The Thames Path

[Paul S]

Monday I start walking my thirteenth long distance path and it will probably be one of the hardest I will do. It's not the length of the Thames Path that will cause me problems - at 184 miles I've walked a lot further - no, it's the lack of any climbs that will cause difficulty.

The Thames Path starts about a mile or so from Kemble in Gloucestershire at a height of 120 metres, or 393 feet. By comparison, The Shard in London is 802 feet. This means that I will be walking on the flat for virtually the entire way which makes for very tiring walking as you are using the same muscles all the time. It's a bit like walking along a canal or on an old railway line, the flatness of it causes you to use the same muscles mile after mile with no let up.

On the plus side there are plenty of guide pubs to stop at, loads of places to eat and accommodation is cheap if you book it all up well in advance. I'm also hoping to get a home game in at Maidenhead United, plus a new bell tower somewhere.

Anybody walked bits of it before?

[Ginger Yellow]

The Thames Path

I've walked the bit between my flat and Waitrose.

[Guy Profumo]

The Thames Path

Ginger Yellow wrote: I've walked the bit between my flat and Waitrose.

It was never going to be an Aldi or a Netto on the “Thames Path” though, was it?

[Ginger Yellow]

The Thames Path

Well, they're supposed to be opening a Costcutter on that route, but it's been ages since they got planning permission and the alcohol licence and there's no evidence of them doing anything with it.

[longeared]

The Thames Path

I've done the section in London between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge. Well paved and plenty of signposting, might be a few people about though.

Have done some bits around Goring and Henley further upstream, prone to being quite muddy from memory.

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

Ginger Yellow wrote: I've walked the bit between my flat and Waitrose.

Can I pop in for a cup of tea?

[Ginger Yellow]

The Thames Path

Only if green tea is OK. I don't keep tea bags.

[Guy Profumo]

The Thames Path

Paul S wrote:

I've walked the bit between my flat and Waitrose.

Can I pop in for a cup of tea?

Have you checked if the Waitrose has got a café?

[Sits]

The Thames Path

We used to walk a lot of it between Maidenhead and Cookham, on the Berkshire side, in younger days, and also quite a bit round Marlow, Henley and Hambleden weir.

There's a Victorian clock tower in Station Approach pretty close to Maidenhead's ground, but no idea if it has a bell.

Hope it goes well.

[Auntie Beryl]

The Thames Path

I used to live in Putney, and know the section between Wandsworth and Hampton Court very well.

A beautiful stretch of quiet, twisting river which I used to find very calming when not being borne down on by the local cyclists.

[Benjm]

The Thames Path

I've walked all the sections from Hampton Court up through the city and then heading out east (but done piecemeal over time). It's fiddly in parts when you leave the river bank, and from Greenwich onwards noticeably unpretty, but a great way to see a huge range of urban landscapes and features.

Is it the Maidenhead v Bath game that you're aiming for, Paul?

[Benjm]

The Thames Path

Auntie Beryl wrote: A beautiful stretch of quiet, twisting river which I used to find very calming when not being borne down on by the local cyclists.

That's the big downside; our nearest stretch is Kew - Richmond and on busy days the cycle traffic does significantly detract from the enjoyment. Kew Gardens must shift quite a few memberships because of their no wheels policy. Well, no wheels except for the staff, who have a bigger range of mini carts, tuktuks, quad bikes, etc, than the Vatican transport museum.

[Ginger Yellow]

The Thames Path

Guy Profumo wrote:

I've walked the bit between my flat and Waitrose.

Can I pop in for a cup of tea?

Have you checked if the Waitrose has got a café?

It doesn't, but you can get a free hot drink if you have a loyalty card. And there's a Costa next door.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

The Thames Path

If you're doing it from source to sea I think you should drop a rubber duck in the river and see how long you can keep pace with it/it with you. You might need a long stick to poke it out of rushes. And maybe to rescue it from the river whenever you stop.

