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85-776: The Thames Down Link is a 24 km (15 mi) official walking route linking the Thames Path and the North Downs Way . It starts in the town centre of Kingston upon Thames and finishes at Box Hill & Westhumble railway station . The path is so called as it connects the River Thames with the North Downs , the hill range which is to the south as far as the western border of Surrey. The route starts at Kingston upon Thames town centre and finishes at Box Hill & Westhumble railway station . The path follows as closely as possible

170-592: A low-tide barrage (rather than a weir) was built by the Thames Conservancy in 1894 downstream at Richmond Lock to improve the navigation by maintaining water level upstream to at least half-tide level. Today, the Port of London Authority is the navigation authority that manages the tidal river, including Richmond Lock and barrage. Wharfs and jetties are generally confined to the northern ( Middlesex ) bank between Richmond and Putney. This stretch of tideway (known as

255-512: A broad swath of land, as do many government-owned conversation areas. Some public rights-of-way are negotiated with government as a part of property development. This can result in a public-use right of way, such as an urban waterfront walkway, the public right to use a lobby as a shortcut during business hours, or public access to recreational land such as an urban park (which may include activities not limited to simply passing through). In England and Wales under current law, public access to rivers

340-441: A certain number of years without obstruction by the property owner. Changes to circumstances (such as construction of a new road that connects to the dominant estate), disuse, and obstruction by the property owner may affect this type of right. In other geographic situations, several neighbors will agree to maintain (or inherit from the original developer) a private road that connects their properties, either as communally owned or as

425-414: A concession) are known as in gross and are typically created by arrangement. Right-of-way easements that benefit the general public are often created for foot, bridle, mountain bike, and ATV paths (often carrying a mix of users). These routes are all formally highways, but have legally restricted modes of use. Such rights-of-way might extend a recreational trail network from land owned by the government or

510-418: A contractual, appurtenant easement. Private ownership typically gives the owners more power, such as the right to restrict parking to owners and their guests. Traffic laws (such as obeying speed limits and stop signs) typically still apply to private roads if they are open to the general public. Transferrable easements (such as the right to use a specific boat ramp not used by the property owner or operate it as

595-423: A conversation non-profit, to connect trails to public roads, to make long-distance trails , or provide access to a beach or waterfront. Especially in common law jurisdictions, these can be created by longstanding use, also known as easement by prescription . They can also be purchased or by a government or conservation group or created by eminent domain. Property owners can also explicitly grant permission to use

680-451: A formal process of voluntary discontinuation or abandonment, often involving public comment. This allows the government to clarify which facilities it will and will not spend money to maintain, which can affect property owners and values. It also clearly distinguishes between transportation facilities which are temporarily not being used versus those which are permanently out of use, and provides for orderly transfer of rights. When an easement

765-418: A general easement to access certain areas when necessary to construct and maintain their networks. In many cases they must request permission from the owner to expand or perform construction activities on a government or private right-of-way. When a road, railroad, or canal is no longer needed, the effect on property rights depends on the jurisdiction and how the right of way was created. Many jurisdictions have

850-510: A narrow green strip between houses and beside a stream to reach the Horton Country Park , Ewell. The route follows a wide path through the country park soon passing the former West Park Hospital . It continues over elevated Epsom Common and then crosses the Sutton and Mole Valley Lines to reach Ashtead Park. The route then passes through the edge of Ashtead and then begins to climb up to

935-457: A permanent public easement. Some jurisdictions legally recognize the right to roam —to move through any undeveloped land unless otherwise posted or fenced. This allows wandering beyond established trails. Even without a general the right to roam, not all rights-of-way have a physical indication of boundaries, and some easements do not specify any particular path to be taken when crossing. Some easements permit certain recreational activities across

