RAILWAYS AND
WATERWAYS WALK
RAILWAYS AND
WATERWAYS WALK
A mainly level circular walk of about 150 miles along the waterways between Oxford and the London suburbs. It can be done in day trips by train or express bus from all the towns en route.
This circular long distance path starts in rural Oxfordshire then follows the Grand Union Canal, which has a close-knit narrowboat community, into the Chilterns before winding through the suburbs of London. It crosses the playing fields of Eton to join the Thames Path which meanders all the way back to Oxford. The route passes over and under bridges of every kind, through country parks, idyllic villages with thatched cottages, grand estates and historic market towns like Aylesbury, Henley-on-Thames and Wallingford. The lakes, chalk rivers and water meadows are home to a diversity of wildlife, and traditional waterside pubs provide welcome refreshment.
Most stages of the walk start and end at train stations. Those that don’t are served either by the X40 express bus which runs between Reading and Oxford or the X20 between Oxford and Aylesbury. This enables each stage to be completed in a day trip. Intermediate stations and bus stops allow greater flexibility in the distances walked.