Walking The Thames Path To Windsor

Walking the Thames Path from London to Windsor is possible. Long. But possible. It also depends on where you want to start in London. In this post, I will be walking you through the Thames Path from Twickenham to Windsor, a challenging long-distance hike of 27.96 miles (45km). You can of course start the walk at any station further down the Thames Path such as Kingston-Upon-Thames or Hampton Court to make it shorter, depending on what you are looking for and your physical condition. So, let’s walk!

Thames Path to Windsor showing the Thames river with a house on the opposite bank

Logistics for the Thames Path to Windsor walk

Distance: 27.96 miles (45 km)
Ascent: 29m
Walking estimate: 9 hours and 15 minutes at an average speed of 4.8 km/hour
Difficulty: Hard
How to get there: Trains to Twickenham Station which is located in fare zone 5 or local buses to Twickenham Station (281 and H22)
What to pack: Comfortable clothing and footwear (even if it is mainly on concrete paths I would not recommend that you wear trainers as some part after Hampton Court can get muddy if it has been raining). As it is a long hike you will need to bring a snack that contains carbs such as dry fruits, dates, bananas and granola bars, a packed lunch and a snack containing proteins for the end such as fruit cakes. Take sunscreen and headcover if you are going on a bright day as you are exposed. For the drinks, I would recommend that you carry with you water with electrolytes (3 litres recommended as this is a long walk) as well as a bottle of full-fat Coca-Cola for fast-released sugar
Additional information: Public toilets are located at Hampton Court lock and Shepperton lock

Highlights of the Twickenham to Windsor walk

Twickenham
Kingston-Upon-Thames
Hampton Court Palace & Gardens
Walton-on-Thames
Runnymede & the Magna Carta
Windsor Castle
Eat at the Carpenter’s Arms

Twickenham to Hampton Court

The walk begins in Twickenham, home of the famous Twickenham Stadium, the largest rugby stadium in the world. Built in 1907, the stadium does not only host rugby games but also concerts of world-class artists such as Beyonce and Eminem.

View of the Thames in Twickenham with the Twickenham bridge in the background — Thames Path in Twickenham

Twickenham is additionally renowned for its noteworthy riverside. It’s perfect because this is where we are heading. From the station, it is a short stroll to the river. Follow the path by the river, however, you will have to divert from time to time due to private gardens hindering the way. Continue straight until Teddington Lock, where you cross over the footbridges. The 2 bridges, built in 1887 and 1889, link the Teddington bank to the Surrey bank and are separated by a small island.

Twickenham suspension bridge in blue and white — Twickenham suspension bridge

Once on the opposite side, continue on the river path until you reach Kingston-Upon-Thames. This historical market town where the Saxon Kings were crowned, is the home of the acclaimed Kingston University and one of the biggest retail centres in the UK. Cross over Kingston Bridge and continue on the river path, walking along Bushy Park until you arrive at Hampton Court Palace.

View of the Thames with a red rowing boat when approaching Hampton Court — Approaching Hampton Court

Hampton Court to Walton-on-Thames

Prior to getting over the Hampton Court Bridge, take a sneak peek at the Palace entrance. Its building started in 1524, commissioned by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. However, in 1529, as Wolsey became undesirable, he gave the palace to the ruler in a bid to fix their relationship. Soon the palace became one of Henry VIII’s favourite residences. It is one of the only two surviving residences he owned with St James Palace.

Entrance of Hampton Court Palace with a security Gard wearing a yellow jacket — Hampton Court Palace

Once you cross the bridge, you would need to get to the opposite side of the A309. It’s a bit of a difficult one to cross due to having to wait at numerous traffic lights. When you are back on the river path, you encounter Hampton Court lock which is the perfect spot for a break.

Hampton Court lock with trees in the background — Hampton Court Lock

Back on the road! Follow the Thames Path in direction of Walton-on-Thames. On this stretch, you will be passing by Moseley residential area with beautiful houses, some muddy paths and houseboats.