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

Benjm wrote:
Is it the Maidenhead v Bath game that you're aiming for, Paul?

Yes it is but I'm not sure what time the kick off is. If's a 7.45pm kick off I'll be okay, but 3pm will see me still walking. Also, on Monday 28th I'm walking from Chertsey to Kew Bridge but I still can't find a game to watch, football, cricket or rugby!

[Fussbudget]

The Thames Path

Is the riverside bit between North Greenwich and Charlton part of the Thames path? If so, we did that at the weekend (the magic of rail improvement works.) it was very... sandy. Surprisingly un-posh for London. Nice, mind.

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

I'm walking all the way to the Thames Barrier, so yes round North Greenwich and past Charlton.

[Ginger Yellow]

The Thames Path

There's not a lot that's posh along the river east of Bermondsey, apart from the naval college.

[Jon]

The Thames Path

I've walked the Windsor to Bourne End part. It goes thorugh Maidenhead and also close to the Cliveden estate, where the Profumo scandal happened. I recall visiting a William Morris house around there although I might be confusing it with Kelmscott Manor, which is north of Oxford.

Further north of Bourne End, I know the stretch north and south of Reading fairly well too, having been on boat trips around there. It really is beautiful, idyllic Wind in the Willows stuff. You might get a glimpse of how the rich and famous live. I think Rolf Harris had a Thameside property in Berkshire, and George Clooney has recently bought a mansion on an island near Sonning.

It's a great if you're a history buff - you missed the Magna Carta celebratiions by a year unfortunately. Literaturewise, the Wind in the Willows is a must, as is Three Men in a Boat. Good luck Paul.

[San Bernardhinault]

The Thames Path

Benjm wrote:
That's the big downside; our nearest stretch is Kew - Richmond and on busy days the cycle traffic does significantly detract from the enjoyment.

Back when I used to cycle around there, the pedestrian traffic definitely detracted from my enjoyment...

I've walked big chunks of the Thames Path in London, of course. It feels daft to have the path on the North Bank where you're always weaving between buildings because nobody's yet provided access all the way through along the proper river frontage.

And I've walked (and occasionally cycled) probably 15 miles upstream of Oxford and 25 downstream. Unless it's changed dramatically in the last decade it's usually very pretty, easy walking. It's an annoyingly indirect route between two points if that's your goal. The pubs are generally lovely, although the Perch in Binsey, just as you head north out of Oxford, has gone all fancy-gastropub now, when it used to be one of the best places to have a few beers on a summer afternoon in town, provided the morris dancers weren't causing a nuisance.

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

Today I walked 24 miles from Kemble station to the Thames Head and then down to Lechlade. The infant Thames has been bone dry, gushing from a spring, pretty, industrial and now deep enough for boats. Today I descended just 30ft from the source of the Thames to Lechlade over 24 miles. Think about that and you will realise it's pretty amazing.

Just 17 miles to Standlake tomorrow.

[rick derris]

The Thames Path

i live only a few hundred metres from it, eton wick. run it a lot, up around dorney lake to maidenhead. gone as far as marlow, plus done bits around henley and hurley

i am at the maidenhead game friday, its a 3PM KO though

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

I've reached Radley after a 20 mile schlep across floodplains from Newbridge. I'd never realised how much the Thames splits into canals and then rejoins again. The floodplain north of Oxford station is impressive, but the signs saying "footpath closed when flooded" would surely be obvious to anyone except the locals. The eight rowing clubs next to each other was also a surprise, but I'm not from Oxford so have never seen any of this.

Tomorrow night I should be in Reading.

[Sits]

The Thames Path

Quite chilly this morning Paul? Have a good day.

[Paul S]

The Thames Path

Not to bad this morning but I got a bit wet this afternoon. Today was 22 miles from Radley to Cholsey and tomorrow is 23 miles from Cholsey to Shiplake. Hopefully it'll be drier tomorrow.