Kayaking the River Thames: Bablock Hythe to Godstow
Kayaking the River Thames from Bablock Hythe to Godstow. Explore this 7.5-mile route via Pinkhill Lock, Eynsham Lock, Swinford Toll Bridge and Kings Lock. Kayaking the River Thames: Bablock Hythe to Godstow
If you’re looking for information about kayaking the River Thames near Oxford, this section of the river between Bablock Hythe and Godstow makes for a fantastic day on the water.
This was the next stage of our longer Lechlade to Oxford kayaking adventure, as Allen and I continued downstream towards Oxford.
Along the way, we also look at river conditions, paddling technique, kayak equipment, facilities and some of the practical considerations that are worth knowing before planning a Thames kayaking trip.
If you’d like to see what the route actually looks like from the water, watch the full PaddleWithTom video above.
Bablock Hythe - Kayak Launch
Our journey begins at Bablock Hythe, between Lechlade and Oxford. Bablock Hythe is a historic crossing point on the River Thames. A ferry once operated here, which explains the name and the connection with the riverside Ferryman pub.
For kayakers and paddle boarders, however, access requires some planning. This isn’t necessarily one of the easiest places on the Thames to simply turn up and launch, so it’s important to check current access arrangements before setting off.
This is exactly the sort of information I want to include in the growing collection of River Thames kayaking guides on this website.
Knowing where to park, where to launch, where to finish and what facilities are available can make the difference between a straightforward paddle and a frustrating one.
Kayaking the Thames - Bablock Hythe to Godstow
Once on the water, the character of the River Thames changes noticeably compared with some of the narrower sections around Lechlade.
The river becomes broader and the landscape opens up as you head towards Oxford.
This is a beautiful section for kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding on the River Thames, with plenty of wildlife and historic features to look out for. The route also includes several locks, which add another dimension to the trip.
Pinkhill Lock
One of the first major features on this section of the Thames is Pinkhill Lock. We hadn’t paddled through Pinkhill Lock before, so it was another new part of the river for us.
We were fortunate enough to share the lock with another Thames boater travelling in a beautiful wooden boat.
The locks are one of the defining features of kayaking the navigable River Thames. They break up the journey and provide plenty of opportunities to stop, take a drink, have something to eat and enjoy the surroundings.
After passing through Pinkhill Lock, we stopped for a quick break before continuing downstream.
The surrounding countryside is particularly attractive here, and the wildlife becomes increasingly noticeable when the sun comes out.
If you’re paddling the River Thames near Oxford, this is one of those sections where travelling slowly by kayak really allows you to appreciate the environment.
Farmoor Reservoir - River Thames
As we continued towards Oxford, we passed the area around Farmoor Reservoir.
Farmoor is an important part of the water supply system for the Oxford area, and water can be abstracted from the River Thames to help maintain reservoir levels. The relationship between the river and the surrounding groundwater is particularly important during prolonged periods of dry weather.
Groundwater and rainfall contribute to the flow of the Thames and its tributaries, while abstraction has to be managed according to river conditions.
For paddlers, low-flow periods can also change the character of the river. Shallow water, reduced flow and changing conditions can all affect navigation and the experience of kayaking the Thames.
Swinford Toll Bridge
One of the most interesting landmarks on this section of the Thames is Swinford Toll Bridge. The historic bridge still operates as a toll crossing for road traffic. The toll is famously tiny, making Swinford one of Britain’s more unusual surviving toll bridges.
It is also a good reminder of how much history is packed into relatively short sections of the River Thames.
Eynsham Lock
After Swinford Toll Bridge, the next major landmark was Eynsham Lock. The lock provides another opportunity to break up the paddle before continuing towards Godstow.
By this stage we were making good progress, although the wind was still making things more challenging than they might otherwise have been.
For anyone planning to kayak this section of the Thames, it is worth allowing plenty of extra time for locks, breaks and unexpected delays rather than planning your journey purely around the mileage.
Lunch on the River Thames
By late morning, we stopped for lunch. At this point we’d travelled approximately 3.9 miles and had been on the water for just over two hours, including our stops. It was also a useful reminder that food and water should be part of your planning for even relatively short kayak trips.
Kings Lock
Our final lock of the trip was King’s Lock. This is an interesting point on the River Thames because the river is beginning its turn towards Oxford.
A nearby sign indicated that Oxford was approximately five miles away, while Lechlade was around 26 miles in the opposite direction.
That really puts the scale of the Thames into perspective. For us, the day’s paddle had covered approximately 6.2 miles at this stage. Only a short distance remained before our planned exit at Godstow.
Kayak Access at Kings Lock
Kings Lock also highlighted one of the practical challenges of kayaking the River Thames. Access around locks isn’t always designed specifically with kayakers in mind.
There wasn’t a convenient pontoon on the side we needed, meaning getting out of the kayak involved a fairly awkward manoeuvre.
Arriving at Godstow
From Kings Lock, it wasn’t long before we reached the end of our trip. We passed beneath the A34 and continued towards Godstow, with the famous Trout Inn providing a recognisable landmark near our exit point.
The final statistics were:
7.5 miles.
Approximately three hours of actual paddling.
Around four hours including stops.
And approximately 1,432 calories burned, according to my activity tracker.
For two people who have only been kayaking for around a year, we were pretty happy with that.
More importantly, it was another enjoyable section of the River Thames completed.
For me, the best thing about kayaking isn’t simply covering the miles.
It’s discovering what’s around the next bend.
See you on the water.
The aim of PaddleWithTom.com is to create a growing resource for people who want to explore Britain’s waterways by kayak, canoe or paddle board.
I’ll be concentrating initially on the River Thames around Lechlade and Oxford, an area I’ve spent a considerable amount of time exploring.
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