Chiswick Ait

A glorious Sunday afternoon, with the sun shining almost brightly enough for it to be spring or even summer.   So I decided to go for a walk along the river from Hammersmith Bridge up towards Chiswick..

Hammersmith Mall and Furnival Gardens were full of people also enjoying the sunshine; the pubs along the river were bursting with people both inside and sitting at the tables outside - one pub even had a notice saying "Fully Booked".   At St. Nicholas Church, you used to have to temporarily leave the Thames Path along the river, but that has now changed; the Path continues along the river, although for a short distance is is on private land and is only open during daylight hours.    On the way I stopped for an icecream, and only discovered after ordering that they were charging £3!   Obviously making the most of an opportunity!

Reaching Chiswick Ait, for the first time I was there when it was no longer an island; the tide was out, and there was a stretch of dry river-bed where you could walk across and clamber up the back on the other side.   Which I obviously did, along with a number of other people.

Chiswick Ait is only a couple of acres in size, and is quite densely covered with trees and bushes, although there are some paths.   I wandered almost the length of the island, before going back.   I was just standing there, looking for a suitable place to sit and read my book, when I suddenly realised that the tide was coming in, and the water was already nearly up to the level of the stones I had used to stop treading on damp sand.  Even as I cross, rather carefully to avoid getting my feet wet, it was noticeable how much higher the water was than when I started crossing, even though it was just a few yards.    The people who crossed just a minute or two later had to take off their shoes and paddle.   An interesting thing about Chiswick Ait - I didn't see any squirrel, nor any birds either.

After that I continued on to Duke's Meadow, and then left the Thames Path to go to Chiswick House,   A lot has changed since I was last there.   They now have a large impressive restaurant, with a lot of outdoor seating, in place of the much smaller old one, there is a huge conservatory housing an exhibition of camellias, and extensive landscaped gardens.   And, of course, there were crowds of people there, with lots of small children playing ball games.   All very jolly and just what it should be like on a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon.