Postcard, Whitchurch-on-Thames

can I write it

any more perfect –

upside down mill

and half-timbered houses,

upside down church spire

and all the trees’ seasons

floating in the river?

can you stand here

on this bridge

upside up with me?

By Robert Seatter

If you enjoyed this poem, take a look at the other Thames Path 30th Anniversary poems.

WHITCHURCH-ON-THAMES

The view of Whitchurch from its bridge is a quintessential image of the beautiful, bucolic Thames.

Whitchurch-on-Thames is a village in South Oxfordshire, on the bank of the River Thames, about 5.5 miles (9 km) northwest of Reading, Berkshire. Opposite Whitchurch on the Berkshire bank is the village of Pangbourne.

The village has a long history dating back to Roman times. Whitchurch has been an important location on the Thames since the 16th century when a weir and flash lock were built. In 1787 it was replaced with a pound lock, Whitchurch Lock. A road bridge (toll bridge) between Whitchurch and Pangbourne was built in 1792 and has been rebuilt several times, with the newest bridge completed during 2013-2014.