Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in at the slipway by Ha'penny Bridge in Lechlade and paddle downstream through the water meadows, with the church spire behind you, to St John's Lock, the highest lock on the Thames, where a statue of Old Father Thames reclines beside the chamber. Below it the young river winds between willows to Buscot Lock and on through quiet, open country to Kelmscott, where William Morris made his country home at Kelmscott Manor. Turn there and come back the same way.
It is 11.3 km there and back; allow about 3¼ hours in a canoe or kayak and 4 on a paddleboard, including four portages, and expect the return upstream to be a little slower. At each lock get out at the landing stage and carry round, or lock through with the keeper when one is on duty. The grade is Easy: slow, sheltered water, but with plenty of getting in and out.
Every craft on the Thames needs an Environment Agency registration: Paddle UK membership covers it, or register with the Agency. Check the St John's Lock gauge and the Agency's Thames conditions page before you go, and stay off the river when it shows a strong-stream warning. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- From the highest navigable town on the Thames
- St John's Lock is the highest lock on the river, guarded by Old Father Thames
- Past Buscot to Kelmscott, where William Morris lived at Kelmscott Manor
- Two locks each way: portage, or lock through with the keeper
On the water
- Put in: Slipway 51.69292, -1.69279
- Lock: St.John's Lock · 1.1 km (0.7 mi) from the start · through the lock, or carry round
- Lock: Buscot Lock · 3.1 km (1.9 mi) from the start · through the lock, or carry round
- River level: St John's Lock (River Thames). Check it before you go, and don't paddle when it is high.
- Rules and licences: Environment Agency. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Lechlade, Ha'penny Bridge. 51.69292, -1.69279
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Lechlade: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.