Shakespeare's Way
This trail runs for about 140 miles between Shakespeare’s birth place in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Globe Theatre in London. We are walking it in reverse between London and Oxford in 7 stages. We start along the Thames path to Kew Bridge and then follow the Grand Union Canal to Yiewsley where we leave the canal and walk across the Chiltern Hundreds via Iver, Fulmer, Stoke Poges, Farnham Common and Hedsor to rejoin the Thames Path just south of Bourne End. We then walk along the Thames past Bourne End and leave it again at Marlow. From Marlow we cross the Chilterns to Hambleden (we removed sections from Hambleden to Oxford due to lack of public transport).
This link shows an overview of the whole route http://www.shakespearesway.org/index_files/route.htm (we only walked as far as Hambleden).
| Date | Description | Travel Arrangements | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16/11/2018 |
SHAKESPEARE’S WAY STAGE 1: GLOBE THEATRE, SOUTHWARK TO WANDSWORTH TOWN STATION 11 stages crossing Burnham Beeches and the Chilterns in 2019, but starting from the Thames and Grand Union Canal in the winter of 2018/9. Pub/picnic. Roger |
Sutton Station at 09:40 for 09:46 to Blackfriars arrive 10:24. | 8 miles |
| 07/12/2018 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 2: Continuing in the supposed footsteps of the Great Bard, the second stage takes us from Wandsworth Town to Kew Bridge Stations. A level riverside walk, with dropoff possible at 5 miles. All travel within Freedom Pass area. Pub/picnic (We will stop for coffee at Putney, followed by early lunch at Barnes). Phil |
Clapham Junction Station Platform 5/6 at 10:07 for 10:17 train. | 6 miles |
| 01/02/2019 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 3: KEW TO HAYES & HARLINGTON A short distance on Shakespeare's Trail along the Thames to Brentford, then the Grand Union Canal to Hayes. Pub/picnic, Roger |
Sutton Station at 09:35 for 09:42 to Clapham Junction. Take 10:17 from Clapham Junction Platform 5 arrive 10:35 at Kew Bridge Station. | 7.5 miles |
| 08/03/2019 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 4: HAYES & HARLINGTON TO IVER A final stretch of the canal to Iver. Pub/picnic at The Swan, Iver Village. Roger |
Sutton Station at 09:20 for 09:32 to Victoria. Get 10:57 from Paddington Platform 12, arrive 11:13. Return by bus 3 to Uxbridge then Piccadilly/District back to Victoria. | 7 miles |
| 12/04/2019 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 5: IVER TO FARNHAM COMMON 1.6 miles to coffee & toilets at Langley Park, or 2.6 miles for same at Black Park (with lake). Pub/picnic lunch after 5 miles at The Black Horse, Fulmer, then another 3 miles to the X74 bus at Farnham Common to Slough Station. Roger |
Meet at Wimbledon Station at 08:30 for 08:49 District Line to Earl's Court (then Piccadilly to Uxbridge arrive 09:53 and bus no. 3 (to Iver Junior School) at 10:12 arrive 10:30). Return by the X74 bus at Farnham Common to Slough Station. Buy single from Slough to BZ6 if time but not necessary as plenty of trains back to Paddington. |
8 miles |
| 10/05/2019 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 6: FARNHAM COMMON TO MARLOW Burnham Beeches and Littleworth Common, then drop down to the Thames and Cookham village, then riverside walk to Marlow. Pub/picnic. Possible dropoff at Bourne End after 6.8 miles. Phil |
Wimbledn Station at 09:20 for 09:26 train (buy return to Marlow). | 10 miles |
| 21/06/2019 |
SHAKESPEARE'S WAY STAGE 7: MARLOW TO HAMBLEDEN The walk is only 7 miles and has a nice pub in a pretty village. This will be the last Shakespeare Way walk in this series as Stage 7 has proved impossible to plan. Buy return to Marlow as we will be taking the 800/850 bus every 20 minutes back to the start at Marlow, probably returning on the 1605. Get 09:57 from Paddington platform c.15, change at Maidenhead d.10:39 to Marlow arriving 11:02. Up into the Chilterns with pub/picnic lunch near end in Hambleden village. Roger |
Morden Tube Station for Paddington via Northern, Victoria and Bakerloo lines at 08:30. Buy return to Reading and single from Maidenhead to Marlow. Get 09:57 from Paddington platform c.15, change at Maidenhead d.10:39. | 7.5 miles |
Walking Routes