Evening Walk - Lower Colne Valley: Staines to Heathrow Terminal 5

Length: 10.2 km (6.3 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 43m 

Net Walking Time: 2 hours

 

Take the 17.48 Reading train from Waterloo (via Clapham J, Richmond and Twickenham), arrives 18.22. 

Returns: frequent (Elizabeth Line, Piccadilly Line and the Heathrow Express to connect at Terminal 2&3). 

Staines is outside the London Travel Zones! You will need an extension to any Travelcard you have!

 

This route covers in a meandering fashion the Lower Colne Valley, from the Colne’s meeting with the Thames upstream through Staines Moor and Stanwell Moor to Heathrow Airport, east of Longfordmoor.

From the station, you make your way to the Thames and turn upstream past the mouth of the Colne and under Staines Bridge, site of the only Roman bridge across the Thames outside of London, before turning through old Staines and under one of many busy roads into Staines Moor. The moor is dominated by the meandering Colne, many low-lying flooded areas, bulrushes and reeds, scattered trees, imposing bramble bushes and myriads of very old anthills, as well as a varied birdlife all year round.

Apart from the Thames and the Colne, several other rivers (the Wraybury River, an anabranch of the Colne, and three distributaries of it: the Sweeps Ditch and the Longford and Duke of Cumberland Rivers), plenty of drainage ditches and some reservoirs and ponds make this a very ‘watery’ walk. Combined with a high watertable, some areas can be water-soaked, muddy or even impassable after heavy rain.

 

Note 1: Outside of Staines, the route is affected by noise from the M25 and/or the airport runways.  

Note 2: Some parts of the route through Staines Moor can be impassable after prolonged heavy rain.  

Note 3: During ground nesting season (01/03-31/07), dogs must be kept on a lead on Staines Moor.  

Note 4: The final stretch into Heathrow Airport (which is private ground) leads along road pavements that are signed as ‘Cyclists Only’. This is not adhered to by locals, including some Heathrow employees, but – technically – walking along them is trespassing. If you are uncomfortable with this, the alternative are frequent buses from the Moor Bridge stop, either to T5 (not TfL) or to Hounslow West Underground (TfL).

 

Refreshments: The Globe Pub & Kitchen Landside, Terminal 5, open to 21.30.

 

For detailed route maps, gpx/kml files, photos and walk directions click here. T=short.72 #2026-06-11T17:48