Google maps showed a 185 mile trip from East Devon to the CAMC Site of Four Oaks at Henley-on-Thames. The CAMC Website says to avoid Reading if you don’t know the traffic systems. We do know Reading extremely well and it’s traffic routes but we still decided to take the rather circuitous route to M4 Junction 8/9 and then North on the A404 and finally West on the A4130. A bit further distance wise but certainly easier than dragging a caravan through the centre of Reading!

We arrived around 1:30pm and had quite a good choice of pitches – in the end choosing a grass one furthest away from the main road.

We have visited this campsite previously – Four Oaks CAMC site, Henley=on-Thames and did keep a diary of some of the things we did last time we stayed there. Henley-on-Thames 2021

There’s a decent bus service from outside the campsite (buses half hourly between High Wycombe and Reading) so Wednesday we caught the bus into Marlow. We walked along the River Thames footpath for a few miles and then ate lunch at one of the numerous cafes in the centre of Marlow town.

Marlow Bridge crosses the Thames just upstream of Marlow Lock, on the reach to Temple Lock. The bridge is a Grade I listed building. There have been a number of timber bridges at this location over the centuries but the current suspension bridge was designed by William Tierney Clark and was completed around 1832. The Szechenyi Chain bridge, spanning the River Danube in Budapest was also designed by William Tierney and is a larger version of the Marlow bridge

The remainder of the week was spent visiting friends and family in the area. Thursday evening we met Dave and Tracey at the Botanist in Reading and sampled the famous hanging kebabs. Given the heavens had opened after dinner (my excuse at least) we dashed the 20 or so metres to the Alehouse for a post-dinner pint. It’s always an “interesting” crowd at the Alehouse but a great selection of Real Ales.

Friday I met Ian for beers at lunchtime – the Wetherspoons (when the cost of living crisis means we can only afford the Wetherspoon’s experience, that’s the time I stop visiting pubs). After a beer there we walked to the Nags Head, which, like the Alehouse, has a very decent selection of Real Ales – although I made an interesting choice with one of the Pale Ales – it was like a soup!

Later on in the afternoon I met Moe at Lower Shiplake station and we walked the four odd miles back to the campsite at Henley-on-Thames – via a great butchers, Gabriel Machin. I think they even do BBQ packs delivered to the campsite. I can thoroughly recommend.

Saturday was a quiet day and an early night. Just as well as the alarm on my Fitbit didn’t work and we were late rising for the next leg of this post-summer trip…