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1020-626: A pool and small weir, before reaching the A429 bridge near Kemble. On the stretch between Ewen and Somerford Keynes the bourne passes through fields and there are a number of watermills . The path then follows the watercourse through the Cotswold Water Park to Ashton Keynes , where the water divides into a number of streams; the Thames Path partly follows one of these and rejoins the river by Waterhay Bridge. Downstream from this point canoeing in

1105-555: A popular destination for foreign tourists in the city. Traditional rights of way take the form of servitude de passage (right of passage) and droit de marche-pied (right to walk, along canals and canalised rivers). There is a system of about 120,000 kilometres of well-marked footpaths in France. Many were formerly the main routes between villages and are often "steeper and more direct than modern roads". There are also, in addition, sentier de grande randonnée , long distance trails . In

1190-458: A public park or "unowned" land leftover from the creation of the country), or seize land or an easement by eminent domain (compulsory purchase). Private companies can purchase land or easements, and in some cases (such as private toll roads (turnpikes), canals, and railroads in the 18th and 19th centuries) have been given the power of eminent domain for the limited purpose of providing a certain type of transportation between specified locations. In

1275-420: A public way is over the private property of a single neighbor. In these cases, the owner of the "servient" estate (which is the one being crossed) may simply give permission, or the "dominant" estate (the one needing access) may purchase the easement, for example to construct a driveway. Such easements are attached to the dominant estate, or appurtenant . The dominant estate cannot sell the easement separately from

1360-401: A route, either through a deed restriction or informal means such as posted signs, and may place restrictions on times or types of traffic allowed. Whether this permission can be revoked or expire from disuse depends considerably on the legal jurisdiction, how it was granted, and the circumstances of public use. Some of these " permissive paths " are closed once a year to prevent the creation of

1445-412: A user to claim a right of way after 12 years of use across private land owned by another, 30 years on state land and 60 years on the foreshore . The claimant must apply to the courts, and have their claim confirmed by a court order, and then have it duly registered on the title deeds, a lengthy process. The user must prove "enjoyment without force, without secrecy and without the oral or written consent of

1530-699: Is a National Trail following the River Thames from one of its sources near Kemble in Gloucestershire to the Woolwich foot tunnel , south east London. It is about 185 miles (298 km) long. A path was first proposed in 1948 but it only opened in 1996. In theory, the Thames Path's entire length can be walked, and a few parts can be cycled, but certain sections are closed for an indefinite period, including Temple Bridge at Hurley and Marsh Lock in Henley. Some parts of

1615-551: Is a meander cutoff formed when Penton Hook Lock was built. Any public footpaths that cross or go along any of the other small islands formed by construction of the Thames locks only allow access to the path alone. Lock building by the Thames Commissioners had improved the whole river navigation from Inglesham to the upper limit of the tidal reach at Staines by 1789. On the tidal Thames below Staines, six new locks were built by

1700-446: Is a legal maneuver that avoids full abandonment, preserving a railroad easement for future reactivation without reverting property rights to real estate owners. Rail trails are often constructed on rights-of-way that no longer host active railroads, putting the property to productive use while preventing obstructions like buildings or crossing infrastructure from being built. These may be used for recreation or for bicycle commuting, given

1785-487: Is a short section of path on the north bank opposite Purley-on-Thames; this is still shown on Ordnance Survey maps but is inaccessible except by boat, caused by the lack of two ferries formerly diverting around Purley Hall. The second and furthest downstream is a particularly picturesque section of towpath (again shown on OS maps) within the National Trust grounds of Cliveden ; here the lack of three ferries accounts for

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1870-456: Is defined as a right of way , and in addition there is a general presumption of access to the countryside. Private rights of way or easements also exist. Footpaths , bridleways and other rights of way in most of England and Wales are shown on definitive maps . A definitive map is a record of public rights of way in England and Wales. In law it is the definitive record of where a right of way

