Thames Path - Weybridge to Maidenhead (★★★★☆)

Today I am starting out on my last major walk of the year - and this will be a five day odyssey, starting at Weybridge, and continuing on up to Oxford - along the River Thames. And by the end of this walk I will have walked the full stretch of the Thames Path between Oxford and the Thames Barrier.

For the pretty section from Weybridge up till Windsor, I have my parents along for the ride - and there I will drop them off, and continue on to Maidenhead - where I will stop over for the night.

First we head out by train to Weybridge - and since the train station at Weybridge is a long way away from the river, hop onto the bus to the High Street.

From there it is a fairly short walk to reach the most southerly point of the River Thames (at Hamburgh Island). And here we both meet up with the end point of my last walk (which came down the Thames from Kingston to this spot), and the ferry that will take us across the Thames.

According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, this ferry crossing has been in operation for 500 years - and serves both cyclists and pedestrians, who would otherwise have to head down to one of the bridges at either Walton or Chertsey. 

And whilst there is no one to be seen on arrival, a quick phone call sees the ferryman head out from the nearby cafe to pick us up and carry us across the river.

For those planning to do this walk, the ferry runs every 15 minutes - and generally runs March to October between 9am and 5:30pm daily, and on weekends from November to February (although do check river conditions and changes before you head out for your walk).

If you do arrive to find the ferry is not running, your best bet is probably to head past Hamm Court Farm along the fields to Chertsey. The alternative is a longer route heading downstream to Walton Bridge and along the far side.

And having made it across we are in Shepperton, and the rather imaginatively named Shepperton Lock Island - and here our journey starts in earnest.

Shepperton Lock

Initially the path is following a very quiet road - although for some sections there is also a parallel path you can follow, off the tarmac of the road. And then further up, the path breaks away from the road to continue along the river bank, and then across Dumsey Meadow to Chertsey.

Chertsey Bridge

Chertsey Bridge is quite an old bridge (1785 in fact), and with there being some benches just on the far side of the bridge, this seems as good a good spot as any to stop for a bit of (very) early lunch.

And with a bit of food consumed to fuel the onward journey, it is time to head on and under the M3 (which passes by nice and high, making this a nicer bridge to head under) - and then up past Laleham Park, and into Laleham itself. 

Laleham proves to be a very pretty little village where all the gardens out front are well maintained - and for those wondering, the river can flood here. But while the lower lying houses on the far side of the bank can flood, the houses in the village here are on a raised bank, and sit above the highest flood level. The road itself, is liable to flood - and this isn't really a walk to do in flood conditions.

This starts a pretty section, passing by houses that front the river, with open gardens facing the river side - and from here we head on and round, to Penton Hook Lock - from which you can just about see Thorpe Park in the distance.

Penton Hook Lock

Everything her is well down and very well presented - and these locks offer very reliable seating - and this general attractiveness continues as we head north and start to cut through Staines - which turns out to have a very attractive riverside, with a lot of apartments and old 1930s architecture.

Staines is a very modern looking town, but it was a minor Roman settlement, and was also a medieval market town - but most of the history on show is from the early 20th century.

Still the wider area does also have it's own longer term historical credentials - and evidence of human habitation around Staines dates back as far as the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic) - with reindeer and horse bone fragments found, alongside flint blades.

At Staines Bridge it is time to cross over - but our passage up the far side of the Thames does not last too long, as we hit a diversion. This takes us away from the riverside and along the A308, which isn't quite the riverside walk we had set out for - but nevertheless it is not too long before we return to the river, on the far side of Runnymede Bridge.

On the far side of Runnymede Bridge

Here we head on past a few final homes, before the Thames starts to head into more rural countryside - with much more of a country park feel to proceedings as we head on to Runnymede.

Here the only slight to our progress is the continued presence to the A308 by our side - and whilst this has now reduced to a winding road through the park, it is still fairly busy.

