Tales of a riverbank

Marlow is a fashionable commuter town that sits on the Thames half way between Oxford and London. This delightful walk explores the riverside from here downstream to Bourne End. Along the way you will see the physical characteristics of the Middle Thames – its width and its bends, its floodplains and its sediments, its fish and wildfowl.

Learn how people have earned their livelihoods along the banks of the river, how Marlow was once a poor riverside port and how its trade declined when the railways arrived. Discover how the Victorians found new uses for the river and made it a playground for the upper classes, and see the leisure activities that continue along the riverbank today.

Find out about literature written by authors who were inspired by the beauty of this stretch of the Thames. Hear some unusual tales about wild woods, puppy pie, a cardboard castle and the mysteries of Peterswood.

Walk Info

Distance:

4 ½ miles

Level:

A flat route along the riverside

Suitable for:

Plenty along the riverside to interest children

A popular route for dog walkers

A shorter walk around Marlow (Stops 1 to 15) is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs

Region:

South East England

Setting:

Towns & Cities

Landscape:

People in the landscape Shaping the landscape Working landscapes

Start:

Marlow Museum

Finish:

Bourne End railway station

Getting there:

Nearest station Marlow (1km) - served by trains from London Paddington

Easily accessible from the M40 and M4; parking available at Court Garden Leisure Centre (pay and display)

Served by local bus services running from High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Henley