They say that dogs are a man’s best friend, and i just hope that by the end of our 185 mile trek along the Thames that she (Cher) still wants to be my friend! The Thames path is an 185 mile trail that starts at it’s source in the Cotswolds and finishes at Woolwich in East London. Quite a trail for man and dog, but one that will be done in short sections, over many weekends. I can’t wait to explore new places!

The idea of doing the Thames path came from my sister, who is on her way to completing the South West Coast Path, a 630 mile footpath along the south west coast. As I approach 50, I wanted to add a long walk to my ’50 things to do when i’m 50′ list and decided to do the Thames path. It’s not something you can complete in just a few days, it will take a bit of planning in completing each section.

As I live in London, it’s only natural that I start at the ‘end’ of the path and continue west until I reach the source. The guide that i’m using, and have found very useful is, ‘Thames Path’ by Joel Newton, Anna Udagawa and William Allberry. This has been an indispensable guide to the path, full of detail on things to see on the way, good places to stop and eat and drink, along with places to stay.

The book splices the path up into sections that are doable in a day. And although i’ll be following the same path I may make some of the routes slighter shorter, so that I don’t exert Cher.

Cher is a good little walker, given her size, but when she does get tired, I pop her in her carry pouch and I give her a rest. At 4kg, she’s not too heavy to carry!

I may be bias, but she is the best dog in the world, always happy to walk beside me on these long walks, say hello to other dogs along the way, and sit next to me as I enjoy a pint (she may also get a tiniest amount of beer).

I look forward to sharing the story of this journey of ours along the longest river in England.