Thames Path : Reading to Henley Walk

Reading to Henley: 16.9km (10.5 miles)

Reading to Shiplake: 13.2km (8.2 miles)

Shortcut to Shiplake: saves 1.7km (1.1 miles)

Landranger 175, Explorer 171

1 out of 10: entirely flat

This is a simple walk along a pleasant section of the River Thames. You are on the riverside within 300 metres of leaving Reading station, and the way from there to lunch in the attractive village of Sonning is at first via waterside parks and walkways, and then through a wilder wooded section. After lunch you follow an unspoilt section of riverside between pasture fields to Shiplake Lock, and carry on around a pleasant loop of the river on a newly-opened section of the Thames Path to Shiplake village and station. After a section through suburban Shiplake, the walk returns to river's edge for the last section across a meadow to the dramatic weirs of Marsh Lock, and through a riverside park into Henley.

The path presents no technical difficulties, and for most of the year the paths will be dry underfoot. Even in winter the paths are firm for most of the way to Sonning, the exception being some grassy parkland mid morning which can sometimes be a bit soggy. After Sonning the path can be covered with slippery mud, but is never boggy. The one exception is when very heavy rains cause the river to flood. There is one section about a kilometre before Shiplake Lock which is particularly prone to this: a lake forms on a field which then drains back into the river. This can produce about 100 metres of riverside path covered with up to thirty centimetres depth of water. Unfortunately, if you have got this far there is no alternative but to wade through it (as the author has done twice...) or to reverse the entire walk.

As of January 2023 part of the broadwalk over Marsh Lock on the approach to Henley is still closed. This was shut in May 2022 due to supposed structural defects, with repairs supposed to be finished by November 2022. In January 2023 there was no sign of work having even started, but a bypass route for the Thames Path, running just west of the lock and adding about 400 metres to the walk length, is in place on permissive paths. It is described in the walk directions.

It is possible to end the walk at Shiplake, as the walk passes the station there. This cuts 3.7km (2.3 miles) off the walk, making a walk of 13.2km (8.2 miles), but you will miss a beautiful approach along the river to Henley, not to mention its excellent tea stops.

You can also do a shortcut to Shiplake, cutting out the last loop of the river before the village. This was the original route of this walk before a new section of Thames Path was opened. It saves 1.7km (1.1 miles), reducing the Reading to Henley walk to 15.2km (9.4 miles) and Reading to Shiplake to 11.5km (7.1 miles).

Holders of London Transport Freedom Passes (though not 60+ Oyster Card holders) can travel to Reading for free, so long as they travel on TFL trains (destined in due course to be Crossrail/Elizabeth Line services), but these are stopping services taking 56 minutes from Paddington. In this case you only need to buy a single ticket from Henley to Twyford on the return journey. Contactless, though not Oyster beyond West Drayton, can be used on these services.

Trains back from Henley are every half hour (hourly after 7pm on Sundays), changing at Twyford.

An alternative, next to Sonning Bridge, is the Coppa Club (0118 207 8971), which despite its name describes itself as "an all-day restaurant and social hub where everyone is welcome". I have not tried this establishment, but it seems to serve pub-like food in a modern pub-like environment, and has a beautiful garden on the river's edge. It is open all day and evening daily.

The Baskerville Arms by Shiplake station, 11.5km (7.1 miles) into the walk, is a possible early tea stop.

In Henley best option is The Chocolate Cafe on the riverside near the town bridge, open till 5pm Monday to Friday and 6pm weekends.

Another possible tea stop is the Henley Rowing Museum on the left in the riverside gardens as you approach Henley. Its cafe, open 10am to 5pm, is accessible without paying to go into the museum. Further along in the gardens on the left there is a tea kiosk.

The centre of Henley (go to the town bridge and turn left) also has other tea options, and many pubs, the most obvious of which is The Angel on the Bridge by the bridge.

Shiplake

Sonning

Reading to Sonning

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National Rail: 03457 48 49 50 • Traveline (bus times): 0871 200 22 33 (12p/min) • TFL (London) : 0343 222 1234

Jan-23 Peter