Product Description

Running for 180 miles (288 km) from the river's source in rural Gloucestershire to the Thames barrier, the Thames Path is England's newest National Trail and one of the most varied and accessible of the country's long-distance paths. The Countryside Agency's acorn waymarks lead the walker through tranquil water meadows, past the dreaming spires of Oxford and the pageantry of Windsor and Hampton Court, through the heart of the capital, to London's Docklands and beyond. This is the official guide to the Path and will be invaluable to the long-distance walker and weekend stroller alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #417816 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 225 pages

Customer Reviews

Get those wellies on
As guide books go, you can always rely on the NT to come forth with a stomper of a trail. The OS maps interweave the narrative, and the 180 mile walk is broken into workable 10-16 mile stretches of glorious river. This means that if you can't do it all in one go, then a mellow day's hike can be planned.

I always use these books as the main source for any walk; other guides are useful for particular stretches, but for a coverall, read while you walk, these are ideal. And they've got rounded page edges, so no more bent books or sore fingers!

No substitute for preparation.
The guide is very good at a few things: places of interest, historical information and a rough guide to the route. In reality, the route (certainly the London section) suffers from diversions, some marked, some not. In the more rural sections, handily positioned pubs are marked and mentioned, but not so much in town which would have been useful. Overall, it's not too bad really but you'd want to take other maps and check out train timetables and local pubs etc.

Indispensable companion to the Thames Path walker
This is an indispensable companion if walking the Thames Path, and if you are taking only one book along with you, it should be this one. Others, such as Turner's one on pubs, the National Trail Companion, and the Imray map, are helpful, but you can get along without them if you have this.

Detailed OS maps are included for every step of the way, with the relevant text on the same page. The text itself gives very clear directions, fills you in on local history and landmarks, and points out pubs and other places of refreshment. The balance is just right.

Once the Path reaches London it follows both banks of the river. Here the text usefully splits into colour-coded north and south sections, which run in parallel to each other.

David Sharp, the author, is one of the founders of the Path. His other book, on he London Loop, which he also helped found, is equally excellent.

As another reviewer points out, you can't follow the Path uptream with this book.