The Thames Path National Trail follows England 's most famous river from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier where the River Thames meets the sea. The western section of the trail offered here follows the river from its source near Cirencester to Pangbourne near Reading , where the Thames changes from a rural river to a major urban waterway. As it traces the development of the Thames from a tree-shaded hollow in a remote Cotswold meadow to a stream and then a navigable river, the route passes through a tranquil landscape of river banks bordered by willow and alder, water meadows grazed by cattle and sheep, fields planted with crops, hedgerows, woodland, and attractive unspoilt villages. The trail also passes through several historic market towns and cities including Lechlade, a beautiful Cotswold town whose wealth, derived from trade on the Thames, is reflected in its magnificent 'wool church'; Abingdon, one of England's most beautiful towns with its magnificent County Hall; Dorchester dominated by its great abbey church; and Oxford, all gothic towers, echoing quadrangles, wide streets and beautiful buildings of honey-coloured stone.

Ancient riverside inns, imposing country houses, a wealth of churches and the amazing variety of bridges dating from the 14 th century to the present day add to the charm of this wonderful walk.