Thames Path News Round-Up

Thames Path Route News

We’ll work our way downstream and we’re starting with some good news. The diversion between Castle Eaton and Hannington is over, the works being completed in a matter of weeks. 

The repairs to the river bank in Oxford between Folly Bridge and Donnington Bridge has turned out to be a non-event. When the work was being done, walkers were diverted through a hedge onto the cricket field next door, returning back a few yards further downstream. 

In Abingdon, the Thames Path across the weir has temporarily re-opened. It transpires that people were vandalising the barriers. As there is minimal pressure on the weir due to low river levels, the authorities have temporarily re-opened the Path.

Work continues on Benson Weir which is expected to re-open in the spring.

In Reading, two temporary closures took place. In Tilehurst the Thames Path became a crime scene as police investigated the death of a woman. After a couple of days the path was re-opened. The woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious. And we received reports that the Path was closed at Thames Valley Park. We investigated this and a new bridge had been installed. The estate management company were just clearing up as we arrived. It seems that the necessary permissions had not been obtained.

There has been a twist on the Shiplake to Henley diversion. The first stretch of the diversion is closed due to installation of pipes. This is the path from Shiplake to Bolney Road. There is a diversion on the diversion! The alternative is to walk up Station Road and then along the Henley Road which, for that stretch, is blessed with a pavement.

The river (repeat river!) is to be closed for some days in September around the closed Temple Bridge, presumably whilst they dismantle parts of it. We don’t think that the Path and diversion will be impacted. The boat hire companies are far from impressed.

We reported last week that we’d heard nothing from Richmond Council on the Richmond diversion. It would be nice to think that this newsletter prompted them to come out with an announcement advising a completion of October 2025. But I doubt it. Importantly, however, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

We started with some good news and we’re finishing with some too. The diversions between Battersea and Vauxhall at Nine Elms have ended. This was caused by the Tideway construction, London’s super sewer. We haven’t yet had a chance to validate this. Further on at Vauxhall the Path has opened up in front of the MI6 building. 

As always, all of these are listed our route alerts page on the website. as well as our flood alerts page which is currently blank!

Long-standing diversions:

Sandford: A bridge over a tributary is deemed unsafe and has been temporarily closed whilst investigations are made. In the meantime, the Path has been diverted along Route 5 cycle path which runs alongside the railway. The Path is rejoined just past Sandford Lock.

Abingdon: As you approach Abingdon in a downstream direction, the Path switches from the right bank to the left bank via a walkway across the weir. Due to corrosion, this walkway has been closed and the Path re-routed via Abingdon town centre. 

The diversion to avoid the closed boardwalk at Marsh Lock Henley now starts at Shiplake and takes you briefly into the Chilterns. The diversion adds an extra 1.0 miles to the walk although feedback that we’ve received is that it feels much longer!  But, bear in mind that the distance from Shiplake to Henley is already 2.4 miles. So the diversion is therefore 3.4 miles in total.

The diversion at Temple Bridge is still in place following its closure. The diversion makes use of the lane running from Temple to Bisham and then a road with a pavement into Marlow

And damage to a bridge over a tributary has caused a diversion from just past the Runnymede Hotel to shortly before Staines. The diversion uses the A308 (pavements) returning the walker to the riverbank just before the bridge at Staines. The diversion replaces about 0.6  miles of the route with minimal added distance. The diversion is set to be in place until 2026. The signage for this diversion is not that obvious.  

Between Richmond and Kew a section of the embankment has collapsed into the river. There is no way around meaning that section of the Path is temporarily closed. We advise you to follow the left bank through Isleworth and Brentford.  However, development work is ongoing at the Grand Union Canal in Brentford with the Path being blocked.  This can be avoided by skipping the walk along the canal and following Brentford High Street instead.