Live along the River Thames

[Downunderduchess]

I love looking at google maps exploring different places I would like to live. Does anyone here live on the river Thames? Parts of it look lovely and it makes me feel like I would be living in a story book. Tell me your views please.

London or mid reaches? I love living on the Thames either way. It is noisy in the summer but it is happy noise. There is always something to see, at the moment the quiet and wildlife is really lovely. Flooding is the price to pay but we've only had a little water in the house once in 35 years. The bottom of the garden floods most years.

A winter scene from the end of my road taken a few years ago.

I live about ten minutes walk away from The Thames. Best of both worlds, no river view so houses in our street are about 50-75k cheaper than being on the river frontage, and far enough away for flooding not to be a risk as we are a bit higher up. But still close enough to walk on the towpath which is lovely.

I used to love canoeing out from the canoeing club on the Warren in Caversham and oogling the nice houses. Also the loop around St Patrick's stream between the Thames and the Loddon - such lovely houses. Teenage me was very impressed, grown up me would be terrified of flooding.

I grew up in central reading with only a strip of park between my house and the Thames , I did a lot of water sports and a lot of my childhood spent in the park walking to town next to it etc. It was lovely but as an adult I live 2k from the sea and that is better.

This is a short walk from my house

yes little village near Hampton Court, love it, although its very busy in the summer to the point of being dangerous, lots of accidents by people who visit and don't understand how to safely use it. Also a lot of issues with parking so often when these accidents happen ambulance's can't even get to people who need help due to double parking.

Rats though

My cousin lives in Thames Ditton right on the river. They have a mooring and go out on their boat regularly. I've not been but have seen others photos of their visits and it looks lovely.
Our dream is to live somewhere in the countryside which has a river or stream at the end of the garden.

That is gorgeous. Do you feel comfortable sharing the general area/county it is in? We are overseas and hoping to move back to the UK in the next 2-3 years - free ri move anywhere so are trying to short list areas.

@User27aw sorry the above comment was for you.

I used to live in Battersea right on the river. In such a busy city, it was so lovely to be near the water. (perhaps being a bit further from the Heliport might have been lovelier!)

@lockdownlove I'll PM you

I live on the Thames, just down the road from Greenwich (waves to Puppylucky), in a tower block. My building is ultra modern and two of my living room walls are glass, giving a panoramic view of the Thames. It's honestly been a life saver during lockdown just to not feel so trapped and claustrophobic. I used to live in a very dark flat where the living room had only one window with a huge tree right outside, and you had to have the big light on even at 11am. So depressing.

I'm high enough that I don't get a lot of noise.

It's beautiful but I'm not sure if I'd call it magical.

I grew up in Gravesend, right by the River Thames.
Not the most scenic but lovely walks.

&baille... I love port meadow. My partners uncle has a farmhouse there. A gorgeous place to be. OP-where in Sydney?

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats

The stretch from Reading to Runnymede isn't bad either Agreed - that's the stretch we are on.

To illustrate the good and the bad.
Enclosed is a photo of our backwater taken from the bottom of the garden this morning.
And a picture of me standing in our road in 2014...

The Thames is at the end of our road and I still come out in a cold sweat remembering 2014! It was nowhere near as bad as where you are but I remember the police knocking on the door and telling us to keep bags packed and be ready to go at any time. I drove round with cat food, litter and a tray in the boot for weeks so if we had to get our DH only had to catch the cat!

@user1494050295 I live west of Sydney near the mountains, I dream of living somewhere coastal, especially in summer, it can be brutally hot here.

Used to leave near the Thames in Surbiton. Walked along the path many times and have wonderful memories.
Don't miss the fact that I now live in a quiet , four bedroomed detached house with a good sized garden instead of a noisy one bedroomed flat with a constant noise.

@SoLongLollipops

OP you should try reading Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield - it literally is a sort of strange fairytale set along the banks of the Thames in the 19th century

Thanks for that! Going to get that now :)

Lovely thread! And book recommendations too, added bonus!

I don’t miss the commute but do miss walking across the bridge over the Thames on work days. Especially blue sky days.

I live in Shiplake,Henley. The garden backs on to the thames floods all the time but its lovely otherwise.

I grew up in Reading, still here actually. Its just a river
There are lovely walks along it for those less lazy than me though!

I used to cycle the Thames path from Woolwich to Greenwich each day to get to work. Miss it whilst I WFH.

I live a 10 minute walk from the Thames and we love it. Lived locally for a long time, but only moved here last summer. We honestly felt like we were on holiday for about 2 months!
Beautiful walks and ice creams, ducks to feed and boats to watch. Pubs backing on to it too.
Even in winter, the Marina is so lovely to walk around although the Riverside paths are a mud bath! There are also small areas people can bathe and swim. Also lots of river swimmers and paddle boarders.

Prior to this, my BIL lived in Riverside apartments in London. He'd often be away with work, so me and my DH would go and live at his for a few weeks.
Gorgeous.
Loved catching the boat up/down river to work and the views were lovely. Zero neighbourly-ness, but we didn't care then!