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

Today I was starting out on my last major walk of the year - and this would be a five day odyssey that would run from Weybridge up to Oxford along the River Thames. Following on from my previous walks along the Thames, this would mean that I'd have covered the sections that run from the Thames Barrier up to Oxford.

Today I would be joined by my parents, who would head off at Windsor - while I would continue on to finish up in Maidenhead.

For the first task of the day, we head out on the train to Weybridge - and from here there is a bit of a journey to be done to meet up with the river itself. Not wanting to extend the day of walking, we head out from the station to catch the bus, which takes us up to the High Street - and from here it is a short walk up to where I had last walked along the Thames (walking from Hampton Court round to Byfleet via Weybridge).

On that previous walk I had joined up with the River Wey as it connected up with the River Thames. Today once we meet up with the river, we head past Hamhaugh Island on the left (where the Wey joins the Thames) and come to a halt at the ferry crossing.

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

Upon arrival there is no one to be seen, but a phone call results in the ferryman heading over to carry us across in return for his fee. And having made it across we are in Shepperton, where the lock spans across to 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 quite a bit of it there is a track of sorts you can follow to the left, off the tarmac of the road. 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 obviously 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 early lunch.

With a bit of food consumed to fuel the onward journey, it is time to head on and under the M3 (which is quite a nice high crossing), 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 high flood level (at least that is the situation according the the local who is clearing out the water run offs ahead of winter).

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

Penton Hook Lock

From here the river winds to the west and then turns to head up, heading north as we cut through Staines - and Staines turns out to have a very attractive riverside, with a lot of apartments and old 1930s architecture.

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 soon have to begin a diversion up 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 - with the only slight to our progress being the continued presence to the A308 by our side. Whilst this is  now a winding road through the park, it is busy enough nevertheless.

This brings us into the water-meadows of Runnymede where King John met with his rebelling nobles in 1215 to seal the rights of Magna Carta.

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

The route of the Thames Path passes a site noted as being the spot at which Magna Carta was sealed (although it must be as a general location rather than an exact spot given that no one actually knows the exact spot). 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

The memorial itself appears on the far side of the road, and was erected by the American Bar Association - who typically focus on the role it had upon the American Bill of Rights and Constitution, rather than the more English impact of the document.

But along the Thames Path we do not pass this memorial 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.

One of the more attractive homes on the way into Runnymede

The Thames at Runnymede

This section continues what has been an exceedingly 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 (to avoid a meander in 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 part of the private section of Home Park, centered around Frogmore House. Most 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

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 is achieved.

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, in the distance.

Before long, Windsor Eton Bridge lies ahead - with Windsor sitting to the left, and Eton sitting to the right on the far side of the river.

Here I drop off my fellow travelers at the 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

Windsor Castle in the distance

Here everything settles down once again, and the onward path is along quiet cycle / walking trails that track along through quiet countryside once again. This section has it's slightly plain parts, but it has that quiet vibe of a meandering river as it gently heads on through the countryside.

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

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.

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.