Thames Path National Trail

The Thames Path National Trail follows the course of the River Thames for 294 kilometres, from its source near the village of Kemble in the Cotswold Hills to the Thames Flood Barrier. On the way, the path passes through the cities of Oxford, Reading and London and a number of smaller towns and villages.

The Thames Path is the only one of Britain's National Trails to follow a river for its entire length. The River Thames, the longest river in England, drops just 107 metres along its length, making this most probably the flattest of the national trails.

From Teddington in London's west to Greenwich in the east, the Thames Path offers alternative routes on both banks of the river. Having walked almost the entire north bank route previously, I decided to follow the south bank route for this walk.

As well as the official Thames Path, I also decided to walk the 16.6km extension, which takes the path downstream beyond the Thames Flood Barrier to Crayford Ness.