Thames and Severn Way
A 43-mile long-distance path in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. It is a waymarked canalside route designed by the Cotswold Canal Trust, following where possible the canals between Upper Framilode and Lechlade-on-Thames. With map, statistics, and GPX route file.
Statistics and Files
Grid Ref: SO 751 104
Distance: 43 miles (69 km)
Time: 18–23 hours
Duration: 3–4 days
Ordnance Survey Explorer Maps (1:25,000):
OL14 Wye Valley and Forest of Dean
168 Stroud, Tetbury and Malmesbury
169 Cirencester, Swindon, Fairford and Cricklade
170 Vale of White Horse, Abingdon-on-Thames, Wantage, Wallingford and Faringdon
179 Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud
Summary
The Thames and Severn Way passes through Stonehouse, Stroud, Brimscombe, the Golden Valley, Siddington, South Cerney, and Cricklade, and passes over the route of the Sapperton Canal Tunnel. The Way has been marked out by volunteers from the Cotswold Canals Trust. Parts of these canals have been restored, and restoration work is continuing.
Cotswold Canals is the title given to two connected Gloucestershire waterways: the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal. The 36-mile-long waterway links England’s two great rivers, the Severn and the Thames. The Stroudwater Navigation runs from the Severn and, at Wallbridge in Stroud, meets the Thames and Severn Canal, which continues to Lechlade.
The route of the Way aims to follow the line of the canals, but where necessary uses other nearby paths, including the Thames Path. Its route is the same as the Cotswold Canals Walk (an earlier promoted route covered on this website), apart from the final section from Latton to Lechlade, where the Way first follows the line of the Thames before leaving it to pass south of the Cotswold Water Park to reach Lechlade. (Source: LDWA)