Lechlade: home to the statue of Old Father Thames

Lechlade is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near the town. It is a good base for visitors to the Cotswolds and the historic towns of Oxford and Cirencester.

What To Do And See

During the summer the Thames at Lechlade is busy with cruisers, narrow boats and small craft. There is good fishing in the local rivers and lakes, country walks in the beautiful Cotswolds countryside, and also a number of nature reserves in the area.

The church of St. Lawrence was built towards the end of the 15th century using local stone from a quarry at Taynton near Burford, and completed in 1476. The church is built in the early Perpendicular style of architecture.

Interesting Tidbits

The highest lock on the Thames, St John’s Lock is located at Lechlade, with its famous statue of Old Father Thames overlooking the river.

Surrounding Area

Lechlade is less than 30 minutes drive from the historic towns of Cirencester and Faringdon and only 40 Km from Oxford and its famous university buildings.

A number of lakes belonging to the Cotswold Water Park are within easy reach for those interested in bird watching or a multitude of different water sports and other activities.

A short drive away is the town of Fairford with its RAF base.

Every year, over the third weekend in July, the base hosts the world's largest military air show – the Royal International Air Tattoo.

General Information


  • How to get there

    Lechlade is situated on the busy crossroads of the A417 from Cirencester to Faringdon and A361 linking Swindon with Burford.

  • Further Information

    Lechlade Website: www.lechladeonthames.co.uk

Books that might interest you

view more books
Booking.com