National Trail: Southern/Southwest England/London
Thames Head near Kemble to Crayford Ness via central London 310.5km/194 miles EASY
A splendid and popular riverside trail leading from the rural Cotswolds to the capital through beautiful countryside and fascinating urban areas such as Oxford, Henley, Windsor and Greenwich. A path along the Thames was among the original list of long distance routes proposed by the Hobhouse Committee in 1948 and was subsequently keenly supported by the Ramblers' Association, who published David Sharp's first guide to the route in 1981. It was finally opened as a National Trail in 1996.
A 16km/10 mile eastwards extension to the path, opened early in 2001, continues from the Barrier to Crayford marshes, connecting with the London Loop. This section, much of which is a multi-user route also open to cyclists, is not officially designated as part of the National Trail and is signed with its own Thames barge logo. It is not covered in the official Thames Path guide but is detailed in one of the leaflets covering the London sections of the path (see Publications below).
In Central London, the Walk This Way walks promoted by the Cross River Partnership and South Bank Employers Group offer four heritage trails of approximately 5km/3 miles describing the architecture and other features along and near to the Thames Path. The routes are:
- Golden Jubilee Bridges from Soho Square via Leicester Square, crossing to the south bank and back then through Embankment Gardens to Covent Garden
- Millennium Bridge from St Pauls across to the Tate Modern, around Southwark and along the Thames Path to the Borough
- Riverside London following the river from Vauxhall to the Design Museum, Bermondsey, alternating between north and south banks
- South Bank linking Westminster Bridge with the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth.
- A Young Person's Guide with three routes especially for younger walkers: Parliament to the National Theatre (25 mins), Somerset House to Tate Modern (30 mins), Shakespeare's Globe to the Tower of London (45 mins).
Just east of the City, four linked Tower Hamlets Walks use sections of the Thames Path and local links to explore Wapping and Isle of Dogs. They are 1. Wapping and Shadwell (Tower Gateway station to Shadwell station); 2. Shadwell and Limehouse (Shadwell station to Westferry station); 3. North Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf (Westferry station to South Quay station); 4. North Thames Path to Greenwich View (Westferry station to the Greenwich foot tunnel).
Also in London are two Memoryscape Audio Walks covering two contrasting sections along the path in London. The concept provides an audio accompaniment to roughly half an hour of walking, with interviews and conversations that explore the culture of the Thames. The first, Drifters, covers Hampton Court Palace to Kingston. The second, Dockers, runs from the Cutty Sark in Greenwich to the Millennium Dome. Both are available from the Memoryscape website (see Publications below)
Update. Explore the site proposed as a home to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 using parts of the route. See Walk the Bid for more.
| National Trail |
 | The 146km section between Weybridge and Oxford is part of European path E2. |
 | Adopted by the Greater London Authority as a strategic walking route |
 | There are many lengths of good, flat surfaced paths along the Trail and a number of fully accessible sections. For walk suggestions in the Richmond area see Accessible Thames below. The eastern extension is fully accessible through much of its length: see the Exploring London's Working River leaflet below.The Walk This Way trails are largely accessible: see booklets for details. Contact the National Trail Office for advice about other sections. |
Connects with
Highway Authorities
Parks and countryside
Tourist Information Centres
- Abingdon 01235 522771
- Cirencester 01285 654180
- Faringdon 01367 242191
- Henley-on-Thames 01491 578034
- London. There are TICs at Bexley, Greenwich, Kingston, Richmond and several in central London. For a full list click here.
- Maidenhead 01628 781110
- Marlow 01628 483597
- Oxford 01865 726871
- Reading 0118 956 6226
- Wallingford 01491 826972
- Windsor 01753 743911
- Witney 01993 775802
Accommodation
Click here to find bed & breakfast accommodation on this path
Holiday providers
include Contours, Walking with Water
Public transport
- Thames Head is a short walk from Kemble station, with rail services to London, Reading, Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester and connections for Bristol, south Wales and many other parts of the country. Cricklade and Lechlade have bus connections to Swindon.
- Between Lechlade and Oxford bus services, sometimes infrequent, run from Oxford to Appleton, Kingston Bagpuize, Faringdon and other villages within walking distance of the river; to Clanfield, Bampton, Aston and Stanlake; and to Swinford Bridge and Eynsham.
- Oxford has frequent rail services to London, Reading, Hereford, Worcester, Banbury, Birmingham and some direct services from northwest England and Scotland. Very frequent express buses connect with London, and there is an express bus service to Dorchester, Wallingford and Henley.
- Between Oxford and Windsor, Thames Trains services along the Great Western main line and various branches call at a number of stations on or near the path at Radley, Culham, Cholsey, Goring, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, Reading, Twyford, Henley, Shiplake, Marlow, Bourne End, Cookham, Maidenhead and Windsor & Eton Central, connecting these points with London Paddington. Along this section walkers can take advantage of flexible ticketing; for example, a return from London to Henley can also be used to return from Bourne End. Ask at staffed stations for details. Reading also has Great Western services to Bristol, south Wales and the west of England, SWT trains to Staines, Richmond and London Waterloo, and a Railair bus link to Heathrow Airport.
