Lechlade

About Lechlade

Lechlade is the highest point on the River Thames that can still be reached by powered boat — and the only place in the Cotswolds where you can hire a cabin cruiser. The town faces the river across the wide Halfpenny Bridge of 1792, which charged a toll on foot until 1839.

Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote 'A Summer Evening Churchyard' here in 1815, sitting in the graveyard of St Lawrence's Church on a punting trip from Old Windsor.

The Cotswold Guide Top Tips

Cotswold Boat Hire by the bridge rents day cruisers — book a week ahead in summer.
Walk the Thames Path upstream for a mile to St John's Lock and the Old Father Thames sculpture.

Attractions in Lechlade

1
Historic
Halfpenny Bridge
The graceful 1792 stone bridge that carries the road into Lechlade across the Thames — and marks the highest point at which powered boats can navigate the river.
Read more →

Where to eat & drink

The Riverside
Riverside pub right on the Halfpenny Bridge, with a big terrace over the Thames.
The New Inn
17th-century coaching inn on Market Square, log fires and proper pub food.
Lynwood & Co
Brunch café on the Burford Road; everything baked in-house.

Getting there

By car
9 miles east of Cirencester at the junction of the A361 and A417. Free parking on the Memorial Hall car park.
By bus
the 64 runs from Swindon and Cirencester, hourly weekdays.

Best time to visit

May to September for boating and outdoor pub lunches; the river busies up at weekends. October sees the Lechlade Festival (jazz and folk) at the riverside.