Windsor to Oxford (7 nights) Monday 10 July 2023

The Thames at Marlow

Join the Wessex Rose for a delightful seven night cruise from the heart of Royal Berkshire to the magnificent city of Oxford.

The Thames between Windsor and Oxford offers a wealth of stunning scenery, wildlife, historic buildings and impressive waterway architecture, with much to see and appreciate throughout the cruise. For the avid walker, the Thames Path follows the river along the entire length of the cruise, so cruisers wishing to experience part of the route from the shore can stretch their legs between stops without losing sight of the boat.

Leaving Windsor and its magnificent castle behind, we begin our journey towards Oxford with a gentle cruise past the Windsor race course and Eton Dorney Olympic rowing lake to the village of Bray with its wealth of fine waterfront properties and two three Michelin starred restaurants. A little further upstream Bray’s neighbour Maidenhead is a large town hugging the riverbank most popular with shoppers and diners. One of the town’s most famous features is Brunel’s Sounding Arch Bridge which carries the railway line over the Thames.  When it was built, the bridge, featured in Turner’s painting ‘Rain, Steam and Speed’ was the widest flattest arch bridge in the world.

Beyond Maidenhead we cruise through Cliveden Deep, arguably one of the most picturesque stretches of the Thames, overlooked by Clivedon House high in the trees above the river. From here the channel passes Cookham and Bourne End as it twists and turns upstream to the charming Georgian town of Marlow with its impressive suspension bridge over the Thames.

Leaving Marlow we follow the river as it meanders gently through scenic countryside passing the splendid Medmenham Abbey near Hurley to Hambledon on the outskirts of Henley. Heading into Henley we cruise the length of the Regatta course, where we are very likely to encounter crews of rowers from Henley’s numerous rowing clubs out training. Henley is a 12^th century market town on the banks of the Thames most famed for its reputation for holding the world’s greatest rowing regatta, but it is also a charming town with over 300 buildings designated as being of special architectural or historical interest. A visit stop here allows ample time to explore the town and an opportunity to visit to the Henley River and Rowing Museum.

Following the river upstream we skirt Wargrave on the East bank and Shiplake with its splendid college building set into the hillside on the West as we head towards Sonning, a pretty village which straddles the Thames with the help of an attractive 18^th century bridge and has its own theatre housed in the former Sonning Mill on an island close to the lock.

Cruising on through Reading and Caversham, we come to Purley and Mapledurham House, thought to have inspired E H Shepherd’s illustrations of Toad Hall along with its 15th Century Watermill which is still working and producing flour. Further upstream the Thames flows alongside the pleasant National Trust river meadows at Pangbourne and continues on around the southern reaches of the Chilterns area of outstanding natural beauty to the historic village of Goring-on-Thames, nestling in an idyllic position on the East Bank of the River.

At the charming ancient market town of Wallingford, more recently famous for being the location of Causton in the TV series Midsomer Murders, the river passes under a magnificent 22 arch bridge and continues on through the spectacular Oxfordshire countryside to the historic town of Abingdon. With evidence of Bronze Age settlement Abingdon claims to be the oldest town in the country and its rich collection of ancient buildings guarantee an interesting visit.

Beyond Abingdon, the Thames winds gently to our destination at Oxford, a city of hidden treasures, renowned for its history and heritage and we aim to arrive around lunchtime on the last full day of the cruise to allow guests the opportunity to explore at leisure before spending the final night on board.

To book please select the required number of cabins below. Our three cabins are identical and can all be configured as either twin or double bedded rooms according to your preference.

Please refer to our terms and conditions before booking. If you have any questions or specific requirements please contact us.

*Price based on 2 people sharing a twin/double cabin. Cabins booked for 1 person incur a single occupancy supplement of 50%.