📷 Photo by Steve Daniels · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
This long-distance walking trail follows England's most famous river from its source all the way to the sea, covering 184 miles from Kemble in Gloucestershire through to the Thames Barrier in London.
It's one of Britain's most welcoming national trails, equally suited to a couple of hours of gentle walking or a serious multi-day adventure.
The path takes you through rural riverside villages, past historic locks and weirs, across water meadows teeming with wildlife, and gradually into the urban landscape surrounding London. The terrain is mostly flat and manageable for different fitness levels, using a mix of towpaths, riverbank tracks, and occasional stretches along busier roads. You'll find pubs and tea rooms regularly spaced along the route, making it straightforward to rest and refuel as you go.
If you're based in the Cotswolds, starting near Cirencester gives you the most rewarding sections, with genuinely rural scenery before the landscape shifts toward the southeast. Spring and autumn are particularly lovely times to walk here. Many people break the journey into stages, hopping on trains to reach different starting points rather than attempting the whole thing in one go. This flexibility means you can easily dip in and out of the trail whenever it suits you.
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Photos
P. Halling · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
R. Curtis · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons