Thames Path

Starting at the Source of the Thames at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, follow the iconic river through beautiful countryside and historic towns to the city of London.
The path runs for 184 miles running alongside the river for nearly the whole route making for a glorious experience whatever time of year.
Highlights on the route include the stunning , Windsor Great Park, Hampton Court Park and Kew Gardens.
For more GPS data for this route, including accomodation ideas and attractions along the route please clickhere

Thames Path Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Thames Path Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Thames Path OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Thames Path Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Pubs/Cafes

The Swan Inn at Streatley is a great place to stop for refreshments. The inn has outdoor seating with lovely views of the river. You can cross the river here and visit the pretty village of Goring to.
Don't miss the noteworthy Perch Inn in Binsey for some well earned refreshments. The thatched 17th-century country inn is one of the oldest pubs in Oxford. It has a great menu and a splendid, large garden to sit out and relax in during the warmer months. Notably, the pub was a frequent haunt of Inspector Morse from the famous ITV series of the 80s and 90s. You can find it on Binsey Lane at postcode OX2 0NG.
The Riverside Restaurant in Marlow is in a lovely location. There's a fine outdoor terrace which is ideal for warmer days. You can find it right next to Marlow Bridge at a postcode of SL7 1RG for your sat navs.
The Two Brewers is also located near the river in Marlow. The 18th century pub does great food and also has a nice beer garden. You can find it on St. Peter Street at postcode SL7 1NQ.
The 12th century Olde Bell Inn in Hurley is one of the most significant pubs in the country. It is claimed to be the oldest hotel in the UK, and one of the oldest hotels in the world. The hotel is said to contain a secret tunnel leading to the village priory, which was used by John Lovelace, who was involved in the Glorious Revolution to overthrow King James II in the 17th century. The hotel was also used as a meeting point for Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower during World War II. It's well worth exploring the whole site as other features include a kitchen garden, wildflower garden and a 16th century Tithe Barn. The inn is located close to Pinewood Studios and over the years, has seen a number of movie-star guests, including Mae West, Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
A pit stop at the beautiful Caversham Court Gardens in Reading is highly recommended. Here you'll find the delightful Tea Kiosk within the grounds. They have some delicious home made cakes and an outdoor seating area with views over the gardens and the river. The friendly little cafe also provides support for local charities so it's an ideal place to stop off for a rest and a bite to eat.
At the village of Bourne End there's the quirky Bounty to consider. The interior has a charming nautical theme with a boat-shaped bar and other memorabilia. Outside there's a nice riverside garden area where you can enjoy refreshments while watching the boats go by. You can find them on the Cockmarsh, just south of the village at postcode SL8 5RG.
In Old Shepperton The King's Head is worth a look. The pub has some history, dating all the way back to the 15th century.  It was originally a coaching inn with the top bar being stables. They have a recently restored interior retaining much of the original charm of the old pub. On the walls you can see photos of several famous people who have visited the pub due to its proximity to Shepperton Film Studios. These include Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor who were regular visitors. You can find them at postcode TW17 9JY for your sat navs.
In Berkshire's Sonning The Mill at Sonning is an establishment of some note. This lovely Dinner Theatre and bar is set in a converted 18th century flour mill on the banks of the river. The acclaimed site is notable as as the only dinner theatre in the United Kingdom. It includes a restaurant and bar area with a spinning waterwheel. Here you can enjoy Artisan Coffee, Homemade Cakes, a range of Sandwiches and delicious Hot Bar Food. You can find them at postcode RG4 6TY for your sat navs.

Source of the Thames, Lechlade River Circular Walk, Cricklade Circular Walk, Cotswold Water Park, Mapledurham House, Caversham Court Gardens, Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford Circular Walk, Reading Circular River Walk, Reading to Henley, Marlow to Henley, Windsor River Walk, Weybridge, Wytham Woods, Addison's Walk, Oxford River Walk, Bampton, Goring, Port Meadow, Farmoor Reservoir, Marlow to Hurley River Walk, Basildon Park, Walton on Thames, Chertsey, Wittenham Clumps, Shepperton, South Bank, Hurley Loop Walk

Kemble The trail begins at the source of the Thames near Kemble in Gloucestershire. The village includes two fine 19th century pubs, an historic 13th century church and Kemble Railway station which is on the main line from London Paddington.

Newbridge This 13th century bridge crosses the Thames in Oxfordshire between Abingdon and Witney. With a pub at either end it is a nice place to stop for refreshments. Near here there's also the popular Trout Inn at Tadpole Bridge.

Farmoor Reservoir This lovely spot is ideal for bird watching as it attracts migrating, wintering and breeding birds because of it proximity to the Thames. You can also see a variety of watersports taking place for most of the year.

Oxford The Thames runs through the famous university city with its incredible history and beautiful architecture. Coined the 'city of dreaming spires' Oxford draws millions of tourists each year and is a major highlight on the path.

