The River Thames

The River Thames

The Thames is a slow river, winding its way through the countryside. It doesn't crash down mountains, it just calmly finds its way through southern England on its journey to the North Sea. In just over 200 miles, the Thames only drops about 360 feet from beginning to end. This means following this river is quite flat. It's technically downhill, but barely. The Thames is Britain's most famous river, flowing through the heart of the capital, London.

If you decide to follow this route, there are a few things you need to know. Some sections use footpaths, and you may need to walk or lift your bike over the occasional gate. Unfortunately, most of the Thames Path consists of footpaths rather than bridleways, so following it directly on a bike isn't quite as straightforward as it could be. I used bridleways and quieter country roads from time to time, sometimes following the Thames Path directly. So it's not following the Thames perfectly. You're better off walking if you want to do that, but all in all, the route is quite straightforward given how flat it is.

With the Thames, you will have to cycle through some built-up places, but most are quite quiet or you can easily follow paths close to the river. The river paths can get busy around some of the built-up areas though, and if you decide to follow the route I took, there will be a couple of sections in London where you'll have to walk (around Tower Bridge). I was trying to get nice footage for the video, so I went alongside areas where there was no cycling allowed.

In terms of your bike, just something fast-rolling. A gravel bike or hybrid works well. In the wetter months though, expect some of these trails to get a bit muddy. You don't really need too many gears here. There are a couple of climbs, but they're few and far between and nothing to worry about too much.

If you decide to take this route on and camp along the way, just know that since the Thames goes through quite a few places (all of which are fairly well-inhabited) you'll need to practice stealth camping or find official campsites or B&Bs. The London section is quite fast-going and mostly uses the river path or bike lanes nearby, but if you're planning to camp along the way and don't want to pay London prices for hotels, you're going to have to do quite a big day to get through the capital. Around 100 miles or so, depending on where you stay before reaching London.

I decided to end the Thames source-to-sea route on the quieter side at a place called Grain. Alternatively, you could go to Southend-on-Sea. If you finish at Grain though, just know you'll need to ride around 12 miles back to the nearest train station in Strood.

Disclaimer - This route was made for the purpose of making a video about bikepacking the River Thames, the route was not made with the intention of being followed by anyone else but if you want the route you can get it below.