1955-696: Is generally provided on ocean waters under the law of the sea , subject to national laws. Public access to tidal shores depends on the jurisdiction. In the United States , railroad right-of-way easements carry with them, under applicable state laws, the right to control access by the public and even by the owner of the underlying land. Most U.S. railroads employ their own police forces, who can arrest and prosecute trespassers found on their rights-of-way. Some railroad rights-of-way (both active and disused) include recreational rail trails . In Canada railroad rights of way are regulated by federal law. In October 1880

2040-416: Is in downstream order. The letter in brackets indicates whether the path downstream of that point takes the northern or southern bank (using north or south in reference to the river as a whole, rather than at that specific point). Bridges and ferries are listed in full under Crossings of the River Thames . The river can be crossed at about a third of the locks, although some of these crossings are not part of

2125-541: Is located. The highway authority (normally the county council , or unitary authority in areas with a one-tier system) has a statutory duty to maintain a definitive map, though in national parks the national park authority usually maintains the map. In Scotland , a right of way is a route over which the public has been able to pass unhindered for at least 20 years . The route must link two "public places", such as villages, churches or roads. Unlike in England and Wales there

2210-529: Is more restricted than other parts of the UK, so that in many areas walkers can only enjoy the countryside because of the goodwill and tolerance of landowners. Permission has been obtained from all landowners across whose land the Waymarked Ways and Ulster Way traverse. Much of Northern Ireland's public land is accessible, e.g. Water Service and Forest Service land, as is land owned and managed by organisations such as

2295-532: Is much of interest. The Thames Path is one of the Mayor of London 's strategic walking routes . The Thames Path Cycle Route is a black-signposted route that follows the river between Putney Bridge in the west and Greenwich in the east. It mostly follows the Thames Path, but diverges in various sections, especially where the path follows a footpath-only route. It also links National Cycle Route 1 (east of London) with National Cycle Route 4 (west of London). The route of

2380-399: Is no obligation on Scottish local authorities to signpost rights of way. However the charity Scotways , formed in 1845 to protect rights of way, records and signs the routes. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 codified in law traditional, non-motorised, access practices on land and water. Under the 2003 act a plain language explanation of rights is published by Scottish Natural Heritage:

2465-635: Is often shallow, weedy and swift but after heavy rain flooding of the riverside paths is common. Today the Environment Agency (the current successor to the Thames Conservancy) is the navigation authority responsible for the Thames between Cricklade and Teddington. The navigation towpath starts from Inglesham (just upstream of Lechlade), as does the ability to navigate the river for all but very small boats, although there were once weirs with flash locks to enable passage as far as Cricklade, and there

2550-646: Is restricted, and only 2% of all rivers have public access rights. The Rivers Access Campaign is being undertaken by the British Canoe Union (BCU) to open up the inland water-ways in England and Wales on behalf of members of the public. Canals are not, in general, public rights of way in England and Wales. Waterways in the care of the Canal & River Trust are accessible for use by boats, canoeists, paddleboarders and other watercraft upon payment of an appropriate licence fee. Walkers and cyclists can freely use

2635-478: Is still a right of navigation up to Cricklade. The navigation above Lechlade clearly must have been neglected after the Thames and Severn Canal provided an easier route by canal for barge traffic and not all of the river downstream from Cricklade has a footpath alongside. The Thames Path uses the existing Thames towpath between Inglesham and Putney Bridge wherever possible. The former Thames and Severn Canal entrance

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2720-506: Is terminated, full rights automatically revert to the owner of the real estate over which the right of way passed. Some jurisdictions have a separate formal process for terminating disused right-of-way easements involuntarily, such as adverse abandonment for railroads in the United States. This allows property owners to regain full use after a railroad stops running but does not initiate the legal abandonment process on its own. Railbanking

2805-508: Is the present-day limit of navigation for powered craft, and is one and a half miles upstream of the highest lock ( St John's Lock ), near Lechlade . Today, between the canal entrance and Putney Bridge, the towpath still allows access by foot to at least one side of the river for almost the whole length of the main navigation of the river, but not mill streams , backwaters or a few meanders cut off by lock cuttings , since towpaths were originally only intended to enable towing of barges on

