This is a walking group for people who wish to walk along the Thames, from the Thames Barrier Park where the Thames meets the sea, upstream to its source in Gloucestershire.
It is a 180 miles walk, the only walk of its kind which follows the river throughout, with 90 % of the route being a public walkway.
The intention is not to try and cover the whole 180 miles in one day, but over a period of time. The walk is divided into 15 segments, each segment is between 10-15 miles, which makes it a good days walk.
Meet-ups will be approx every six weeks, at successive meet-up we will cover the next segment of the Thames path. The earlier parts of the walk will be on Sunday, but as we go further upstream beyond Oxford they will become weekend trips with an overnight stay in one of the riverside towns.
The general format of the day will be to meet for breakfast at the starting point of the walk around 10:00 am. Route maps and general information about the route including what to look-out for along the way will be provided. Every one can then walk along the route in smaller groups at their own pace. There will be a designated pub to stop for lunch where we will reassemble and then set-off for the second leg of the walk. At the end of the route we will again stop for a drink before heading home.
Instructions to get to the starting point and back to London from the end point by public transport will be provided.
The group is open to anyone who feels they can walk 10 miles in 4-5 hours or less. You may be interested in a leisurely walk to explore the country, interested in the historical sites, a keen photographer looking for beautiful sights or just looking for some fast-paced exercise, all types of walkers are welcome to join.
You may want to try out only a few segments of the walk, drop in and out or try and go for the whole distance. There will be a prize for everyone manages to do at least 80 % of the distance with the group.