- Between Windsor and Richmond numerous SWT suburban rail lines connect the Path with London Waterloo at Windsor and Eton Riverside, Datchet, Staines (also serving Reading), Shepperton, Hampton Court, Kingston, Teddington, Twickenham and Richmond (also serving Staines, Datchet and Windsor). Richmond also has North London Line and London Underground District Line services. From Hampton Court downstream the path falls entirely within the London zonal fares boundary, allowing walkers to take advantage of Travelcards and other multi-modal passes.
- Between Richmond and the Thames Barrier the Path is served by London's dense and frequent public transport network with a rail, Underground or Docklands Light Railway station or bus stop never more than a mile (1.6km) or so away. Travelcards and other zonal multi-modal passes are valid on all local services. There are major rail terminals right by the route at Waterloo (Paris, Brussels, southwest London, Hampshire and the west of England, southeast London and Kent), Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge (southeast London and Kent, south London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton), and Fenchurch Street (east London and Southend). Victoria Coach Station, a shortish walk or frequent bus ride from Vauxhall Bridge, has coach services to all parts of Britain and Europe. There are also a number of river services along this stretch, giving the attractive option of a return journey by boat (Travelcards etc are not usually valid on river services).
- The Thames Barrier is a short walk from Charlton station, with Connex trains to Greenwich, London Bridge, Charing Cross, Cannon Street, Dartford and the Medway Towns, with connections for other parts of Kent. Downstream of the Barrier, there are several stations on this line that are also convenient for walkers on the Thames Path extension, at Woolwich Arsenal, Plumstead, Abbey Wood (buses or a walk along the Green Chain Walk from Thamesmead) and Erith. This section also falls within the London zonal system.
See our Public Transport for Walkers page for more about transport in London, bus links in the Thames Valley and how to find detailed information on services and fares.
Maps
- Landranger maps 163, 164, 174, 175, 176, 177
- Explorer maps 160, 161, 162, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 180
The route is marked on recent editions of these maps.
Local street atlases may be more useful in built-up areas. For details of these in London, see
Walking in London: Maps.
Strip maps
Publications
- Thames Path by David Sharp, ISBN 1 84513 062 6. Order here!
Official National Trail Guide with OS 1:25,000 map extracts, detailed route descriptions, public transport suggestions and fascinating background text. Includes full length of national trail including route on both banks through London, though omits Thames Path Extension. - The Thames Path 2nd edition by Leigh Hatts, ISBN 1 85284 436 1. Cicerone £12.
Alternative guide describing route in opposite direction (barrier to source) with OS 1:50 000 map extracts and much historical background, though includes only the south bank route through London, omitting both the north bank route and the extension. [01/06] - Thames Path National Trail Companion, ISBN 0 9535207 6 5. Thames Path National Trail, £4.75. Order here!
Accommodation, transport and practical details. - Thames Path in London leaflets:
1. London's Rural Thames: Hampton Court to Chelsea
2. Explore the Heart of London's River Thames Chelsea to Tower Bridge
3. Explore Seafaring London by the River Thames Tower Bridge to Greenwich
4. Exploring London's Working River Thames Path Extension, Greenwich to Crayford Ness
Free colour leaflets with clear specially produced maps, route descriptions, accessibility information, notes on features of interest, attractions and facilities. Free from local outlets or from Transport for London walking leaflet order service. - Walks along the Thames Path by Ron Emmons, ISBN 1 85974 556 3. New Holland £9.99.
25 circular walks of 5km/3 miles to 14.5km/9 miles based on the Path from the Gloucestershire source to Greenwich, taking in favourites such as Lechlade, Oxford, Henley and Runnymede with clear maps and good background information. Useful for exploring the countryside along the river more thoroughly but not a guide to the whole trail. - Accessible Thames: Ten easily accessible walks by the Thames in West London. Leaflet pack, free, from Thames Landscape Strategy at Richmond council.
Five easy walks of 1.5km/1 mile to 8km/5 miles based on the Path between Hampton Court and Kew, also suitable for wheelchair users. - The Walker's Guide: The Thames Hampton to Richmond Bridge by David McDowall, ISBN 0 9527847 2 6. David McDowall £8.99
8 circular walks of 4km/2.5 miles to 8km/4 miles using sections of the Thames Path. Extremely detailed route descriptions and extensive notes on historical background, with many old photographs, quotes from literature etc. The area around Hampton Court is especially well-explored. - Walk This Way, five free leaflets from Cross River Partnership (see below).
- Tower Hamlets Walks downloadable from Tower Hamlets website: select Discover Tower Hamlets and then Walks.
- Greenwich Riverside Path: A guided walk (2nd edn) by Mary Mills, ISBN 0 953524 53 1. M Wright, £2.
A detailed guide to the short section of route from the Cutty Sark at Greenwich around the peninsula to the Dome, with recollections of local industry. - Greenwich Millennium Heritage Trails. The leaflet pack includes a map showing the path and the extension through Greenwich borough. Click here for more details.
- Memoryscape Audio Walks available to download from www.memoryscape.org.uk.
Contacts