2890-425: Is up to the owner to sell it to abutters, a conservation non-profit, another transportation company, or some other buyer. Full land ownership generally cannot be lost due to disuse, but abandoned right-of-way land can be taken by the government due to non-payment of property tax , by escheat if no private owner can be found (due to death without heirs or disincorporation), or by eminent domain if it wishes to return

2975-570: The East Coast Trail , established by a group of hiking enthusiasts, makes use of traditional trails between local communities along the coast of the Avalon Peninsula . In the Philippines , right of way disputes often arise when landowners block access to paths or roads that have been used by the public or specific individuals for a considerable period. The issue typically centers on whether

3060-562: The Land War of the 1880s to the end of British rule in 1922. Rights of way can be asserted by adverse possession , but proving continuous use can be difficult. A case heard in 2010 concerning claims over the Lissadell House estate was based on the historical laws, since amended by the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act, 2009 . The 2009 act abolished the doctrine of lost modern grant, and allows

3145-462: The National Trust and the Woodland Trust . Northern Ireland has much the same legal system as England, including concepts about the ownership of land and public rights of way, but it has its own court structure, system of precedents and specific legislation concerning rights-of-way and right-to-roam. In Québec City , Canada, which was originally built on the riverside bluff Cap Diamant in

3230-753: The North Downs , crossing the M25 motorway and then following the ancient Stane Street Roman Road through Tyrrell's Wood and on over Mickleham Downs from where a trip to neighbouring Box Hill on the path to the south is recommended for those making the return journey by foot. It otherwise reaches further south then west to reach the A24 and the North Downs Way which continues west about 200 metres to Box Hill & Westhumble railway station (Chapel Lane, Westhumble). Download coordinates as: 51°20′30″N 0°17′31″W  /  51.3418°N 0.2919°W  / 51.3418; -0.2919 Thames Path The Thames Path

3315-521: The Republic of Ireland , pedestrian rights of way to churches, known as mass paths , have existed for centuries. In other cases, the modern law is unclear; Victorian era laws on easements protect a property owner's rights, amplified by the 1937 constitution , which stipulate that a right of way has to be specifically dedicated to public use. Opposing these, those claiming general rights of way hark back to an anti- landed gentry position that lasted from

3400-469: The Scottish Outdoor Access Code . Certain categories of land are excluded from this presumption of open access, such as railway land, airfields and private gardens. Section 4 of the access code explains how land managers are permitted to request the public to avoid certain areas for a limited period in order to undertake management tasks, however longer term restrictions must be approved by

3485-544: The Windsor Castle Act 1848 , also involving the building of Victoria and Albert bridges and the removal of Datchet Bridge . This accounts for the Thames Path's diversion from the river at Datchet . There are two other short lengths of navigation which have no towpath: one between Marlow bridge and lock (which never had a towpath), and one past Whitchurch lock either side of The Swan public house in Pangbourne (where

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3570-416: The centerline presumption (formerly strip and gore doctrine ). This doctrine may also be used to assert mineral rights under neighboring government-maintained roads in some jurisdictions, a question which has become more relevant since the invention of horizontal drilling . In other jurisdictions or circumstances, the right-of-way is simply a normal parcel which happens to have an unusual shape, and it

3655-522: The local authority . The ability to temporarily restrict public access is commonly exercised without notice by shooting, forestry or wind farm operators, but does not extend to public rights of way. In Scotland the public have a higher degree of freedom on rights of way than on open land. Blocking a right of way in Scotland is a criminal obstruction under the Highways Act, just as in England and Wales, but

