW Grimms Ditch WC 4 21st TP Chimney WC 6 22nd RW Smeathes Ridge WC 16 23rd TP TBC 27th RW TBC 28th TP Benson WC 17 Thames Path National Trails Team Signal Court, Old Station Way, Eynsham, Oxford, OX29 4TL Phone: thames.path@oxfordshire.gov.uk NTvolunteers@oxfordshire.gov.uk Check the map for a task location near to you.

9 PAGE 9 Training Event for Thames Path Volunteers Calling all trail monitors and task volunteers! We are planning a training event for volunteers who monitor and/or maintain the Thames Path. Volunteering It's not hard to imagine yourself strlling along the Ridgeway's or the Thames path enjoying the scenery and taking a few photos to record the day. If you re a monitor or warden then you re likely to take photos to record 'areas of interest' such as a broken gate or overgrown WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1 st 2017 vegeta on or anything that may impede Na Come along to discuss the ways of monitoring and repor ng onal Trail users. To enable you to accurately the condi on of the Thames Path. See what simple improvements (e.g. report it you will not only need a photo or two picking li er, pruning brambles) are done, or can be done by monitors/ wardens. We ll go along the Thames Path, if weather permits, to see how the sugges ons fit what we observe. All Na onal Trail volunteers and River Thames Society river wardens are invited, and all others who are interested in this important work. Lunch will be provided Venue: We plan to hold the event by the Thames Path near Eynsham (or possibly in Oxford, depending on availability of a mee ng room and pub). Time: The event will be for 3 4 hours. Further details to follow. Please register your interest in a ending NT.volunteers@oxfordshire.gov.uk Call:

10 PAGE 10 Revetment Works in Progress - Oxford We thought you might be interested in seeing some of the larger works that are currently taking place along the Thames. The photos show some revetment works in progress as the Thames passes through Oxford City. The river has eroded and undermined the trail along the southern sections of the Thames in Oxford, unfortunately moving the trail away from its current location was not an option as the land sits lower than the trail and so drainage and flooding would have presented yet further issues for us. These sheet piling revetment works have been off set with some bio-engineering including pre-planted coir rolls of riparian vegetation which in time will allow the bank to vegetate and provide habitat as well as assisting with future potential erosion and flooding. These works have been on-going since the summer along numerous locations in Oxford, they have been overseen by Skanska and we negotiated with the Civil Engineering company to ensure that access would be kept open for the public during the very busy Thames summer season, whilst also ensuring public safety at all times. Unfortunately such works need to take place when water levels are low and the ground is dry enough which generally means during the summer, this can mean long diversions when contractors are working along the Thames. We are pleased to report that disruption was kept to a minimum along the trail in Oxford throughout the summer.

11 PAGE 11 Thames Estuary Path Essex County Council have produced a fabulous estuary walk - the Thames Estuary Path. Explore the 29 mile (46.6km) Thames Estuary Path through the fascinating South Essex Marshes, from Tilbury Town all the way to Leigh-on-Sea. Passing through an industrial and settled beautiful landscape with a wealth of Green Heritage - history and biodiversity. The South Essex Marshes are bordered to the north by settlement and the south by the shore of the Thames. It is a flat, low-lying landscape, dominated by creeks, marshes and mudflats. The path is easily accessible by train, linking 6 local train stations on one of the most attractive railway lines in the country (London Fenchurch to Shoeburyness line). The path is clearly signed and waymarked along the length with a new distinctive logo. Download the TEP Mobile App and enjoy the path in 5 smaller tours starting and finishing at the local train stations. Delve into the history and biodiversity It's not the hard marshlands to imagine have yourself to offer strlling and visit along the many attractions along the way. For further information visit Essex County Council the Ridgeway's or the Thames path enjoying the scenery and taking a few photos to record the day. If you re a monitor or warden then you re likely to take photos to record 'areas of interest' such as a broken gate or overgrown vegeta on or anything that may impede Na onal Trail users. To enable you to accurately report it you will not only need a photo or two Walking the Trail Related Websites: and

12 PAGE 12 THAMES PATH Buy this classic enamel pin badge to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this much loved Trail. Perfect for your hat, your rucksack or your lapel, wear it to show your support for the Na onal Trails. Spring Edition We d love to hear from you Get in touch to provide feedback and suggest ar cles for future newsle ers. Deadline for Spring edi on 6 Feb 2017 Coverage Mar May 2017 LOVE THE TRAIL? A quality mug in a contemporary design lis ng memorable places along the Trails. If you've walked the Trail then it's a must! Maps and guide books also for sale, visit Thames Path website the Na onal Trails Shop