GUIDELINES FOR ORGANISERS OF EVENTS CONSIDERATIONS ACTION Does date clash with any other big events in same area? • Contact National Trails Office* • Contact local Visitor Information Centre* • Contact local library Have you consulted widely with those likely to be • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies on affected by the event? the route • Contact parish councils* • Contact National Trails Office* about use of the Thames Path • Contact Rights of Way Departments in Highway Authorities* regarding use of rights of way other than the Thames Path Are you insured? • Arrange public liability insurance Ensure you have adequate insurance for the event. As a • Arrange medical cover guide, local authority events must have £10 million public liability insurance and you will need the same for an event of any size. Insurance is your responsibility as organiser – do not rely on individuals having their own. Are you very familiar with your proposed route and have • Walk and record the route before the event so that you carried out a risk assessment? you are aware of any potential hazards for event participants • Put in place emergency and evacuation procedures • Ensure you are familiar with the statuses of the route - rights of way, permissive paths, open access land, etc • Ensure the route is adequately controlled on the day through signage and marshalling • Consider scaling down the event if its size is inappropriate or likely to cause environmental damage Is the event likely to cause traffic congestion? • Contact Police Headquarters* in relevant area Do refreshment kiosks and checkpoint need to be • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies installed near the Thames Path? Permission needed. Is overnight camping needed on adjacent land? • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies Permission needed. • Research other accommodation options (if applicable) Is parking required at start/finish? • Contact landowners* or land-managing bodies if a field is needed • Contact local authority or owners for use of car park 1 Are difficult/busy roads to be crossed? • Provide marshals and fully brief them See list below • Use mobile phones if appropriate but check coverage as there are ‘dead spots’ along the Thames Path Is First Aid likely to be needed? • Contact St John Ambulance* or Red Cross* Does the route need signing? • Provide signs on own posts Do not put signs on Thames Path signposts or landowners' • Put up signs just before event and remove as soon fence posts as possible after event Have arrangements been made for emergency • Provide and fully brief marshals procedures in case anyone is missing, late or injured? • Ensure good record-keeping of participants • Know local hospital Accident & Emergency Departments* details Do participants know their responsibilities? • Include details and guidelines in pre-event information, eg Countryside Code. It’s important that the natural environment is respected and that the route is not damaged and is left free from litter. • Fully brief participants again on the day Have arrangements been made to collect litter at • Provide plastic sacks or litter bins refreshment areas/checkpoints? Arrange for all signs, notices and litter to be removed • Provide work party! from the Thames Path and surrounding area after event. After the event, have you acknowledged all cooperation • Write to or phone key landowners and you have received? organisations that have helped. * See Useful Addresses section below The National Trails Team endeavours to provide you with helpful information and support so that your event is both enjoyable for the participants and also respectful to the environment and other Thames Path users. If you would like to make a contribution from the proceeds of your event to the upkeep of the Thames Path, we would be very grateful for any support you can give. 2 THE THAMES PATH NATIONAL TRAIL The Thames Path follows existing public rights of way and a few short stretches of road from the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier in London. Public rights of way are privately owned with the public right on them being one of passage only and they must be kept free from obstruction at all times. Virtually all of the Thames Path is designated as a public footpath on which cyclists have no legal rights to ride unless permission has been obtained from the landowner. The National Trails Office does not promote cycling events on the Thames Path. GUIDES Thames Path National Trail Guide: From the source to Hampton Court. Author: David Sharp ISBN:9781845137175. This is the official Guide with written route descriptions and Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 maps. Published: Aurum Press 2012. Cost: £12.99 plus £1.25 UK postage from National Trails Office. Thames Path in London: From