Author: David Lee

The Jubilee River is a flood relief channel that runs from above Maidenhead to below Windsor on a route east of the Thames. It has been built to meander, like a river, and has a variety of habitats. It is still very young and has yet to be officially opened but it is possible to walk along most of its length.

For more details see the latest version Landranger map 175.

My only problem was finding it in the first place. I took the train to Windsor, via Slough, and found myself going over it en route to Windsor. A long walk through Eton and past the college playing fields, along the B 3022, found me going over it just south of the M4. A walk downstream first resulted in having to a stop at a locked gate just short of the end of the river. Retracing my steps and then starting upstream brought me to a car park with a map. There are several car parks along the route each with a map of the river in the area. The extreme upper end is also inaccessible as it goes through an industrial site with sluice controls.

As it is very new, the river still looks manmade but gets better the nearer you get to Maidenhead. It shows a lot of promise with a variety of habitats planned. Even now there is a rich variety of bird life. In a couple of places it is necessary to divert from the river and it would help if these diversions were better signed to enable you to return to the river.

The M4 results in a walk across a field about 200 yards south of the M4 and a footpath immediately north of the bridge over the M4, which goes down a slope, along a short close and then runs down the side of the garden of a bungalow. The other diversion is south of the main Great Western Railway where you come out on the A4. You then have a short walk west, over the new river, before rejoining it for a short walk upstream before the path stops along the river and you have to walk away from the river towards the A4 bridge over the Thames.

It was a dull day with little wind and I was surprised at the number of species I saw on the river, besides the river or flying overhead. I was particularly pleased to see a Ringed Plover and Little Ringed Plover side by side for comparison.

Species seen

1. Woodpigeon
2. Cormorant
3. Mallard
4. Coot
5. Long-tailed Tit
6. Blackcap
7. Carrion Crow
8. Magpie
9. Black-headed Gull
10. Mute Swan
11. Common Tern
12. House Martin
13. Great Crested Grebe
14. Swift
15. Skylark
16. Pied Wagtail
17. Grey Heron
18. Greenfinch
19. Chaffinch
20. Bluetit
21. Tufted Duck
22. Wren
23. Herring Gull
24. Canada Goose
25. Goldfinch
26. Kestrel
27. Common Redshank
28. Greylag Goose
29. Ring-necked Parakeet
30. Lapwing
31. Ringed Plover
32. Little Ringed Plover
33. Blackbird
34. Starling
35. Kingfisher
36. Green Woodpecker
 

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