3740-688: The 17th century, there are strategically placed public stairways that link the bluff to the lower parts of the city. The Upper City is the site of Old Québec's most significant historical sites, including 17th- and 18th-century chapels, the Citadel and the city ramparts. The Breakneck Stairs or Breakneck Steps (French: Escalier casse-cou ), Quebec City's oldest stairway, were built in 1635. Originally called escalier Champlain "Champlain Stairs", escalier du Quêteux "Beggars' Stairs", or escalier de la Basse-Ville "Lower Town Stairs", they were given their current name in

3825-405: The 19th century, Thames sailing barges being typical. Moderately straight lengths of the tideway are often called reaches , as they can be sailed without tacking . Crossing the river was more of a priority, as evidenced by the many watermen's stairs giving watermen and passengers access to the tidal river. Thames steamers became more common for transport on the tidal Thames from 1815 until

3910-579: The City of London Corporation to improve the navigation between 1811 and 1815. The Thames Conservancy was established in 1857 to take over duties from the City of London because of falling revenue from boat traffic; it also took on the duties of the Thames Commissioners in 1866. Provision for pleasure boating was now the main purpose, and although the Thames Conservancy rebuilt many locks, upgrading some from flash locks to pound locks, and made navigation and towpath improvements, it only built one completely new lock on

3995-461: The Thames Path can be divided into these sections: The list below gives the points where the Thames Path crosses the river between Cricklade and Teddington . Above Cricklade, the Thames is a stream and in some places there may be no water except after rain. Below Teddington there are paths on both sides of the river until the Greenwich foot tunnel , after which the path is only on the south. The list

4080-410: The Thames Path must divert away from the river and the towpath to cross the river elsewhere, leaving some sections of towpath not on the Thames path. Many walkers visit the locks on the River Thames and in summer some have facilities open for visitors. A few have small campsites . The locks at Cookham and Whitchurch are not on the Thames Path and require some effort to visit. Whitchurch Lock cutting

4165-509: The Thames Path, particularly west of Oxford , are subject to flooding during the winter. The river is tidal downstream from Teddington Lock and the lower parts of these paths may be underwater if there is a particularly high tide, although the Thames Barrier protects London from catastrophic flooding. The Thames Path uses the river towpath between Inglesham and Putney and available paths elsewhere. Historically, towpath traffic crossed

4250-466: The Thames Path. 51°40′N 1°15′W  /  51.667°N 1.250°W  / 51.667; -1.250 Right-of-way (property access) Rights-of-way in the legal sense (the right to pass through or to operate a transportation facility) can be created in a number of different ways. In some cases, a government, transportation company, or conservation non-profit purchases the full ownership of real estate , including everything above and below

4335-591: The Thames below Staines from a point marked by the London Stone , had similarly bought out the towpath tolls of riparian land owners as enabled by an earlier Thames Navigation Act in 1776. From the 1840s, the development of the railways and steam power gradually made redundant the need for horse-drawn barges on the non-tidal Thames, although people were still using the towpath to tow small pleasure boats in 1889. The towpath route has not changed since then, apart from now following Shifford lock cut; however, over time

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4420-653: The Thames path's diversion from the river at Cookham . When Cookham Lock was built in 1830, Hedsor Water became a backwater and lost its towpath. Around 1822, Clifton and Old Windsor locks were built, with lock cuttings which cut across river meanders; here the towpath was rerouted along the lock cuttings and there is no public riverside access to these river meanders. However, some stretches of river bypassed by navigation cuttings still retain public footpath access: firstly at Desborough Island (formed by Desborough Cut ); secondly, parts of older towpath accessible at Duxford (towpath now follows Shifford Lock cut); and lastly,

4505-507: The Upper Rowing Code Area) has special navigation rules to accommodate the activities of a number of rowing clubs , and includes the course used for The Boat Race . Chiswick Eyot is on this section and is notable as being the only tidal island on the river . Since August 2020, the towpaths on both banks have been closed under Hammersmith Bridge because of cracks in the structure; walkers and cyclists must therefore divert from

