A further discovery from a walk in the "Along the Thames" book is a short stretch of river below Shiplake College, which of all the stretches bordering the Chilterns must surely be my favourite. Access can be gained from the impressive church of St Peter & St Paul via a short, but steep and rather treacherous footpath down to a lawn next to a college boathouse. Crossing a humped footbridge over a quiet backwater leads to a large, open meadow devoid of the usual willow trees and affording views across to Borough Marsh with an uninterrupted sky. It is a perfect spot to watch the sun rise, especially in winter. March 1991*
Author: C Ormonde