Thames & Severn Way
71 km (44 miles), in England.
- Distance
- 70.7 km
- In miles
- 43.9 mi
- Day stages
- 4 at ~20 km
- Typical trip
- 3–4 days
- Countries
- England
- Listed summits within 2.5 km
- 0
- Western end
- SO 7511 1042
- Eastern end
- SU 2132 9931
- Waymark
- A canal boat emerging from a tunnel
- Managed by
- Cotswold Canals Trust
About the route
Linking the Severn to the Thames following the route of the Stroudwater Navigation and Thames & Severn Canal as closely as possible using public rights of way. As the canals are restored, it will be updated to use the reinstated towpath wherever possible.
Route description as recorded in OpenStreetMap by its contributors (ODbL).
How long it really is
We measure Thames & Severn Way at 70.7 km (43.9 miles), computed by walking the OpenStreetMap route geometry point by point. The route is tagged in OpenStreetMap as 69.8 km; where that differs from our figure, the difference is usually alternative sections, spurs, or a published distance that rounds.
This is horizontal distance only. Our trail dataset carries no elevation profile, so we will not quote a total climb or a confident walking time — on hill routes ascent can add hours a day. A flat-ground pace gives roughly 16 h 34 min of walking for the whole route, which is a floor, not an estimate. Add your own ascent figure in the walking-time calculator for something usable.
Access rights along the way
The route stays within England, so one access regime applies along its length.
England
Conditional Right to roam: Right to roam only on mapped CRoW open access land.
Conditional Wild camping: Permission needed — except on the Dartmoor commons.
A waymarked route is a route you may walk — it does not follow that you may camp beside it, leave it, or take a dog on it. Long-distance paths cross farmland, estates and access land in turn, and byelaws and seasonal restrictions override the general position. This is general information, not legal advice. Check a specific spot with the access checker.
The route in day stages
Thames & Severn Way cut into 4 stages of roughly 20 km, measured along the line itself. These are equal-distance splits computed from the geometry, not an official itinerary — they will not always land on a village, a bunkhouse or a station, and the real day you walk should be set by where you can sleep.
| Stage | Distance | Cumulative | Starts near | Ends near | Flat-ground time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20.1 km | 20.1 km | SO 7511 1042 | SO 8935 0256 | 4 h 25 min |
| 2 | 20.2 km | 40.2 km | SO 8935 0256 | SU 0360 9913 | 4 h 27 min |
| 3 | 20.2 km | 60.5 km | SU 0360 9913 | SU 1693 9667 | 4 h 27 min |
| 4 | 8.4 km | 68.8 km | SU 1693 9667 | SU 2132 9931 | 1 h 51 min |
Positions are 8-figure (100 m) OS grid references for points on the line, computed from WGS84 coordinates. Flat-ground times are Naismith at 5 km/h with a 6 min/hour rest allowance and no ascent — add the climb in the walking-time calculator before you plan around them.
Conditions on the route
Weather at the route midpoint live
Loading forecast for the midpoint of the route…
Forecast for the midpoint of the Thames & Severn Way, at MET Norway's own ground level — we hold no elevation profile for this route, so nothing here is altitude-adjusted, and conditions vary considerably end to end on a route this long. Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0).
Daylight at the midpoint today
- Sunrise
- —
- Sunset
- —
- Daylight
- —
- Civil twilight ends
- —
Computed astronomically for 51.685, -1.991. Set a turnaround with the daylight safety planner.
Plan this walk
- Walking-time calculator — add ascent, terrain, pack weight and fitness to get a usable time.
- Pack-weight calculator — multi-day routes live or die on base weight.
- Kit-list generator — season and terrain aware.
- Access checker — what a specific grid reference on the route allows.
- Best month to walk — historical rainfall, temperature and wind by area.
- Safety notes — conditions change fast; build in margin.
Other long-distance paths nearby
Sources for this route
- Route geometry, name, waymark and operator: OpenStreetMap relation 14569697 — © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
- Distance, stages, country crossings, park crossings and summit proximity: computed by OpenFell from that geometry.
- Boundaries: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3.0). Summits: Database of British & Irish Hills v18.3 (CC BY 4.0).
- Official route website: ldwa.org.uk
OpenStreetMap data is licensed under the Open Database Licence. Our derived trail measurements are published under the same terms — see data sources.