@Harlan Sager , kia ora (greetings and good health)
I walked Thames Path over many weeks in June and July 2016.
I note the comments about expensive acomodation costs. This is true in all those parts of the UK I have visited.
To keep costs down I stayed some of the time with my London family and did a section a day, returning to base.
For some I used backpacker hostels - still not cheap but easier than bed and breakfasts - no funny rules or a late (refined) breakfast hour.
And for the sections from the source to Windsor I used my lightweight tent. I also noted the days before Oxford were a bit repetitive - one can only admire so many paddocks with livestock munching cotentedly. So, on the last two of those four days I walked the road on the "other" bank and saw some real people in their own villages and a variety of churches.
Hope that helps. Be pleased to answer specific questions