From Oxford onwards there are many more historic villages and towns, such as Abingdon, Dorchester, Wallingford, Goring and Streatley on the 42 miles to Reading, a substantial town of some 200,000 people.  There is also much more holiday river traffic from Oxford onwards.  It is possible to travel the Thames from Oxford to Teddington London in sections on Salter's Steamers - there are daily public sailings during the summer.  There is also plentiful accommodation and train and bus access to the path to make the logistics more manageable.