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Walking Holiday in England on
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| The Thames Path is 180 miles long and one of UK's National Walking Trails. The walking holiday begins at the Thames Barrier, and follows the whole meandering course of the River Thames to its source in the Cotswolds at Thames Head. The hiking route is a great first walking holiday experience as it is easy walking and offers a wealth of interesting places to visit en-route. The Thames Path walking trail is clearly way-marked to provide reassurance on your walking holiday in Southern England. | Suggested
Tour Duration: 13 days walking 14 nights Total Distance: 180 miles Min/max daily distance: 11/17 miles Average Daily distance: 14 miles Grading: easy Features: Thames Barrier Tower of London St Paul's Cathedral Houses of Parliament London Eye London Wetlands Centre Kew Gardens Hampton Court Windsor Castle |
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| The
route passes through the cities of London and Oxford which are great places
to visit, with good shopping, restaurants and pubs. This walking holiday
is great hiking for visitors to the UK as it offers a taste of England's
history mixed with the modern UK of today. This is a popular walking tour, so we have carefully selected comfortable accommodation to ensure you are well rested each night after a busy day hiking and sightseeing. Why not take rest days in London, Windsor and Oxford to explore the many galleries and museums, and take advantage of the fine selection of shops, restaurants and pubs. |
On
this English self guided walking holiday you hike past some of the highlights
of London's great attractions, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London,
Kew Gardens and Hampton Court to name but a few. London's great river is full of surprises as its path flows gently from its source and the stunning Cotswolds. On the Thames Path tour you walk through some of Southern England's most historic landscapes, full of wildlife and heritage. The highlights of Windsor and Oxford are en-route. This is a gentle walk, full of contrasts, with bustling cities and quite river banks. |
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Day
1: Arrive at London To start your walking holiday on The Thames Path walking trail you make your own way to London. We can assist with coach or train transfers if necessary. Car parking is available for the duration of your self-guided walking holiday. |
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| Day
2: Thames Barrier to Tate Gallery
(Pimlico area) 14 miles 22 km You take a short walk or ride on London's Underground Train Service from central London to the Thames Barrier and museum, the official starting point of The Thames Path walking trail. Today's walking route follows the South Bank of the Thames most of the way, and provides great views over the river to The Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the City, giving insight into London and the River Thames' industrial past and rebirth as a modern exciting capital city. The walking trail takes you to some of London's hidden places as well as one of London's most famous landmarks, the London Eye and The Houses of Parliament. |
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3: Tate Gallery to Richmond. 14
miles 22 km Walking on from the Tate Gallery on the South Bank of the Thames you pass the famous Old Battersea Power Station and soon arrives in a more residential area with fine Victorian riverside houses and house boats. Walking along the river bank you reach Barnes and the London Wetlands Centre, a wildlife haven in the middle of London. On the last part of today's walk you pass Kew Gardens, one of the World's most famous gardens and well worth a visit. Today's walk ends at Richmond, full of old riverside pubs, great places to eat, and also the famous Deer Park. |
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4: Richmond to Shepperton. 14
miles 22km Leaving Richmond on the walking trail you soon pass the 17th century Ham House with its sumptuous interiors and restored formal garden. The Thames Path soon passes Eel Pie Island, named after the food served on the island from 16th century. Today the island is famous for its community of artists. Beyond Teddington Lock the River Thames is no longer tidal. After walking through Kingston you soon reach Hampton Court, a fine Tudor palace with superb gardens. |
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Day
5: Shepperton to Windsor. 12
miles 19km Walking on from Shepperton, you pass the bridge at Chertsey which was built in 1785 and is mentioned in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. Continuing on the hiking route you pass a couple of locks and soon reach the busy modern town of Staines. Then you walk past the historic Runnymede, location of the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215 before reaching Windsor, a highlight of this section of the Thames Path. A visit to the castle is a must! |
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6: Windsor to Marlow. 15
miles 24km A short walk from Windsor is Eton, home of one of the world's most famous schools. The fine riverside house at Oakley Court has been the location for many a film. Before reaching Marlow you walk past Cliveden, the former home of the Astor family. Marlow is a riverside gem, has a fine bridge, pleasant park and is a great place to explore. The Thames Path intersects with Shakespeare's Way in Marlow. |
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Day
7: Marlow to Reading. 17
