The classic non-tidal Thames tour from Halfpenny Bridge at Lechlade down to Teddington Lock, roughly 137 miles of locks, meadows and towns.
About
This touring line follows the navigable non-tidal Thames from Halfpenny Bridge, Lechlade, through Oxford, Abingdon, Reading, Henley, Marlow, Windsor and Kingston to Teddington Lock, where the tideway begins.
It is the corridor used by multi-day hire trips and by continuous challenges such as the Thames 200 Ultra (about 200 km). Expect dozens of locks or portages, busy summer traffic, and easy resupply in the riverside towns.
History
The Thames has been a highway for centuries. For paddlers it is the most familiar long English river journey: pastoral upper reaches, university city, then increasingly urban water toward London. Teddington marks the end of the non-tidal navigation and the start of Port of London tideway rules.
Stages
- Lechlade to Oxford
- Oxford to Reading
- Reading to Teddington