The day begins at Bourne End, and we follow the signposted Thames Path along the river all the way, apart from a short detour in Cookham. There’s a bit of road/river walking where the river bypasses Maidenhead, but the last hour or so is quiet, ending with a wonderful view of Windsor Castle.
Distance: 10¾ miles
Duration: 4¼ hours, not including breaks.
Maps: OS Explorer 171,172
Car parking: Bourne End station (£4 per day); Windsor long-stay parks (£13-£17)
Public transport: Bourne End is on a branch line between Marlow and Maidenhead with an hourly service.
Windsor has two stations: Windsor and Eton Riverside with half-hourly trains via Staines to Waterloo; and Windsor and Eton Central with a 6-minute shuttle every 20 minutes to Slough (GWR and Elizabeth Line).
Refreshments: Cafés and pubs in Cookham and Maidenhead.
Toilets: Cookham; and in many restaurants on the route near Maidenhead.
Short Walk Option: Bourne End to Boulter’s Lock, Maidenhead 4½ miles. Directions 1 to 4.
Directions:
- Follow the path at the far end of Bourne End station car park, parallel to the railway; steps bring you down to river level. Go under the railway bridge and join the Thames Path by turning left up the steps to cross the river, then turning left to continue along the other side; we are now in Berkshire again.
The children’s author Enid Blyton once lived in Bourne End.
2. Continue along the path to Cookham, where there are pubs, a shop and toilets. Here the Thames Path leaves the river for a while, passing through the churchyard to the right of Holy Trinity Church.
Cookham is famous as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. The author of The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame, grew up in nearby Cookham Dene.
3. Follow the signs through the village, staying on the right-hand side of the road, ignoring Odney Lane on the left, then crossing the road to turn left down Mill Lane. Some way down, take the signed path to the right and eventually rejoin the river, the other side of Cookham Lock.
4. Continue a pleasant walk along the river. A noticeboard on the right tells you that Battle Mead may have been a site of battles between Saxons and
Danes. The guidebook warns us: ‘Road walking ahead – enjoy this stretch!’
We are now on the edge of Maidenhead, and at Boulter’s Lock refreshments can be found at The Boathouse, and pizzas and ice cream on Ray Mill Island. Further down on the other side of the road, there’s Jenner’s Café, other restaurants and an ASDA Express at the petrol station opposite the bridge. A little further, the path crosses the bridge to continue on the left bank in Berkshire. Soon we pass under the famous Brunel railway bridge.
Maidenhead Site of an Anglo-Saxon river wharf and ferry called ‘Maiden Hythe’. A small town called ‘South Elentone’, mentioned in the Domesday Book) grew in the area around the current town centre. Sacked by the Danes in 870.
Boveney The village name ‘Boveney’ is Anglo-Saxon in origin, meaning ‘above island’, referring to the island in the Thames opposite the village. The Anglo-Saxon name for the village was ‘Bufanage’. The church of St Mary Magdalene dates from the 12th century, although there was a church on the same site before the Norman Conquest. The church, which was built to serve bargemen working on the Thames, was declared redundant in 1975 (although it remains consecrated). The unusual weather-boarded tower stands on a timber framework, which is set into the ground. St Mary’s has a ring of three bells, dated 1536, 1631 and 1636 respectively.
5. From here onwards, once we pass under the M4 bridge, it’s a peaceful riverside walk past Dorney Lake, Eton College’s rowing lake, then past the delightful St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Boveney (in the care of the Friends of [otherwise!] Friendless Churches, who keep it open until 4.30pm each day), all the way into Windsor.
6. Eton Wick and Eton were transferred from Bucks to Berkshire in the 1974 boundary changes.
| Timings for Monday 1st September (approximate): | |
| 09:45 -10.00 | Registration and briefing: Bourne End station car park. SL8 5QH. |
| 10:00 | Set off from Bourne End |
| 10:30-11:30 | Cookham Church and site (1¼ miles) |
| 13:00-14:00 | Boulter’s Lock, Maidenhead (4½ miles) |
| 15:30-16:00 | St Mary Magdalene church, Boveney (8½ miles) |
| 17:00 | Arrive at Windsor Bridge (10¾ miles) |
| Contact: William Allberry 07818 641576 | |
With thanks to John Dewhurst, Churchwarden of All Saints, Kingston, for the information in the panels
© Malmesbury Town Team CiC 2025
