Guidance

Thames Path: National Trail

Published 24 June 2026

Applies to England

The Thames Path is a 185-mile (298km) National Trail following the Thames river in southern England. The trail starts from the river’s source in the Cotswolds. It goes through water meadows, rural pastures, historic towns and cities, through London and to Woolwich.

Cycling is possible on many sections of the Thames Path, including on bridleways, National Cycle Network routes and other shared–use paths.

About the trail

The trail goes between:

• Kemble (Thames Head), the source of the River Thames
• Woolwich, London

You can choose to walk the entire trail, a specific section or two, or find local circular walks that follow some of the trail.

You can find some circular and linear walks on the National Trails website.

When to visit

The trail is open all year.

Parts of the trail between Thames Head and Oxford can flood in winter. You should check for flooding, check the river levels and follow any diversions or closures to the trail.

Signposts on the trail 

All National Trails are marked with an acorn symbol or the trail name. You’ll see these along the trail, for example on gates and signposts.

Walking the whole trail  

• Length: 185.2 miles (298km) 
• Time to complete: around 14 days – if you walk 15 miles a day and take a couple of rest days  

You can walk the trail in either direction. Signposts show the route in both directions so you can choose.   

The prevailing wind is from the southwest, so if you start at the source of the River Thames in the Cotswolds and walk towards London you’ll usually have the wind behind you. The official guidebook also begins at the source of the Thames.

Accessibility on the trail 

The Thames Path is a gentle trail that is mostly flat, with a few natural slopes.  

Most of the stiles along the trail have been replaced with gates. However, there are still structures which may be barriers for people with limited mobility. 

You can find more information about accessible walks on the Thames Path website, which are walks on sections that: 

• are paved or surfaced  
• have no steps or stiles  
• only have gentle slopes 

Each walk comes with a map and details about distance, the type of surface and where to find accessible local refreshments and toilets.

Trail suitability and terrain  

Flooding can affect the entire length of the trail, including tidal flooding through London. You should check for flooding and river levels and follow any diversions or closures to the trail. 

Low-lying roads and land close to the river can be flooded. The trail can be muddy or wet.

Do not walk through flood water. You may not be able to see where the river banks are.   

What you can experience on the trail  

There are many things you can experience on the Thames Path, including:   

• wildlife – such as birds, wildflowers and dragonflies in the Cotswold - Lakes to open water meadows, and near chalk downland  
• historic and heritage sites – such as  Windsor Castle, Hampton Court Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London and the Thames Barrier
• nature reserves – such as North Meadow, Chimney Meadows Port Meadows and Ham Lands  
• local culture, food and entertainment 

On the trail you can also visit cities, towns and small villages, including:   

• Oxford 
• Reading  
• Richmond 
• London 
• Abingdon-on-Thames 

You can buy a Thames Path Passport from Walk the Thames and get it stamped by over 30 stamping ‘stations’ along the trail. If you collect one stamp on each page of the passport, you’ll be sent a completion certificate.

Sections of the trail   

You can break the trail into sections that you can walk in a day, or that give you time to visit specific things on or near the trail.    

There’s an example below, but you can find more information online and in guidebooks to help plan your route.

The Source at Kimble to Cricklade – 12.3 miles (19.7km) 

The trail begins at the source of the river Thames in a Cotswold meadow. However, for much of the year the riverbed here is dry.

The trail passes through small Cotswold villages and the Cotswold Lakes. Near Cricklade, the trail passes by North Meadow National Nature reserve, known for its snake’s-head fritillaries. Cricklade is a small historic town and marks the end of upstream navigation.

Cricklade to Lechlade – 11 miles (17.5km) 

This section mostly follows the narrow river, apart from a short section by Upper Inglesham. You can take a small detour to the town of Lechlade by leaving the Thames Path at Ha’penny Bridge, an old stone toll bridge. You should follow the signage on this section as older maps may not be correct.

Lechlade to Newbridge – 16.4 miles (26.2km) 

This is the longest and one of the quietest sections of the trail. It goes next to the river and crosses flat flood plains and farmland, where there may be grazing livestock.

The trail passes St John’s Lock, and continues through Chimney Meadows National Nature Reserve. There are few villages close to the trail, but there are some places for food and drink at road crossings and at Newbridge.

Newbridge to Oxford – 14 miles (22.4km) 

The river is wider here and used by many boats, however the landscape is rural until you reach Oxford. The trail leaves the river for a short distance at Bablock Hythe. At Swinford Bridge there’s a historic toll bridge, but it’s free for walkers. The trail then passes through Port Meadow before reaching the centre of Oxford near the train station.

Oxford to Abingdon-on-Thames – 9.9 miles (15.8km) 

This is a short and mostly green stretch. The trail passes Iffley Lock, then Sandford Lock, which has the greatest change of water level on the Thames. At Abingdon Lock it goes across the river and enters Abingdon-on-Thames, a historic town with a medieval bridge and ancient abbey site.

Abingdon-on-Thames to Wallingford – 13.5 miles (21.6km) 

The trail follows bends of the river passing villages of different sizes, including Culham, passing close to the Wittenham Clumps and then to Benson and Wallingford.

Wallingford to Tilehurst – 14.8 miles (23.7km) 

There are many villages with places for food and drink on this section of the trail. It passes through farmland before entering the Goring Gap, a narrow valley between the hills of the Berkshire Downs and the Chilterns.

South of Wallingford, The Ridgeway National Trail follows the opposite bank of the Thames until Goring-on-Thames. This section ends on the edge of Reading.

