To many visitors, the River Thames means London and particularly the busy stretch of water between Westminster and Tower bridges. But there is also a slower and more leisurely River Thames, linking Staines with Oxford via ancient towns such as Windsor, Henley and Abingdon.
One of the best ways of seeing this stretch is from one of the elegant Edwardian passenger boats, once steam-powered, run for almost 150 years by Salter’s Steamers.
Salters, still a family-run business, is the only company to operate scheduled services on the 76 miles of river between Oxford and Staines. Both short and long trips operate between various points and are used by those looking for a whole day on the river as well as those walking parts of the long-distance Thames Path and wanting a boat ride back to their starting point. Services run from May until late September.
This year there will be a jazz music accompaniment to some of the trips, from Oxford and Windsor, and a new service from Oxford to Godstow. The boats have toilet facilities onboard as well as a bar serving hot and cold drinks and snacks. For details of services, tel. 01865 243421.
Website: www.salterssteamers.co.uk
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