4590-631: The Western United States, the transcontinental railroad was funded by government land grants that gave railroads both the physical right-of-way and surrounding land that could be sold after becoming valuable parcels connected to the long-distance transportation network. In new developments, the government may create the road network in cooperation with the land-owning developer or parcel owners—easement boundaries are defined in writing, and public roads formally "dedicated" as government-maintained. In some jurisdictions, utility companies may by law have

4675-612: The Wilts & Berks Canal, the Oxford Canal and the Thames and Severn Canal connected to the non-tidal Thames. It was not until a little after the Thames Navigation Commission were enabled by a 1795 Act of Parliament to purchase land for a continuous horse path that the non-tidal navigation (and hence the towpath) was consolidated as a complete route under a single (toll charging) authority, upstream to Inglesham. This improved

4760-749: The […] owner", a restatement of the centuries-old principle of Nec vi, nec clam, nec precario . A court order granting a right of way is personal to the applicant for their lifetime, and cannot be inherited or assigned. In England and Wales , other than in the 12 Inner London boroughs and the City of London , public rights of way are paths on which the public have a legally protected right to pass and re-pass. The law in England and Wales differs from that in Scotland in that rights of way only exist where they are so designated (or are able to be designated if not already) whereas in Scotland any route that meets certain conditions

4845-559: The ability of horse-drawn barge traffic to travel upstream to the Thames and Severn Canal, which had opened in 1789 and provided an alternative route (also using the Wilts & Berks Canal) for boat traffic to Cricklade. The commissioners had to create horse ferries to join up sections of towpath (for example at Purley Hall ), as the Act did not allow them to compulsorily purchase land near an existing house, garden or orchard. The City of London Corporation , who had rights and responsibilities for

4930-608: The banks of the Hogsmill River through the urban fringes of Kingston passing Berrylands railway station . South of this it is more rural following the banks of the river south through fields to the A3 and under the South West railway line. A pavemented section by roads passes through Old Malden . After crossing the A240 near Tolworth centre the walk leaves the Hogsmill River and continues on

5015-552: The building of Canada's first transcontinental rail line, the Canadian Pacific Railway , started. It was built by a consortium contracted by the government, and financed by CA$ 25 million in credit and required 25 million acres (100,000 km ) of land. In addition, the government defrayed surveying costs and exempted the railway from property taxes for 20 years. In the United Kingdom , railway companies received

5100-419: The extensive network of towpaths that run alongside the canals in England and Wales. See Towpath#Britain for information on the legal status of towpaths. In Canada rivers are crown land and there is a legal "right to navigate over navigable waters. However, the difficult legal question is what constitutes navigable waters. There is no federal or provincial law defining this, nor is there any list of waters

5185-429: The ground. Many rights-of-way are created instead by easement , which is a right to cross that does not include full ownership of the land. For example, the original owner may still retain mineral rights under the right-of-way easement, but not the right to exclude people from passing through certain parts of what would otherwise be private land. A government may build a right of way on land it already owns, for example

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5270-642: The lack of publicly accessible rights of way maps in Scotland makes it very difficult to enforce. The unofficial National Catalogue of Rights of Way (CROW), compiled by the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society (Scotways), in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, and the help of local authorities. There are three categories of rights of way in CROW: Northern Ireland has very few public rights of way and access to land in Northern Ireland

5355-832: The mid-19th century, because of their steepness. The stairs have been restored several times, including an 1889 renovation by Charles Baillargé . Rights of way have been created in the US, both by historic use ( prescription ) and by grants made by the national and state governments, local authorities and private landowners. Trails that had been established by indigenous peoples were used by Europeans settling North America. Some became highways, while others have been incorporated recently into hiking trails. Examples include: Natchez Trace ; Santa Fe Trail ; Bozeman Trail . In Seattle , there are over 500 public stairways. Some rights of way in North America are hundreds of years old. In Newfoundland

