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Great, thanks! Yep I know Goring is down, but I meant that the alternative would be to start from somewhere 55km upstream instead!
But glad to know that that bit is an enjoyable stretch. The bits upstream don’t look as nice anyway. Will bring the GPS for back up.
speculoos-
Oh I see, I misread your original post. You can get a stopping service from Reading that stops at Goring (and all the other little stations) as the train line basically follows the Thames you're never too far from the river path wherever you get off the train (just don't get off at Didcot). Likewise whenever you pass through a village you're likely not too far from a train station. A nicer run might be to link two of the smaller villages together? But I guess you're after a high speed connection straight back into London?
Goring has several good places to eat, and there is a cafe right on the river bank that you will run through at Benson (no train station here though). The last few miles into Oxford are not so great scenery wise, and the path gets busy with tourists. Might not be what you're after if you're getting tired/hungry/grumpy toward the end.
Arducius
Goring is *down*stream from Oxford... But yes I have run that stretch. I did the Thames Trot (Oxford to Henley) last year and recce'd the whole route beforehand. The signage is generally good but not "unmissable" good. There are a few spots where you leave the river or have to cross over etc without it being immediately obvious. I found it reassuring to know the route on the day but would have probably not gotten lost on the section you are describing in the light (as opposed to the bit through Shiplake in the dark).
It's obviously a pretty flat route, with the only real hill to be found between Goring and Pangbourne. I found the National Trail website pretty useful.