The Thames Path National Trail is a walk following the River Thames from its source in the Cotswolds through Oxford, Windsor and past the Houses of Parliament to the Thames Barrier in London

FAQs

Houses of Parliament ©Natural England/Rob Fraser

 

  • What Thames Path publications and merchandise do you sell?
    We stock a range of publications and merchandise. See the publications page of our website for details.
  • What attractions/things to do are nearby?
    See our interactive attractions map for information on the many highlights the Thames has to offer. The Visit Thames website also has some great ideas which you might want to explore.

     

  • Is camping allowed?
    Yes - there are a few campsites near to the Thames Path. Details are on our website under accommodation. The Environment Agency also produces a useful leaflet which advises on camping and campsites. See Visit Thames to download a free copy. Camping on the Trail itself is not permitted without permission from the relevant landowner since the Thames Path is a public right of way across private land for passage only, not for stopping or erecting tents.
  • Do you organise guided walks/events on the Thames Path?

    Unfortunately, because of cuts to our budget and declining attendance, we are unable to continue to organise a programme of guided events. However our events page will continue to have details of events organised by others that we're aware of taking place on the Thames Path .

  • How do I go about planning an event/sponsored walk?

    We get a number of enquiries from people who would like to find out how they can organise a sponsored walk or other event on the Thames Path National Trail. As a result we have produced some guidelines that we hope will answer your questions.

    If your event will have a large number of people attending, say 30 or more, then we would like to hear about it as we find it useful to know in advance what ‘s planned so we can advise other events’ organisers which dates and areas to avoid.

    Please see this page for guidelines and forms

  • How do I get to the Thames Path?
    Downstream of Oxford there is good access to many places along the Thames Path by train, bus and even boat, with London and the larger towns and cities through which the Trail runs very easily accessible by public transport. Upstream of Oxford, with a little planning, the Thames Path can also be reached in many places by public transport. Our online travel planner should help.
  • Can I cycle on the Thames Path?

    The Thames Path National Trail is not a long-distance route for cyclists.  Most of the Thames Path is a public footpath on which cyclists have no legal right to ride unless they have permission from the landowners -  cycling without permission is a trespass offence against the landowners. 

    Outside London there are a few sections that can be cycled, with the longest stretches being the 5.4 miles (8.7km) stretch through Oxford and the 10 miles (16km) length from Weybridge to Teddington Lock.  Additionally, the riding of cycles through lock gardens on sections that can be cycled is prohibited by the Environment Agency.  Please see our Cycling page where you can download maps of the sections that can be cycled and a copy of the Thames Path Cycling Policy.

    Within London some boroughs allow cycling on the Thames Path but it is a disjointed picture. See the FAQ on London cycling below for further information.

    Cyclists wanting a long distance cycle ride on a National Trail should not attempt the Thames Path.  The National Trails that can be cycled are the western half (approx 43 miles (69km)) of The Ridgeway National Trail  and the whole of the South Downs Way National Trail, and Pennine Bridleway .  Information on other long distance cycling routes can be obtained from Sustrans, including the Thames Valley Cycle Route, a 97 miles (155km) route from London to Oxford that does in places share the same route as the Thames Path.  See our Publications page for details of how to purchase this from us.

  • Can I cycle in or near London on the Thames Path?

    Below is a list of sections of the Thames Path National Trail that provide more than just a few hundred metres for cycling off-road, with distances that can be cycled.  Sections are listed from Shepperton Lock downstream to the Thames Barrier where the Thames Path finishes.

    Shepperton Lock to Teddington Footbridge
     
    • Shepperton Ferry to Molesey Lock (south bank of the river) 5¾ miles (9.2km)
    • Hampton Court to Kingston Bridge on cycle route parallel to Thames Path (north bank of the river) 2.9 miles (4.6km)
    • Canbury Gardens, Kingston to Teddington Footbridge on cycle route parallel to Thames Path (mostly off road and south bank of the river)1.6 miles (2.5km)

    South Bank after Teddington Footbridge
     
    • Kew Bridge to Chiswick Bridge 1¼ miles(2km)
    • Hammersmith Bridge to Putney Bridge with last ½ mile on road 1¾ miles(2.8km)
    • Greenland Dock to Grove Street, Lewisham (Deptford Strand and Pepys Park) 0.6 miles (1km)
    • West side of Greenwich Peninsular (from just south of Victoria Deep Water Terminal) to the Thames Barrier with some on quiet road 2.6 miles (4.2km)
     
    North Bank after Teddington Footbridge
     
    • Orleans Road, Twickenham, to Richmond Road, Isleworth with some sections on road 2.1 miles (3.3km)
    • Syon Park from Park Road entrance to Brentford High Street ¾ mile (1.2km)
    • Chiswick Bridge to Promenade Approach Road, Chiswick, mostly on quiet road or cycle route parallel to Thames Path 1.2 miles (1.9km)
    • Narrow Street, Limehouse, to Cuba Street (north end of Westferry Road) 0.6 miles (1km)

  • Where can I park near to the Thames Path?

    There are a number of car parks available. See our transport pages which have information on parking opportunities near to the Trail.

  • Are there any sections of the Thames Path accessible to wheelchair users? How do I find out about these?

    Look at our Walks for All page for details of 12 easy, short walks likely to be suitable for users of wheelchairs, ranging from near the source of the River Thames to Hampton Court on the edge of London. 

    There is a also free pack of ten easy walks in West London called Accessible Thames that are accessible for many wheelchair users which was published a few years ago by the Thames Landscape Strategy. 

    The National Trails Team is also working hard to improve the accessibility of the Thames Path and we are making good progress with replacing obstructive stiles and poor gates with fully accessible gates, and in places improving the surface.  Our aim is to be able to provide summary accessibility information about all the rural sections of the Thames Path (see below for information about the Trail in London) in the future so that people can make their own decisions as to whether they will be able to visit each stretch. This is an ongoing project which we will be developing over the coming year or so and consequently accessibility information will be reflected on our website in due course.

    We also stock a couple of leaflets developed by the Chilterns AONB in their Countryside Walks from Rail Stations series -Thames and Chilterns Walks (from Henley), and Views of the Thames Walks from Goring & Streatley.  Sections of both of these have accessibility information and we can either send them to you (see Contact Us), or you can download them from the Chilterns AONB.