But here we enter the water-meadows of Runnymede, which have been made famous as the site where King John met with his rebelling nobles in 1215 to seal the rights of Magna Carta.

Windsor (ahead on our path) was a key royal fortress, whilst it is believed that the rebelling barons were based at Staines during these negotiations - making these fields a fairly neutral mid point at which to meet, and discuss terms.

These days though, there are no negotiations to be done, and now this is merely a pleasant spot to head out for a walk - aided by the close proximity of Windsor Park and Virginia Water, for those heading further afield.

The Magna Carta Memorial across the road

Across the road we pass by the Magna Carta Memorial, which stands out in the countryside. And this was erected by the American Bar Association, and is a reference to the role the Magna Carta had on the American Bill of Rights and Constitution.

But sticking to the Thames Path we merely pass this memorial from afar, and instead continue up along the bank of the river, before briefly joining up with the road - and then back to the path of the river heading into Runnymede itself.

One of the more attractive homes on the way into Runnymede

The Thames at Runnymede

Here we continue to have a very pleasant wander along the river side, as we head up through town, and then start to cut up through the fields - before passing along a slightly less scenic cut (a short canal to avoid a meander on the Thames), on our way to Albert Bridge.

At Albert Bridge our onward progress on this side of the river comes to a bit of a halt, because what lies ahead is the private section of Home Park - centered around Frogmore House. 

Much of Windsor Park is open to the public, but Home Park - which forms the northern section of the wider park area has the most restricted level of access.

This means that we must cross over the river and walk (with the other peasants) on the far side of the river - which is a bit of a shame, because the river looks lovely on the royal's side of the Thames - while our side looks pretty shabby.

Forbidden lands

But having crossed the bridge, we accept our lot in life, as we continue on through some fairly scruffy fields, and eventually wind up into Datchet - where there is a bit of road following to be done.

This is a fairly minor road, but exceptionally busy - and there is a bit of road crossing to do as the footpath hops from one side of the road to another.

Eventually though, we make it to Victoria Bridge, where it is time to cross back over - and where the first sight of the rather colossal Windsor Castle occurs.

The river from Victoria Bridge

First sight of Windsor Castle

From here, the next section of path is not particularly glamorous - heading on through playing fields, and then alongside the path of the railway line - but at the same time this section does offer more glimpses of the historical buildings, both in Windsor and Eton.

And it is not long before Windsor Eton Bridge lies ahead - with Windsor sitting on our side of the river, and Eton sitting on the far side of the river.

And here I drop off my fellow travelers for the day, at Windsor station, ready for their trip home - whilst I head over the bridge into Eton, and then start to follow the river on the far side.

Looking across at Windsor from Eton

Looking back at Windsor Castle

Here everything settles down once again, and the onward path is along quiet cycle / walking trails that track through quiet countryside once again. This section has it's slightly plain parts, but it is very peaceful, and has a Wind in the Willows quiet river vibe to it.

And on the way through the meadows, we pass St Mary Magdalene Church - and on past the noisy rowers at Dorney Lake.

St Mary Magdalene Church

Looking across the river towards Dedworth

Having reached the far end of Lake Dorney, the path starts to pass the houses on the very outskirts of Maidenhead - heading under the M4, and then on past increasingly impressive houses on the way to Maidenhead Bridge.

Here I turn off along the busy roads of Maidenhead to find some food, and my place of rest for the night.

Total Distance: 21.7 miles (20.2 miles on the Thames Path)

Total Ascent: 302 feet (289 feet on the Thames Path)

Enjoyment Rating : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★ / 5

Click for the next section of the walk, heading from Maidenhead to Reading.

Disclaimer: This writeup provides a narrative of what to expect rather than a route guide to follow. The route is covered by the 175 and 176 OS Landranger maps - while there is also a Thames Path guidebook which includes OS mapping (links redirect to Amazon). The route is in general well way-marked.