Thames riverside walks: Five best routes with historic pubs en route

Let’s start in Lechlade, the navigable head of the River Thames, which means boats go no further upstream as the water is too shallow. This walk, just over 2km, takes in a toll bridge, a pill box from World War II, a statue of Old Father Thames, the first of 45 locks along the river’s length (to help boats negotiate the change in water level), a path dedicated to the poet Shelley and the spire of St Lawrence’s Church, visible for miles around.

So, here’s the route. Start in the Market Place beside St Lawrence’s Church in the centre of Lechlade. Spend a few moments gazing up at that towering spire, then walk west (if directions are problematic, use the compass on your phone). Pass the New Inn and Red Lion (we haven’t earned a pub stop yet) to the traffic light, turn left and cross Ha’penny Bridge. As you’ve probably guessed, the bridge is named for the half penny toll that was once charged for vehicles to cross it.

From here, walk east along the south bank of the Thames, with open meadows on your right and a curious pill box, built to defend against a possible German invasion in World War II, on the opposite side of the river. After around 1km, the path enters St John’s Lock, where a statue of Old Father Thames, sculpted in 1851, awaits you, and perhaps the lock keeper will greet you too.

Turn left onto St John’s Bridge and on the north side of the river, duck your head if you’re tall as you enter The Trout Inn, which stands on the site of a priory established in 1246 and oozes character. Savour this first taste of Thames-side hospitality.

Opposite the pub, look for an inviting bower of willows and hawthorns; this is Shelley’s Walk, named after the poet in gratitude for his poem A Summer Evening Churchyard, written in 1815. From here, a delightful, raised pathway leads back to the church and signals the end of the walk.

Next up is Oxford, so steeped in history that it’s difficult to know where to start. Fortunately, a ready-made route starting just north of Oxford railway station leads north beside the Oxford Canal with its toytown locks, west through Wolvercote to another Trout Inn (good spot for a break, popular among university students) and Godstow Abbey, then south beside the Thames back to the start. This 9km walk is a good workout and encompasses Port Meadow, one of the few remaining areas of common land remaining in the country.

The entire walk is a delight, though the last stretch is particularly moving, as this is where the tale of Alice in Wonderland begins, with the words:

All in the golden afternoon, full leisurely we glide,

For both our oars, with little skill, by little arms are plied…

In this way, Charles Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, became one of the best-selling authors of all time while boating on the Thames.

Windsor, an abbreviation of the words “winding shore”, is another town that needs no introduction. Seat of the British monarchy since the 11th century, it’s best known for the castle set on a hill above the river, and its reputation as a tourist town gives it a Disneyesque feel, as if everyone is acting. A 5km walk from Windsor Riverside railway station along the south bank of the Thames passes the open expanses of Home Park, then crosses the first road bridge over the river and turns left to pass through Datchet Golf Club.

Veering left at every junction from here leads to the playing fields of Eton College, where many a future prime minister got kicked about while playing the bizarre Wall Game. A path between Eton College buildings leads on to Eton High Street, where boys in tails can often be spotted dashing between classes. Most shops on the High Street are outfitters for the boys who study here, but our destination is the Waterman’s Arms, just off to the right before the bridge back into central Windsor. The watermen who once rowed passengers across the river are few in number now, but the pub welcomes hikers as long as they don’t leave muddy footprints on the floor.

On the western outskirts of London, the districts of Barnes and Fulham show how surprisingly rural London can be.

A simple 6km route heads east along the south side of the river from Hammersmith Bridge to Putney Bridge, then back westwards on the north side of the river to the start. Sights along the way include the Wetlands Centre, which attracts herons, warblers and lapwing; the starting point of the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge; Fulham Palace Gardens, often dubbed “London’s best-kept secret”; and Craven Cottage, home of Fulham Football Club and packed to the rafters on a Saturday afternoon in the football season.

The best place for a pub break along this route is at The Duke’s Head on the south side of the river just before crossing Putney Bridge. You can’t go wrong with a pint of Young’s beer and a Sunday roast.

Finally, a stroll through Central London from Westminster Bridge to London Bridge and back is the ideal way to get to know the city’s most iconic landmarks. The 6km walk can be completed without stops, but most walkers will want to check out one or more of the attractions.

Begin in the northwest corner of Westminster Bridge, next to a bronze statue of Queen Boadicea and her daughters on a chariot and directly opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Cross the bridge and turn left along the broad promenade on the south bank, then after Southwark Cathedral, cross London Bridge to the north bank and return to the start point.

The route along the south bank passes the London Eye, the Royal Festival Hall, the National Theatre, the Millennium Bridge (aka the Wobbly Bridge), the Tate Modern Art Gallery, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Clink Prison Museum, a replica of Drake’s Golden Hinde ship, Southwark Cathedral and the Shard.

The north bank includes great views of St Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and passes the incongruous Cleopatra’s Needle and the Victoria Embankment Gardens.

For a pub stop, the Founder’s Arms, next to Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge, claims to be “the most Instagrammable pub with a view in the City of London”, and while it’s not exactly inside the “square mile” of the capitalised “City”, you may still need to elbow your way to the bar to get served.

The writer travelled at their own expense.