miles 28km Walking on from Marlow you soon reach Bisham Abbey, headquarters of the English Football team. Medmenham Abbey, a former Cistercian abbey dates back to the 13th century. This is now a rural setting and Temple Island provides a fine vista. Henley-on-Thames, famous for its rowing club and fine shops and pubs, is a good place to relax. On the walk today you pass Thames-Side Court which has a narrow gauge railway running alongside the river. |
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8: Reading to Cholsey. 15
miles 24km The Thames Path provides a pleasant route through Reading. Walking on through the towns of Caversham and Purley, the town of Pangbourne is reached by walking through relaxing water meadows. At Whitchurch, the walking route takes a short diversion up the only steep climb of the whole Thames Path. |
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Day
9: Cholsey to Sutton Courtenay. 15
miles 24km Today you walk to Wallingford which has a 17th century town hall and fine old English inns. The famous Thames side town of Dorchester-on-Thames dates back to Roman times. The thatched village of Clifton Hampden is picture postcard pretty and boasts The Barley Mow Inn mentioned in Jerome's Three Men in a Boat. Sutton Courtenay dates back to Norman times and has a fine Manor House and the grave of George Orwell in its churchyard. |
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10: Sutton Courtenay to Oxford. 11
miles 18km On the walk today is Abingdon, one of Britain's oldest towns dating back to 695. It is famous as the former home of MG cars and has many fine buildings and well worth spending some time to explore. The walk to Oxford is pleasant, passing weirs and water meadows. Oxford is a must for any visitor to the UK, with so much history and culture. The Thames Path intersects with Shakespeare's Way in Oxford. |
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Day
11: Oxford to Newbridge. 13
miles 22km After leaving Oxford the walking trail has a quieter, remoter feel to it. Port Meadow, a large grassland full of cattle and wildlife, claims to have been ploughed since the 11th century. The Trout Inn at Godstow, which means Gods Place, has been used in the Inspector Morse ITV series and even President Clinton has visited. |
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Day 12:
Newbridge to Lechlade. 16 miles 26km |
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Day
13: Lechlade to Cricklade. 11
miles 18km Lechlade is mentioned in the Doomsday Book and marks the highest place on the River Thames navigable by boat. This town was once a very busy river port. The bridge at Lechlade still has its old toll house although now a toll free bridge. The large airfield at Fairford has been used by the USAF and was a testing site for Concord. |
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14: Cricklade to Kemble/Source. 12
miles 19km The final day's hiking on The Thames Path follows the River Thames to its source. Hiking out of Lechlade the walking trail passes some fine Cotswold villages. At the village of Ashton Keynes the once mighty Thames appears little more than a large stream in the High Street. At Kemble there is an outstanding Brunel railway station. The source is marked with a stone placed there in the 1970s although the spot usually appears dry as the water course is below of surface. |
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Day 15: Depart
after breakfast |
You can walk this hiking tour over 13 days at about 14 miles per day. If
you do not have a fortnight available, you can walk it in 2 separate weeks:
London to Reading, and Reading to Source. This walking holiday in the UK operates year round and in either direction. Short walking breaks are also available, with 2 or 3 days walking. Just select the part of the path you want to walk. The above distances are only a suggestion. If you would like to walk longer or shorter distances, we can arrange that too. Why not combine this walk with a hiking tour in another part of the UK. |
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What's included
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London to Source |
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| London
to Reading 6 days walking, 7 nights from £589 per person double occupancy |
Reading
to Source 7 days walking, 8 nights from £649 per person double occupancy |
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Optional Extras
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All prices subject to change |
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| How to get there | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By
Plane to London By Car to London where parking is available By Train / Bus to London or Kemble |
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What our customers say: |
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| "Organisation was spot-on. We would pick Let's Go Walking anytime. They are the best company we have ever used for this sort of holiday. We have no qualms about telling friends/family to use their services. All the paperwork and booking information is done in a top professional way and the holiday could not have been bettered" Susan Bourne, UK 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We
were really impressed with the arrangements and attention to detail. Also
the texts to let us know about the transfer to the Source. It all felt tailored
to exactly our needs. Would certainly recommend you to others and use you
again. Thank you" Lynn and Mark Preston, UK 2011 |
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