Thames Path to Windsor

I needed some guitar strings, and it being a sunny day I thought I'd walk into town. It's only 2 1/2 hours away. Luckily I didn't take my real camera, 'cos I'd still be walking and stopping for another photo of a duck/tree/bush/bridge...

The Thames at Egham, looking West
A bit wet underfoot, but the last few days of wind and rain have given way to a perfect autumn day.

Egham is the conjunction of many ancient ley lines: The Thames, A30, Reading to Waterloo train line and the M25. Plus we're under the flight-path of jets taking off from Heathrow. We are truly blessed with transportation options.

M25 bridge

Standing under the M25 you can see the original bridge over the Thames at this point, which is now part of the M25/A30 junction.

The old bridge from under the M25

Outside the M25 is 'the countryside'!
The Magna Cartas (umpteen copies) were signed on the plains of Runnymede in 1215. There's one in the local museum. There's also an awful lot of public art generated by the 800th anniversary celebrations. These are better than many:

Runnymede Lock-keeper's Cottage
Runnymede Lock-keeper's Cottage - note the flood markers
Runnymede Lock-keeper's Cottage - - VOTE!

No photos of the plains of Runnymede 'cos they're flat and my phone camera couldn't do them justice. On to Old Windsor. It looks a bit rubbish from the A-road running through it, but the Thames path reveals a lot of greenery and nice houses. And dogs. Many, many dogs.

Old Windsor
Heading towards Datchet now. This is the edge of Crown Land. Elizabeth II says "Get orff moi land!"
Bridge to Datchet
Windsor Castle hunkers down for the winter. This was nearly the first view of it, but the was the first with minimal tree obscuration.
It's only a model
Over another bridge and into the publicly accessible bit of Windsor Home Park.
Rebuilt bridge into Windsor Home Park
And finally, this bloke who was wandering through the town...

I took the train back, having purchased 4 sets of strings, and a beer.