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.

There is a house for sale on Eel Pie island (Richmond upon Thames) which is an island IN the Thames

I can see the tidal Thames from my house, and it's fab to have it close but not too close. Unfortunately, we have to go through grotty industrial estates to get to it, but it's fab for a lockdown walk. Especially if we catch sight of the seals.

Less than 10 minutes walk from me in busy West Reading. Sorry about thumb, getting used to new phone

Sorry about duplicates. Have asked MN to delete

Thanks OP.

Grew up in Barnes right by the river. Lovely area! Our family watch the Oxford Cambridge university boat race go past every year 😊

I have walked a potion of the Thames Path challenge - Fulham to Hampton Court. Some very nice places along there

I love the non London parts of the Thames but some of the towns now are ridiculously overcrowded and busy as obviously it's very lucrative to build in these places!
I've got a book about the Eyots and Aits (islands) on the Thames and it's so interesting. It goes through all the history and wildlife.
I've always wanted to walk the entire length of the Thames but by the time I would be in the position to do it (retired), I might not have the energy to do it!

I used to live a few mins walk from the Thames in Southwark, which was great. I loved living in the city centre, but walking by the Thames was very relaxing, even with lots of noise and people around. I used to just stand and stare at the water if I was stressed. A friend recently sold her house and bought a retirement flat with a balcony overlooking the Thames in an old dock warehouse. I think that might be my dream retirement.

I also like the Thames estuary for days out, walks, etc. I love history and walking, so one of my favourite things is to walk in an area full of historical significance, preferably alone so I can just stare at the water and think about all the people and events it's been connected to.

I have also lived very close to the Tyne and loved that too for the same reasons.

Another quirky novel about the Thames is Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Love Rivers of London. I’m working through the series now, thoroughly recommend!

I spent a fair amount of time growing up along the River Test which is worth a look OP. Very much Wind in the Willows country

Three Men in a Boat is a great read! If you like it, you might like the Eliza Stories by Barry Pain too. A similar style of writing.
Do residents on the river notice rats around?

I used to live in a house near Canary Wharf. I loved it, especially at night when it was lit up.
It was very calming and I used to love sitting on a beach watching the world go by.

We had a boat moored about 40 years ago at Eaton Hastings, a little downstream from Lechlade.
Summers were spent pottering up & down the river - even getting as far as Windsor at times.
Swimming in the river was our way of keeping clean and emptying porta-potties was a retching rite of passage!
Our morning alarm was the sound of swans tapping the side of the boat demanding food...
The pubs were friendly but not packed & I remember cheerfully jumping off bridges into the river!
I looked at a little cottage on the River Wey & was soooo tempted - it had mooring rights & a little jetty. Sadly it was about half a mile from a busy pub & I wasn't sure I'd be able to cope with the noise.
Maybe one day I'll find my spot on a river, away from noisy pubs, where I can laze about in a small rowing boat. I already have a ship's cat although she doesn't know it yet....

Do residents on the river notice rats around?

We don't see many rats - having four cats is probably part of the reason for that. Lots of mice and voles though.

We also don't have any decking which helps too.

I live in a village on the Thames, but much more rural than everyone else here. I love it and wouldn't move anywhere else.

I agree with the previous poster who said that the walks, feeding the ducks, and paddle boarding is all great fun.

This is a weir on the Thames not too far from where I live. My kids practically lived there last summer, every hot day they walked there and swam in the weir. There's a little tea shop that does cream teas there too. It's fab.

There was a radio 4 comedy series called Guilt trip. Mother and daughter walking the thames footpath. Remember it was funny. Think by Katharine jakeways who’s always good. Might be available on sounds or iplayer or website.

I live a five minute walk away from the Tidal Thames. I incorporate the river path into my morning walks quite often, of course not on days when the Tide is high. And at that time (7am) there are not many people around.
On weekends and in the summer it is almost impossible to enjoy the towpath as there are just too many people around.
Many people bring alcohol and take away along, have a picnic by the river and then leave their rubbish behind. It's quite a bit of a problem.

I walked long stretches along the river last summer. One weekend from the Tower to Westminster, the following weekend on the Saturday from Westminster to West Kensington and on the Sunday from West Kensington to Richmond.
Once lockdown eases a little I want to walk from Barnes to Wandsworth on the south side of the River. But for that I need shops or cafes to be open so I can use their facilities.

We lived in Barnes for about 5 years, we used to go to the pub to watch the boat race, then run out the front door of pub to watch the boats go past and then run back to the pub to watch the finish DH grew up in Marlow, with his grandmother’s house overlooking the weir, and then we lived in Shiplake and Henley. We still live very locally but not actually on the river at the moment. Pangbourne is lovely as well.

I grew up right near the start of the Thames and used to swim in it as a kid, but literally it is 15ft bank to bank at that point and there are only about 10 houses that back on to it. But the flooding that far upriver is horrendous!

Near the Thames at Dorney/Windsor - when I walk along the river banks with the dog, I always feel a bit guilty if he barks when passing a houseboat In case they are asleep! Or even worse tries to get on board (tbf he only did this the once and the sausages did smell good!) :/

I used to live on the Isle if Dogs in a flat overlooking the river. The view was similar to NoFlora's first photo. I used to commute on the Thames Clipper boats into the City sometimes. It was quite an industrial view but I loved seeing the party boats on the river, and the occasional military vessel. The river is also pretty wide there so it gave a sense of space that is hard to find near central London. I miss living there!

I did for a few yrs, Surbiton/Kingston, I didn't have a garden so I called the Thames banks my garden, it was 5 minutes walk to the river.
Very noisy and busy all year round. Buzzing in summer, great vibe. Tourists and buskers and locals would just line the banks and walls,, busier as you got nearer to the town centre (Kingston). Lots of very drunk people in summer.
I'd sit with a book and dip my toes in the water and swans would come and nibble them. I only stopped doing this when one day a dead spaniel hit my feet :( and another time, a dead badger.
In summer I'd sometimes walk along the tow path to Hampton Court Palace
I do miss the River especially in summer but in winter I'd take myself off on some very foggy walks towards Richmond

Some pictures of the view from my flat.

And some my neighbour took