5440-707: The navigation. The Thames has been used for navigation for a long time, although owners of weirs, locks and towpath often charged tolls . The towpath owes its existence, in its current form, to the Industrial Revolution and the Canal Mania of the 1790s to 1810s, and so is related to the history of the British canal system . The Thames already allowed for passage onto the River Kennet Navigation and River Wey Navigation , but this period in history also saw

5525-438: The neighboring property, and if the property is sold it would convey to the new owners. Courts may declare this type of easement exists as a matter of equity to resolve a dispute, if the easement was apparently left out of property deeds despite obvious necessity, if there was an apparent intent to create an easement but this was never formalized, or in some jurisdictions if an undocumented right of way has been in continuous use for

5610-430: The non-tidal Thames, at Shifford in 1898. There is a Thames Path on both sides of the river downstream of Teddington Lock, the southern path including the original towpath as far as Putney Bridge. Because of the locks built by the City of London, the river is now tidal only downstream from Teddington Lock, although during spring tides flood warnings are sometimes issued upstream towards Molesey Lock . A further lock with

5695-522: The path across the weir at Benson Lock (the towpath ferry was upstream). In recent times, crossings have been created for the Thames Path; the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry was restarted in 1986, Temple Footbridge near Hurley was built in 1989, a footpath was attached to Bourne End Railway Bridge in 1992 (the ferry was upstream), and Bloomers Hole Footbridge was built in 2000. No other replacement river crossings have been created for lapsed ferries, so

5780-439: The property to some productive use. Property outside of linear corridors, especially if improved with buildings (such as railroad stations and large highway interchanges) is more likely to be fully owned and sold off as real estate. Legal discontinuation or abandonment may trigger public auction or negotiated sale of government-owned land. Some right-of-way easements are created because the only way to access certain parcels from

5865-488: The public can use". Under federal law, all natural inland waterways of the United States are classifiable as "navigable" or "non-navigable". Navigable rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams are treated as "public highways", open to surface passage by anyone. The doctrine of navigable servitude gives the federal government primary regulatory power over navigable waters, but users are also subject to state police power . Ownership of non-tidal non-navigable waters goes along with

5950-521: The railways dominated public transport. Falling income from river traffic and disputes over the construction of Victoria Embankment because of Crown Estate ownership of the tidal riverbed led to the City of London's seceding management of their part of the river to the Thames Conservancy in 1857; and the section below Teddington was further passed on to the Port of London Authority in 1908. Construction of riverside buildings and structures often meant embanking

6035-634: The right to "resume" land for a right of way, by means of private Acts of Parliament . Resumption means compulsory acquisition of land. The various designations of railroad right of way are as follows: Construction of houses/buildings beside railway right-of-way presents a significant safety risk. For example, the Hanoi Department of Tourism in Vietnam ordered the permanent closure of cafes and shops along Hanoi Train Street for safety reasons despite its being

6120-414: The river at the bridge until they reach the adjacent road (Castelnau on the south bank, Hammersmith Bridge Road on the north) and then cross the road at the nearest safe point before returning to the river. Historical records state that the towpath started at Putney. Downstream of here sailing , sculling and rowing , and following the current (or rising and falling tide) were the means of movement until

6205-431: The river east of the town, and now follows the river all the way downstream to Castle Eaton . The path next follows country lanes , a short stretch along a backwater to Hannington Bridge then goes across fields to Inglesham. In 2018 the path incorporated a section of permissive path alongside the river at Upper Inglesham. Above Inglesham the river is not dredged and being without weirs to control water levels, it

6290-478: The river is practical. The path wanders to and from the river amongst more gravel pits until Hailstone Hill, where a riverside path starts by the old railway line. A little further, the North Wilts canal from Latton formerly crossed the river on an aqueduct and ran alongside and south of the river to West Mill Lane. Here the path leaves the river to go through Cricklade , past Cricklade Town Bridge , rejoining

