Thames Valley - London to Oxford

96.3 miles (155 km)

Follow the Thames Valley cycle route from the city of London to Oxford on this fantastic long distance bike ride. The route follows National Cycle Network Routes 4 and 5 along minor roads, country lanes and traffic free paths. There's much to enjoy with beautiful parks, riverside paths, lovely countryside and a series of pretty towns and villages.
The route starts on Putney Bridge in London, following the Thames Path west to Barnes. Here you turn south and head through Richmond Park and Ham Common before picking up the riverside path at Ham. A long traffic free section along the river takes you past Kingston-upon-Thames, Hampton Court Park, Sunbury and Staines. Here you leave the river and follow the route past Runnymede and into Windsor Great Park. You follow some nice trails through the expansive park before passing through Windsor and Eton where there's a delightful traffic free section across Dorney Common and past the pretty Dorney Lake.
The route then heads through Maidenhead, Wargrave and Twyford.
Another pleasant waterside stretch along the Thames then takes you into Reading. Here you turn north heading through countryside and woodland to Wallingford, with lovely views of the Chiltern Hills.
The next section takes you to Didcot, passing Didcot Power Station before coming to the pretty town of Abingdon where you enjoy a traffic free section past a series of lakes using a disused railway line.
The final section takes you north from Abingdon to Oxford with more nice views of the river.

Thames Valley - London to Oxford Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Thames Valley - London to Oxford Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Thames Valley - London to Oxford OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Thames Valley - London to Oxford Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Great Western Way runs along the Thames Valley Route for its final section. The trail runs from Bristol to London following the route of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's 19th century railway. It finishes at Southwark's Brunel Museum, where you can learn all about the life and works of the famous engineer.