Walton-on-Thames to Shepperton

The market town of Walton-on-Thames has a rich history. First settled during the Celtic area, it is also believed this is where Julius Caesar forded the river Thames during his second invasion of Britain. Nowadays, it is an affluent suburban town perfect for commuters.

As you will be passing by the Rowing Club established in 1927 and the marina, it’s easy to get distracted by the beauty of the landscape and miss the bridge. This is exactly what happened when I did this walk and had to retrace my steps as you can see on the map below.

View of the River Thames in Walton on Thames with houses on the opposite bank — Walton-on-Thames

Cross the bridge to get to the village of Shepperton. On this stretch of the walk, you are coming out of the river path to enter at first a more industrial and then residential area. This is not the most delightful part of this walk but there is no other way to rejoin the Thames Path.

As you emerge from the residential area, you’ll find St Nicolas Church. It is said that there has been a church at this exact location since the seventh century however the actual church was completed in 1614 and the tower was added during the following century. Continue until you arrive at Shepperton Lock where the benches there make it the perfect spot for lunch.

St Nicholas Church with cars parked in front of it — St Nicholas Church

Shepperton to Runnymede

Lunch is over and the time has come to get back on the road. With the Thames on one side and charming houses on the other side, this undulating stroll all the way to Staines-upon-Thames is ideal for a digestive walk.

Thames River with houses on the opposite bank — On the way to Staines-upon-Thames

Coming up to Staines-upon-Thames, you are welcomed by the statue of the Swan Master. The town’s history traces back to the Neolithic as shown by the artefacts found during the excavations in 2013. Close to Heathrow T3 and the M25, Staines has a vibrant economy with offices from large companies.

Statue of a man carrying a swan in his arm — The Swan Master statue

Cross over the bridge and you arrive at the university town of Egham. From there, take the footbridge to get across the M25. Goodbye Greater London and welcome to Runnymede, the home of the Magna Carta!

Runnymede to Old Windsor

Runnymede is an area of grassland alongside the River Thames. It is where the Magna Carta was sealed on 15th June 1215. It was agreed upon by King John of England and drafted by Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langdon. The reason for the Magna Carta was to bring harmony between the disliked King and a dissident gathering of Barons. Neither one nor the other side stood by their agreements and the Magna Carta was annulled on 24th August 1215.

Drawing on a wall representing the sealing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede — The sealing of the Magna Carta

On your way to the Magna Carta Island, you pass by a bronze sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II. It was designed by sculptor James Butler and unveiled during the Magna Carta 800th-anniversary celebration.

Statue of Queen Elizabeth II in front of a tree with red leaves — Sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II

Strolling along the Thames, you can see the Magna Carta Island on your right and Priest Hill on your left. Continue on this path until you reach Old Windsor. You need to walk through the village until you reach Southsea Road Bridge.

From there you have 2 options:

In the case Windsor Park is open, you can cut across the Park and shorten the hike
If not, continue across the bridge to get to Windsor via Datchet

Should you choose option 2, continue reading.

Thames River with houses on the opposite bank at Old Windsor — Old Windsor

Old Windsor to Windsor

This is the last stretch of the walk, you are nearly there! One last push following the road from Old Windsor to Windsor, which is not the nicest part of this walk I would concur. But a warm comfort meal is waiting for you (with a drink of course!) at the end of the road.

River Thames view from Old Windsor Bridge — View from the bridge

As you arrive in Windsor and turn onto Thames Street, you come face to face with Windsor Castle. Originally commissioned by William the Conqueror in the eleventh century, it is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. Built as a motte-and-bailey to protect the outskirts of London and ensure the continuity of the Norman dominance in the region, it has since been subject to many enlargements and refurbishments. It is nowadays a popular touristic attraction and Queen Elizabeth II favourite weekend home.

Windsor Castle upper ward where the apartments are located — Windsor Castle (the picture is mine from when I went to visit it in 2019)

We go up the street towards the Castle and turn onto Market Street where we find the Carpenter’s Arms Pub. The food is delicious and as the staff could see that we were in pain from our walk, they treated us with a free mango sorbet. It is one of the friendliest and most caring services I have at any point experienced so I wholeheartedly recommend you to go there. Bon appetit!