Marlow to Windsor, Thames Valley

This walk follows the Thames Path to Windsor with a detour along the Eton College Olympic Rowing Lake. You will find boating on the Thames, an ancient wetlands area, an historic village with artistic connections, beautiful Clivedon, Reach and Boulter's lock, the famous railway bridge, Monkey Island, Eton's impressive rowing lake, arboretum and the nature reserve Windsor Castle.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: Thames Valley

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 22.65 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: No
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 9 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 16 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 32 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 16 m

Description de la randonnée

Start : Marlow High St and church. Grid ref. SU 850 863

(S) From the High St turn left on the Thames Path by the church and follow it through the back streets of Marlow until it reaches the banks of the Thames by the recreation ground and Lock Island.

(1) The path now follows the river bank for about three miles under and quickly away from the noisy A404, with views of Quarry Woods and Winter Hill on the right. Approaching Bourne End where the railway is close to
the Thames Path a footpath crosses the tracks and leads to the Spade Oak pub.

(2) Cross the river on the railway bridge footpath. This flat, wetlands area below Winter Hill is Cock Marsh, owned by the National Trust. (A) Continue along the Thames Path until after the picnic area and just before the road bridge at Cookham (B).

(3) Here turn right and go through the churchyard of Holy Trinity where Stanley Spencer is buried. The church is mostly 13th century with many of the original features. Leave the churchyard and pass between the pretty 17th and 18th century cottages at Churchgate to the main A4155 through Cookham.

(4) Turn right down the main road in Cookham, passing the Stanley Spencer Gallery on the corner.

(5) At School Lane cross into Mill Lane and follow the Thames Path signs to re-join the river bank with the steep slopes of the Clivedon Estate (C) ahead.

(6) Turn right to the towpath along this quieter stretch of the river, enjoying the peace and tranquillity. As the path passes elegant riverside properties the new, artificial Jubilee River quietly leaves the Thames to re-join it near Datchet. Built to ease flooding at Maidenhead some people think it causes problems further downstream.

(7) The path soon passes Boulter's Lock (D) and Ray Mill Island. Continue along the road at first then behind property and through riverside gardens to the main A4.

(8) Turn left across the attractive 18th century road bridge. To cross the road safely, __ignore the Thames Path
sign__ and turn left and left again under the bridge. Pass the rowing club.

(9) Go under Brunel's famous railway bridge. About 300yds on there is a good retrospective view of the two bridges. Further along the tree-lined path the grand riverside properties of Bray come into view on the far bank. Before long the path passes Bray lock then goes under the noisy M4.

(10) As the noise from the motorway starts to recede, pass Monkey Island (E) and continue under the footbridge by The Cut.

(11) At the elaborate new milepost, turn left along the surfaced cycleway no.4 and continue to the access road of the Eton College Olympic (F) standard rowing lake.

(12) Continue along the cycleway or take the path slightly to the right along the boundary through the arboretum. Bear right to the monolith and avenue of lime trees that lead to the larger pond where there are convenient seats. Continue to the gate on the left to re-join the cycleway and go across the cattle grid to a lane.

(13) Turn right along lane. Pass the ramblers' car park and turn right at the footpath sign to join the towpath by the church of St Mary Magdalene. This little church has been restored by the Friends of Friendless Churches.

(14) Turn left along the towpath past Boveney lock and follow the Thames all the way to Eton. Towards the end of the walk there are impressive views of Windsor Castle (G) across the river. Go up Brocas St.

(15) Turn right over the bridge into Windsor. Cross the road at traffic lights into Thames St to the finish of the walk. (E)

Waypoints

  1. S : km 0 - alt. 32 m - Marlow High St and church
  2. 1 : km 0.77 - alt. 30 m - River bank
  3. 2 : km 5.04 - alt. 29 m - Railway bridge footpath
  4. 3 : km 6.74 - alt. 30 m - Road bridge at Cookham - Churchyard
  5. 4 : km 6.97 - alt. 30 m - Junction - Main road in Cookham
  6. 5 : km 7.2 - alt. 28 m - School Lane - Mill Lane
  7. 6 : km 8.38 - alt. 31 m - Junction towards towpath
  8. 7 : km 10.68 - alt. 28 m - Boulter's Lock and Ray Mill Island
  9. 8 : km 12.04 - alt. 26 m - Main A4 - Road bridge
  10. 9 : km 12.53 - alt. 24 m - Brunel's famous railway bridge
  11. 10 : km 15.12 - alt. 23 m - M4 - Monkey Island
  12. 11 : km 16.05 - alt. 21 m - Elaborate new milepost - Cycleway
  13. 12 : km 16.77 - alt. 23 m - Cycleway
  14. 13 : km 18.79 - alt. 23 m - Junction - Lane
  15. 14 : km 19.25 - alt. 22 m - Church of St Mary Magdalene
  16. 15 : km 22.47 - alt. 22 m - Junction - Bridge
  17. E : km 22.65 - alt. 25 m - Thames St, Windsor

Practical information

In the nearby area

(A) There used to be a ferry from Bourne End to the Bounty Pub but now it can only be reached by private boat or on foot. It has limited opening hours in winter. When Cock Marsh was excavated in the early 19th century to build the bridge a complete Bronze Age wooden boat was recovered. It is now in the British Museum.

(B) Cookham Village has a long history. Four round barrows have been discovered here where the Beaker people buried their dead about 2300 BC The Camlet Way, a Roman road from Calleva Atrebatum at Silchester to St Albans crossed the river here. The village itself probably grew up around an 8th century monastery and there was a royal palace used by Saxon kings.

(C) The Estate has a chequered political history and is now owned by the National Trust. The house is used as a business hotel but the extensive grounds are open to the public and there are lovely high and low-level walks through the woods.

(D) Boulter's Lock was very popular in the Edwardian era when Maidenhead was a fashionable riverside resort and it is still a pleasant place to linger. Ray Mill Island has been turned into a pleasure garden and refreshments are available there in summer.

(E) The name Monkey Island is probably a corruption of Monk's Evot (small island). In the 13th century monks from Merton Priory had a cell in the area with fishing
rights on the river.

(F) The 2km long Eton College Rowing Lake is set in a 400 acre park with an arboretum. International events as well as local ones are held here, including the 2012 Olympic Games.

(G) Windsor Castle within a few years of the Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror chose a steep chalk hill within a day's march of the Tower of London and 2 miles from 'old' Windsor to build a wooden fortress to guard the Thames Valley. Henry I was the first monarch to use it as a palace and in 1110 he held his court for the first time at new Windsor.' The castle has undergone many alterations and additions over the years and many monarchs have come and gone. Today it is the largest occupied castle in the world.

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