6375-505: The river meander at Culham. The Culham meander is accessible, even though only parts are designated as public footpath (towpath now follows Culham Lock cut) and there is also riverside public footpath along the ancient causeway past Sutton Pools . Certain sections are closed indefinitely for reasons such as bridge failures. Details are shown on the trail's interactive map. Historically, there have been replacements for towpath ferry crossings with bridges at Goring and Clifton Hampden and

6460-435: The river using many ferries , but few of these crossings exist now and some diversion from the towpath is necessary. The general aim of the path is to provide walkers with a pleasant route alongside the river. The way this is achieved naturally falls into three distinct areas, depending on the nature of the river in the area. In the absence of a tow path, the Thames Path uses all available riverside rights of way between

6545-491: The sites of 15 former ferries and one former lock, so the Thames Path makes 11 other diversions from the remaining towpath because of the lack of a river crossing at their original locations. There is also a twelfth temporary diversion at Hammersmith Bridge, described below. Walkers can visit the lengths of river navigation not on the Thames Path using the current towpath, except for two isolated sections of towpath not connected by any public path (or ferry) at either end. The first

6630-404: The submerged land, and issues of public access and trespass are treated similarly to private property on land. This may be determined by explicit deed, or implicitly as an extension of ownership of adjacent land, depending on the local ownership history and state law. The right to roam in northern European countries, including Scotland, usually includes rivers and lakes. Freedom of navigation

6715-498: The tidal Thames and acquiring riverbed ownership. The historical progression of so many construction works, is why there is not continuous foreshore access for a riverside path within the Port of London . Today, downstream of Putney, there are jetties and wharfs on both banks of the river, and sections of the Thames Path often have to divert away from the river around riverside buildings. There are also many docks , most of them downstream of Tower Bridge . In central London , there

6800-556: The towpath does not connect up without ferries; access to this lock requires a 10-minute walk across Odney Common on Formosa Island and the Lock Island (incorporating the former Mill Eyot) to Sashes Island . Marlow Lock access requires a short walk through town back streets. All the other locks have obvious access from the Thames Path. The lock islands at Pinkhill Lock , Eynsham Lock , King's Lock , Boulters Lock and Shepperton Lock can be visited, as can Penton Hook Island which

6885-410: The towpath ferries became obsolete and the last towpath ferry to stop running was the rope ferry at Bablock Hythe in the 1960s. The main exception to towpath access to the navigation between Inglesham and Putney is a stretch of river where the former towpath was removed past Windsor Castle . The castle's private grounds of Home Park, Windsor were extended to include the riverbank and its towpath by

6970-462: The towpath has been lost). At both these weirs, lengthy rope winches were required for barges to pass Marlow and Whitchurch in the days before steam power. It is also required to divert around Oxford Cruisers downstream of Pinkhill Lock , even though the towpath is still shown as a public right of way on Ordnance Survey maps. The remainder of the navigation between Inglesham and Putney has an existing towpath; however, river crossings are now missing at

7055-556: The traditional source of the river in Trewsbury Mead and Inglesham , but is unable to run alongside the river in several places. The Thames Path starts beside the monument for the traditional river source and follows the water down the hill towards the Fosse Way . In the fields either side of the A433 are some springs ; and south of this road, a small water channel can be found and then

7140-401: The typical gentle slopes and connectivity of railroad rights-of-way. Some courts will extend the real property boundaries of abutters to the middle of the abandoned right-of-way, even if the right-of-way is outside the boundaries defined in the property deed. Treating the property as if it were an undocumented easement in this way avoids long, narrow strips of unproductive land. This is known as

7225-458: Was built through an island in the river and public access to the lock over the weir from Pangbourne or across the millstream at Whitchurch-on-Thames was closed in 1888 to avoid the loss of tolls on Whitchurch Bridge ; as a consequence, Whitchurch is the only Thames lock that is inaccessible by foot – it is only accessible by boat. Cookham Lock is still accessible although it is not on the Thames Path. The Thames divides into several streams here and

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