Site of Chawsey Weir? Fred Thacker:
[Chawsey Weir] probably stood at the little islands just above Norcot Scours
1580 & 1585: Bishop mentions Chawsey Weir.
1859: The Thames, Mr & Mrs Hall
The line of the Great Western Railway is in sight almost all the way between Pangbourne and Reading, and, for the most part, in close proximity to the river. About Purley, the tall wooded banks approach each other, and forming now and then close umbrageous scenes of exquisite beauty.
1881: George Leslie, "Our River" -
The stream soon begins to run with a will above this spot, and the great Western, which has been threatening for some time, here closes up to the river; this is not of much consequence, however, as far as the scenery is concerned, for the railway very soon dives into a deep cutting, becoming the very opposite of what a good little boy should be, namely, heard but not seen.
Poplar Island
1889: Jerome K Jerome -
The railway rather spoils it near Tilehurst
Kentwood Deeps
The Roebuck
aka "Beethoven's Bistro", Left Bank, steps up over railway
1881: George Leslie, "Our River" -
The river narrows up into a gorge as the Roebuck is reached. This quaint little inn has not much to recommend it, beyond its convenient station as a resting-place. Its situation is peculiar, the house being on the further side of the railway, with steps up and down to reach it from the river.
The towpath changed sides twice inside a quarter of a mile due to an awkward landowner. There were two ferries:
Site of Roebuck Ferry
1794: Ferry established to avoid towing past Purley Farm
1881: George Leslie, "Our River" -
I have a great affection for horse-boats, those
clumsy things that are found all the way up the river wherever the tow-path
changes sides. I suppose I like them
because they are akin to the punt. They
are very picturesque, and with the little house that is sometimes seen near
them, for the ferryman to live in, form good objects for the foreground of a
sketch; groups of children are often
seen hanging about, adding very much to the beauty of the composition.
There are two of these ferry boats just above
the Roebuck Inn, and the second one affords a capital platform for bathing purposes,
as the water is
deep and very clear and free from weeds, better as a bathing-place than the
weirs and lashers so often used, which are at all times exceedingly dangerous,
on account of the back sucks, old sunken piles, &c.
Here the river takes a bend away from
the railway.
At the end of this reach as the bend which marks Purley is approached the river comes right up to the great wall of the railway. You will be amused to note a post box at well above head height in this wall. Is this installation art? Or did a towpath once go along here? Even so it would be a strange place for a post box!