Abingdon With its 7th century abbey set within beautiful grounds and the picturesque narrow-arched Bridge over the Thames, the market town of Abingdon is a real highlight on this section of the trail.

Wallingford The attractive market town of Wallingford has a 12th century medieval road bridge spanning the Thames to Crowmarsh Gifford.

Basildon Park Set in beautiful grounds this 18th century Georgian country house is owned by the National Trust.

Mapledurham Watermill This 15th century operational watermill is lcoated in the grounds of Mapledurham House and is open to the public.

Reading The Thames passes through this large town which has something for everyone.

Henley-on-Thames Home to the famous Henley Regatta, Henley-on-Thames has some fine historic architecture including the 18th century bridge and the Old Bell - a 14th century pub.

Marlow At the town of Marlow you will find the only suspension bridge across the non-tidal Thames as well as Marlow Lock and Marlow Weir

Maidenhead The town of Maidenhead has some fine architecture including the 18th century bridge

Windsor Most famous for the castle which is one of the three principal official residences of Queen Elizabeth II, the attractive town of Windsor is a major highlight on the trail.

Hampton Court Palace Famous residence of Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace is now a major tourist attraction with a chapel, galleries and splendid gardens.

Richmond Richmond is a lovely place to stop for refreshments with a variety of pubs and cafes on the Thames.

Tower Bridge The iconic Tower Bridge is a popular tourist attraction.

Thames Barrier The world's second largest movable flood barrier marks the end of the trail at Greenwich.

North Meadow, Cricklade Lovely hay meadow and Nature Reserve near the village of Cricklade. Over 250 species of higher plant occur in the meadows including 80% of the British population of the Snake's-head Fritillary.

Lechlade Popular spot on the Thames for boating with its picturesque setting. The pretty town and 15th century St Lawrence parish church make a lovely backdrop on this section of the path. You will also find the St John's Lock at Lechlade which is the highest lock on the Thames.

Buscot Lock Smallest lock on the Thames originally built in 1790. It now has a cresting weir which creates a lovely weir pool and is now a National Trust picnic area. There is often an opportunity to spot a variety of wildlife including otters, kites and kingfishers.

Radcott Bridge Radcot Bridge is often claimed as the 'oldest bridge on the Thames', having been built, around 1200. The Swan Inn with its splendid riverside gardens is a pleasant place to stop for lunch.

Tenfoot Bridge Wooden footbridge built in 1869 connecting Buckland on the south bank to Chimney on the north.

Shifford Lock Pretty lock with a weir near Shifford, Oxfordshire.

Port Meadow The meadow is an ancient area of grazing land, still used for horses and cattle. It also contains well preserved archaeological remains including Bronze Age round barrows and an area of Iron Age settlement. It is thought that near Port Meadow Lewis Carroll came up with the story for Alice in Wonderland.

Culham Attractive Oxfordshire village with Bridge and Lock on the Thames.

Barley Mow Pub Historic pub at Clifton Hampden featured in Jerome K. Jerome's book Three Men in a Boat: 'If you stay the night on land at Clifton, you cannot do better than put up at the Barley Mow. It is, without exception, I should say, the quaintest, most old-world inn up the river. It stands on the right of the bridge, quite away from the village. Its low-pitched gables and thatched roof and latticed windows give it quite a story-book appearance, while inside it is even still more once-upon-a-timeyfied.'

Wittenham Clumps This distinctive set of small hills is located in Little Wittenham in the Thames Valley. They are wooded at the top with ancient Beech trees (planted in the 1740s) and maintained as a Nature Reserve. The hills are clearly visible from the path and make a lovely backdrop on this section.

Shillingford Bridge Road bridge built in 1827 between the small hamlet of Shillingford and the town of Wallingford.

Benson Lock Attractive lock and weir near the small village of Benson in Oxfordshire. The village includes a noteworthy 18th century former coaching inn and a part-Norman church.

Beetle and Wedge Boathouse Listed amongst Britain's 250 Best Restaurants in the Harper's Bazaar 2009 Going Out Guide this splendid restaurant has a delightful riverside setting. It featured in the BBC's Three Men in a Boat with Griff Rhys Jones, Dara Ó Briain and Rory McGrath.

Goring and Streatley This attractive section of the path takes you past Goring and Streatley Bridge and then Goring Lock . The two twin villages on either side of the bridge are also picturesque with Goring named as Oxfordshire's Village of the Year in 2009.

Whitchurch and Pangbourne You will pass right through the village of Whitchurch on Thames before crossing the Whitchurch Toll Bridge that links the village with Pangbourne. There is also a pretty lock and Pangbourne meadow to enjoy on this section of the path. The Pangbourne to Goring Walk follows a popular section of the trail.

View Island This section takes you past Reading Bridge, Cavershamlock and then the unusual View Island with its wooden chain-saw carved sculptures.

GPX File

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