Berkshire Walkers (20’s & 30’s Ramblers Group)

The Thames Path is a 182 mile National Trail stretching from London to Gloucestershire. This year, the group will aim to cover the whole trail from start to finish! For the final 4 walks in this series, we will head into the Cotswolds taking us from Oxford to the Source of the Thames just outside Kemble!

To add some fun to our adventure, you are encouraged to purchase the Thames Passport where we will collect stamps at over 30 stamping stations along the Path. Collect stamps at all the various stations and you can receive a Certificate of Completion for doing the whole trail from start to finish! The link to purchase the passport is here: https://walkthethames.co.uk/thames-path-passport/

The first Cotswolds leg of our Thames Adventure and the beginning of the more remote Thames! Heading out from Oxford station, we will head towards Binsey and Godstow before pausing at the ruins of Godstow Abbey.

We will then make our way over Godstow Bridge, under the A34 and through King’s Lock to the most northerly point of the Thames where there will another stamp in the visitor centre waiting for our passports we can self-administer. The towpath will then run alongside Wytham Great Wood before we arrive at Eynsham Lock where we will take our lunch stop.

After lunch, we will continue to Pinkhill Lock before the Thames Path diverts away from the towpath for a while (mainly to avoid a closed ferry at Bablock Hythe). Upon arrival at Bablock Hythe, we will have our first pub stop at the Ferryman to collect another stamp for our passports.

Following refreshment, we will continue through riverside meadows and past some ancient willows and eventually towards Newbridge Bridge, the second oldest bridge on the Thames. Here we will conclude another leg with a visit to the Rose Revived pub for another passport stamp.

Saturday, 25 July 2026
Start time: 10:00 am
Estimated finish time: 4:30 pm
Difficulty: Strenuous
Distance: 21.7km / 13.5mi
Ascent: N/A
Type: linear

Public Transport
To get to the start of the walk, if coming from Reading, please get either the 9:15 train to Oxford arriving at 9:38. Please be aware that there are no trains from Newbridge so you will need to get the bus back to Oxford to catch the train home from there. The X15 leaves the Rose Revived at 52 minutes past the hour and takes approximately 1 hour 10 minutes to get back to Oxford station.

Driving
If driving, parking options are expensive in Oxford and very limited in Newbridge. However, you could park in Abingdon and catch the X2 bus departing Stratton Way A2 stop at 9am, arriving in the centre of Oxford by the Westgate shopping centre at 9:36. It is then a 10 minute walk to the train station. The X15 bus from Newbridge also passes through Abingdon taking approximately 30 minutes to get there.

Features

• Refreshments available (Pub/cafe)
• Toilets available
• Accessible by public transport

This 4.5 mile evening walk from Waltham St Lawrence takes in some quintessential Berkshire countryside.

Pace: medium.
Difficulty: Leisurely
Distance: 7.2km / 4.5mi
Ascent: 18m / 59ft
Type: circular

Walk details
We’ll start the walk in the quaint village of Waltham St Lawrence, outside the fifteenth century Bell Inn, opposite the parish church. Firstly we will head southwest towards West End, before turning east following the Knowl Hill Bridleway Circuit. We’ll pass through Shottesbrooke Park and its lake, before heading back to Waltham St Lawrence and a drink in the Bell if time allows.

Travel details
By public transport
Unfortunately there is no public transport available to this walk. Feel free to use either our Facebook group (members only) or the comments section on the Meetup event page to arrange lifts – there are often members who are happy to help!

By car
Please park considerately on the streets near the Bell.

Dogs
Dogs welcome on this walk, provided they are kept under control at all times and placed on a lead when requested by the walk leader.
Please see our dogs policy on our group website for more details.

Notes

• Please bring some water.

Today’s walk takes us along the Regents Canal between Paddington and the Limehouse Basin, with diversions in Primrose Hill and Victoria Park Hackney. Starting at Paddington station, we’ll walk towards the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal and Little Venice, which we walk around to join the Regents Canal. From here, we’ll head towards the Maida Hill and Lisson Grove tunnels and ZSL London Zoo, the latter of which we’ll turn away from the canal just beforehand to walk up to the Primrose Hill viewpoint. This offers some fantastic views of the London skyline, and after stopping off here for a short period to admire this, we’ll then head towards Camden Market, where we’ll be stopping for lunch.

After lunch, we’ll continue eastwards towards the King’s Cross development, at which we pass Camley Street Park to pass St Pancras International and King’s Cross stations. The canal then opens out into Battlebridge Basin, and after walking past there and Angel station, we’ll pass the southern end of Broadway Market towards Victoria Park, which we walk through towards the boating lake. We’ll then head back towards the Regents Canal via the Hertford Union Canal to continue along it to take us past Mile End Park before eventually arriving at the Limehouse Basin to finish the walk. For those who want a pub stop at this point, we’ll be stopping at The Clement Atlee, which is opposite Limehouse station.

Ascent: 49m / 161ft
Type: linear

TRAINS:
The recommended train to get from Reading is the 10:32 GWR service that arrives at Paddington at 10:57.

DRIVING:
Due to the cost of ULEZ and parking in London, it’s strongly recommended that you don’t drive into central London. Alternatively, you can park at the car park next to Reading station, where parking fees apply.

DOGS:
Dogs are welcome on this walk as long as they're well behaved. Please note, that the canal path can get very busy during the summer, so dogs may need to be on a lead for much of the time. There'll also be the opportunity to take them off their leads in Primrose Hill and Victoria Park Hackney.