Walks along the Thames

We move on to Lechlade, 23 miles along the Thames, where the river becomes navigable for the first time. This short walk of a little over 3 miles takes us to St. John’s Lock and its statue of Old Father Thames, past pillboxes built to repel a Nazi invasion which never came and on to Kelmscott. Here we visit the Elizabethan Kelmscott Manor, the home of William Morris, which now houses a collection of his Arts & Crafts works. (c 3 miles)

Hotel: Hotel in Oxford

Bronze Age and Roman remains attest to the long history of Eynsham, which once boasted one of England’s most important abbeys. We follow the river for 6-7 miles from here to the ‘dreaming spires’ of Oxford by way of romantically ruined Godstow Abbey and the historic Trout Inn, riverside favourite of Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien and, in both film and print, Inspector Morse. A brief panoramic tour of Oxford follows later. (c 6-7 miles)

Hotel: Hotel in Oxford

On one of the longer walks of the tour at around 8 miles, we trace the scenic loops of the Thames bookended by the lovely historic towns of Abingdon and Dorchester. In the latter we visit the great 12^th century Dorchester Abbey, which survived the dissolution and is worth a diversion for its stained glass alone. (c 8 miles)

Hotel: Hotel in Oxford

The town of Wallingford was once prominent enough to house a Royal Mint and magnificent medieval castle. We consider its fine history at the start of a fairly challenging walking day – stretches of a little over 7 miles and 4 miles respectively. The first takes us to the stunning village of Goring via ancient Cholsey, resting place of Agatha Christie, and Goring’s twin village Streatley, inhabited since the Bronze Age; and the second leads us to Pangbourne, where Kenneth Grahame lived and based Wind in the Willows on nearby stretches of the Thames, and the Swan Inn, where the Three Men in a Boat ended their journey. (c 7 & 4 miles)

Hotel: Hotel inHenley-on-Thames

A more leisurely day follows, with a 5.5-mile walk along one of the most scenic stretches of river from the attractive village of Sonning, another ancient crossing point, past the handsome boathouses of Shiplake to Henley-on-Thames, a fine riverside town world famous for its summer Regatta. It’s a splendid town to explore independently. (c 5.5 miles)

Hotel: Hotel inHenley-on-Thames

Marlow is another of those graceful, historic towns which pop up along the river in increasing numbers now. Its elegant bridge was the model for the larger Chain Bridge in Budapest. We start our walk of around 8 miles here, and today we will pass through Bourne End, home to the writers Enid Blyton and Edgar Wallace, and the town of Cookham, immortalised in oils by its most famous inhabitant, the artist Stanley Spencer. We pass Cliveden, the house forever associated with the Profumo Affair, and Boulter’s Lock, the most fashionable point on the river in its Edwardian boating heyday. We finish in Bray, the village famous for its multi-Michelin-starred restaurants, including Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck. (c 8 miles) 

Hotel: Hotel in Windsor

Hang up the walking boots for the day, which we spend in Windsor. After a morning visit to the iconic royal residence of Windsor Castle, at over 900 years and 13 acres the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, the remainder of the day is yours to enjoy a well-earned rest or make your own explorations of this handsome town.

Hotel: Hotel in Windsor

We continue to appreciate the river’s royal connections today with a visit to Hampton Court Palace, breathtaking 16^th century home of Cardinal Wolsey and King Henry VIII, and a walk of around 8 miles along the arcadian Thames from the palace to Richmond, where Henry had his hunting grounds. En route it passes through Kingston-upon-Thames, past the legendary music venue of Eel Pie Island and beside grand arcadian houses dating back hundreds of years. (c 8 miles)

Hotel: Hotel in Kingston-upon-Thames

In the heart of London walkers are offered the choice of North or South Bank paths. We walk the South Bank, for views across the river to the Victorian Gothic splendour of the Houses of Parliament and the opportunity to visit Shakespeare’s Globe, the meticulous reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse which hosts regular modern-day performances of the bard’s works. Though a short walk at just 4 miles or so, there is much to admire and plenty of hustle and bustle, so we take it slowly. The end point is an unmistakable icon of the London skyline – Tower Bridge – which we cross in order to visit the Tower of London, the mighty Thames-side fortress built by William the Conqueror. (c 4 miles)

Hotel: Hotel in London

Transportation will be provided back to the start point of the tour, or you may wish to stay on and explore London independently.