Tilehurst to Henley-on-Thames – 12.3 miles (19.7km) 

The trail passes through the quiet northern part of Reading, then passes wooded hills next to the wide Thames. Cyclists can use the route from Reading to Sonning, but from Sonning the trail narrows and is for walkers only.

The trail crosses the River Kennet on Horseshoe Bridge and continues on to Henley-on-Thames.

There’s a long-term diversion in place between Henley and Shiplake. Follow signposts to walk the diversion (which is around 2.7 miles) on pavements on the A4155. Or you can use public transport.

Henley-on-Thames to Marlow – 8.7 miles (13.9km) 

This short section follows a straight length of river to Tempe Island. The trail passes Hambleden Lock, with a series of weirs, and Hambleden Mill. Near Marlow, the trail goes through Higginson Park before crossing the bridge into the town of Marlow.

here’s a long-term diversion between Henley and Marlow.

Marlow to Windsor – 14.3 miles (22.3km) 

This scenic valley section includes wooded slopes at Winter Hill. After Maidenhead, the trail goes through Cock Marsh, Cookham Commons and passes the Cliveden Estate before reaching Windsor and its castle.

Windsor to Shepperton – 13.7 miles (21.9km) 

There are more towns beside the river but also lots of green spaces, including Windsor Castle Home Park. At Victoria Bridge the trail crosses to the opposite bank for security reasons. It goes past Old Windsor and reaches Runnymede. After the town of Staines is Penton Hook, a large river loop where you can cross the lock to explore a Penton Hook Island.

Shepperton to Teddington – 10.9 miles (17.4km) 

This section is varied and passes several large reservoirs, Hurst Park, Hampton Court Palace and Home Park, then through Kingston.  

At Shepperton Lock there’s a choice of 2 routes, depending on whether the ferry is operating. If it is, you can use the ferry and cross to follow the towpath on the southern bank. If not you can stay on the north side, mostly following the road, and use Walton Bridge to rejoin the trail of the southern side.  

This section ends at Teddington Lock, where the river Thames becomes tidal. 

Teddington to Putney 

There’s a choice of 2 routes on this section:  

• south bank: 11.6 miles (18.6km) 
• north bank: 14.1 miles (22.6km) 

From Teddington Lock you can walk on the north or south bank. There are 8 bridges so you can change sides along the trail. There are also many circular walks and linear walks using public transport along this section of the trail.   

The southern bank feels rural. The trail goes past Ham Lands local nature reserve, Petersham Meadows, Richmond and The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.  

The north bank has lots of green spaces, including Marble Hill Park, Syon Park and Dukes Meadow. It also follows a short section of the Grand Union Canal and goes past Strand-on-the-Green.  

Putney to Tower Bridge 

There’s a choice of 2 routes on this section of the trail:  

• south bank - 10.5 miles (16.8km) 
• north bank - 10.3 miles (16.5km) 

You can walk on the north or south bank of the river in this section through central London, past many bridges and landmarks. 

On the south bank the trail starts in Wandsworth. It goes past Battersea Park, behind the old power station, the South Bank area, and the London Eye with views of the Houses of Parliament. You can also see the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and Tower Bridge. 

On the north bank, the trail takes a short detour away from the river and through Hurlingham Park. It then passes Chelsea, Tate Britain, through Westminster and the Houses of Parliament. It goes through the city before reaching the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. 

Tower Bridge to Thames Barrier and Woolwich Foot Tunnel 

There’s a choice of 2 routes on this section of the trail:  

• north bank to Island Gardens, Isle of Dogs - 5.5 miles (8.8km) 
• south bank to Woolwich - 11.2 miles (18km) 

There are wide riverside paths on both sides.  

The route on the north bank begins at St Katharine Docks and continues through Wapping, Shadwell, Limehouse and modern riverside areas. This option ends at Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs, close to the Greenwich foot tunnel.

The route on the south bank continues beyond Greenwich past the Thames Barrier, O2 Arena and on to the Woolwich foot tunnel.

At Woolwich, the Thames Path connects to the King Charles III England Coast Path. Once all sections of the coast path are open, the 2 trails together will form a continuous ‘source to sea’ walking route. It will go along the entire length of the River Thames from the Cotswolds to the North Sea – around 232 miles (374km).

Maps for the trail 

You can find:    

• a map on the National Trails website - you can also download GPX data   
• other maps and guidebooks online and in print  
• circular and linear walks online and from the local council

The Ordnance Survey (OS) Explorer maps that cover the Thames Path are:    

• 160 Windsor, Weybridge and Bracknell 
• 161 London South 
• 162 Greenwich and Gravesend 
• 168 Stroud, Tetbury and Malmesbury 
• 169 Cirencester and Swindon 
• 170 Abingdon, Wantage and Vale of White Horse 
• 171 Chiltern Hills West 
• 172 Chiltern Hills East 
• 173 London North 
• 180 Oxford

Diversions or closures on the trail  

If there are any diversions or closures of sections of the trail, these will be clearly signposted. You should always follow the signposts on the trail.

The Thames Path often uses QR codes that will link to a map online showing you the diversion.

Prepare for your visit 

Read guidance on how to prepare for your visit for information on: 

• checking the route – including for diversions or closures 
• planning your trip 
• what to prepare before you set off 
• what to do on the trail

Contact 

Use the relevant National Trails online form to:  

• report a problem
• ask a question about accessibility on the trail
• find out about volunteering opportunities

Contact the local council to report a problem on a public right of way, for example obstructions, poor maintenance or a misleading sign.