Another birthday, another section of the Thames Path to hike. This time, because I’ve gradually walked closer to home, I won’t be staying anywhere overnight but instead doing just a one-day hike. In 2022 I started in Kemble, Gloucestershire and ended at Oxford, then, later that year, I reversed direction and followed the path from Reading to Oxford. In 2023 I walked from Reading to Windsor. Now it’s time for the 20.5 mile Thames Path section from Windsor to Hampton.
Windsor to Hampton
It’s about an 80-minute journey from my home to Windsor, I set off early so that I could enjoy a breakfast treat at Greggs. I was glad to see that the river was in exactly the same place I’d left it last year, and that, although it was very full, it wasn’t currently flooding. October is a perilously rainy time of year to be walking beside a river in the UK.
No more than 20 minutes from the bustle of Windsor the river curves in a magnificently wide arc and I’m treated to a rear view of the famous castle (in which lives by far the most expensive royal family in the world). I’m now aware that the rurality of previous sections is well behind me, my ears are constantly filled with the sounds of roads, and of airplanes landing at – or taking off from – busy Heathrow.
Despite the noise this remains a very pretty walk, with the river widening ever more and willow trees dipping their branches into the current. I’ve seen more rugby fields than football fields along the Thames Path, I think that’s going to change the closer I get to London.
The least enjoyable part of today’s walk is when the path dips away from the river and hikers are forced to walk through the edge of Datchet. Signs disappear and dangerous road crossings are necessary. I was grateful to turn my back on dangerously speeding drivers, and to follow the path back to the Thames.
Now directly under Heathrow’s flight path I arrived into Old Windsor. On the opposite riverbank the gardens of expensive houses rolled all the way to the water. From the Thames Path there’s little sign of the ‘old’ in ‘Old Windsor’, nevertheless I have an affection for this place because nearby is the dog’s home where we first met – then brought home – our little dog Bounty.
Although you’ll find no evidence of it today, the next section of today’s walk, Runnymede, is where in 1215 Magna Carta was signed. This document (and the various copies of it) declared that the king and his government were not above the law. Amazing then that, 810 years later, there are parts of the world which are reversing this freedom.
Although the atmosphere of Runnymede is somewhat ruined by the busy road running through it, the Thames and its path thankfully dip away into tranquillity, albeit briefly. Now it passes beneath the M25 motorway and now I feel as though I’m officially within the boundaries of London.
Next: Staines-Upon-Thames, not a place I previously thought would be particularly attractive, but the riverfront is very pretty. The Thames seems to beautify everywhere it passes through. When it meanders into a town it’s as if a special guest is visiting, and the best buildings and bridges are put out on show.
If you look at the Thames Path on a map you may see that, from this section onwards, it’s surrounded by suburbia. Thankfully, as I walk along the bank, there’s little sign of roads and buildings, which are mostly hidden by trees. At Shepperton I enjoyed a late lunch in the excellent – and very busy – Ferry Coffee Shop. As the name suggests, this is the point at which a small ferry can be taken across the river to continue along the Thames Path on the other side. Unfortunately, because the river is somewhat swollen, the ferry isn’t available today (it’s a notoriously unreliable service and costs £3.50).
Fortunately there’s an alternative, if somewhat longer and less pretty route. After walking beside a road for 20minutes and then over a particularly ugly road bridge at Lower Halliford I’m riverside once again. From this point the river runs straight with not a single turn until just after Sunbury-on-Thames.
This being the end of October the sun is dipping below the horizon before 5pm. I’m therefore glad to see, across the river, a bright red London bus. Soon the long stone bridge at Hampton is visible. Here the Thames feels particularly wide, such a contrast with its humble beginnings.
Trip details
Total length: roughly 20.4 miles
Total walking time: 6 hours
Trains to Windsor: from London Paddington via Slough, taking 31 minutes
Trains from Hampton Court: to London Waterloo, a 37-minute journey
A Plan To Go 