Hampton Court to Crayford Ness: 50 miles of historic riverside walk. Author: Phoebe Clapham. ISBN: 9781845137069. Published: Aurum Press 2012. Cost: £12.99 plus £1.25 UK postage from National Trails Office. The Thames Path Companion - Published 2013, National Trails Office. The essential guide to accommodation and services along the Thames Path. The guide is divided into 15 sections each illustrated with a map showing cities, towns and villages along the route. These Publications are available from the National Trails Office (please enclose cheque made payable to ‘National Trails Trading). MAPS National Trail Thames Path map: ISBN: 978-185137512-7. Publ: Harveys, 2012. Thames Path A-Z adventure: ISBN: 978-1-84348-959-7. Publ: Geographers’ A-Z Company Ltd, 2013. The following Ordnance Survey maps cover the length of the Thames Path: Landranger series (pink cover, 1:50 000 or 2 cm to 1 km) 163 Cheltenham & Cirencester 164 Oxford 175 Reading & Windsor 174 Newbury & Wantage 176 West London 177 East London Explorer series (orange cover, 1:25 000 or 4 cm to 1 km) 168 Stroud, Tetbury & Malmesbury 169 Cirencester & Swindon 170 Abingdon, Wantage & Vale of White Horse 180 Oxford 171 Chiltern Hills West, Henley-on-Thames & Wallingford 172 Chiltern Hills East, High Wycombe & Maidenhead 160 Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell 161 London South 173 London North 162 Greenwich & Gravesend 3 ROAD CROSSINGS AND ROAD SECTIONS FROM THE SOURCE TO HAMPTON COURT The Thames Path crosses a number of roads and, in a few places, follows a road for a distance. All road crossings and road sections need to be assessed for safety, but the following have been identified as requiring particularly careful assessment. Roads in London have not been included. ROAD LOCATION OS MAP GRID REFERENCE A433 Thames Head ST985989 Minor road west of Ewen ST996974 Spine Road south of Somerford Keynes SU018946 B4696 Ashton Keynes SU041941 Minor road in Ashton Keynes SU045943 A361 Upper Inglesham – Inglesham YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED NOT SU205965 - TO USE THIS SECTION 207983 A4095 Radcot Bridge SU285995 Tadpole Bridge SP335004 A415 Newbridge SP404014 Minor road at Godstow SP484093 Osney Bridge, Oxford SP503062 Sutton Bridge, Culham SU509949 Clifton Hampden Bridge SU547954 A423 Shillingford SU591932 - 595928 Wallingford SU610895 Goring-on-Thames SU596808 B471 Whitchurch SU633775 - 636768 B478 Sonning Bridge SU755758 A4130 Henley Bridge SU764826 Marlow Bridge SU851861 A4094 Cookham SU897852 B470 Victoria Bridge SU979775 B3021 Albert Bridge SU985756 Minor road west of Shepperton ferry TQ066664 – 075659 B376 Shepperton on alternative route TQ088667 Hampton Court Bridge TQ153684 TOILETS, AND DRINKING WATER AT LOCKS, FROM THE SOURCE TO TEDDINGTON LOCATION TOILET DISABLED DRINKING OS MAP GRID TOILET WATER POINT REFERENCE Cricklade, off High Street Yes Yes SU100937 Lechlade, Oak Street (A361) Yes Yes SU215997 Lechlade, St John’s Lock Yes Yes SU222990 Buscot Yes Yes SU231976 Grafton Lock Yes SU272993 Radcot Lock Yes SP292002 Rushey Lock Yes Yes SP323001 Shifford Lock Yes SP371010 Northmoor Lock Yes Yes SP432021 Pinkhill Lock Yes SP44102 Eynsham Lock Yes Yes Yes SP445086 Kings Lock Yes SP479103 4 Wolvercote Yes SP487095 Oxford Several Yes Osney Lock Yes SP503059 Abingdon Lock Yes Yes SU506971 Abingdon, Hales Meadow car park, Yes Yes SU500967 downstream side of bridge Culham Lock Yes Yes SU507949 Day’s Lock Yes SU569936 Wallingford, Cattle Market car park, Yes Yes SU608893 Wood Street Wallingford Riverside (April- Yes Yes SU612896 October) Cleeve Lock Yes Yes SU601818 Goring Lock Yes SU598809 Goring-on-Thames car park Yes Yes SU599807 Pangbourne, River Meadow car Yes Yes SU636767 park Mapledurham Lock Yes Yes Yes SU667768 Reading Yes Yes Various Sonning Lock Yes SU753755 Shiplake Lock Yes Yes SU776787 Henley on Thames, Mill Meadows Yes Yes SU766822 Mill End car park, south of Yes Yes SU785855 Hambleden - cross the river via Hambleden Lock Hurley Lock Yes Yes Yes SU826843 Temple Lock Yes Yes SU837844 Marlow, Higginson Park Yes Yes SU850863 Marlow Lock Yes Yes SU855860 Bourne End, Wakeman Road car Yes Yes SU895874 park Cookham, Sutton Road car park Yes SU897853 Maidenhead, Ray Mill Island – Yes Yes Yes SU903826 cross river at Boulter’s Lock Bray Lock Yes Yes SU798910 Boveney Lock Yes Yes SU778945 Eton Court car park Yes Yes SU967774 Windsor Yes Yes Various Romney Lock Yes Yes SU970776 Old Windsor Lock Yes Yes SU995747 Runnymede Pleasure Grounds Yes Yes TQ007724 Staines Yes Yes Various Penton Hook Lock Yes Yes TQ044695 Laleham Park, Thameside Yes Yes TQ053677 Shepperton Lock Yes Yes Yes TQ072660 Walton Bridge Yes Yes TQ094664 Sunbury Lock Yes Yes Yes TQ109685 Molesey Lock Yes Yes TQ153686 Kingston-upon-Thames Yes Yes Various Teddington Lock Yes Yes TQ166716 5 USEFUL CONTACTS ORGANISATION