Thames Path poet 2026

This year marks 30 years of the Thames Path, creating unique access to England's most important and much-loved river. Perhaps it’s a river you know well – as walker on its footpath, rower, swimmer, angler, or maybe as visitor to its historic houses and literary hotspots? This summer's anniversary campaign (May-July) aims to bring it to life in fresh and fascinating ways, beginning with the inauguration of a new bench at the river's source in the Cotswolds, followed by a finger post relay across its 200-mile route, varied guided walks and Thames Path tales. Robert Seatter will be working with the Thames Path as a writer in residence, creating a trail of 30 short poems to appear via QR codes and as audio on the finger posts. All the poems he is creating aim to evoke what the river means to its many different participants, unpacking varied encounters enroute and revealing the extraordinary emotional pull of the Thames in our lives.

He'll be showcasing the Thames Path project at an event for Brightwell Supporting Refugees on Friday 22 May (7.30pm at the Village Hall), so look out for more information shortly. The Red Box Gallery will take up the watery theme too. So if any villagers have their own Thames stories, memories, mishaps or misdemeanours, he would love to hear about them. Do contact him at robertseatter@hotmail.com.