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The River Thames
The Thames, The Royal River,  is by far the longest and best-known waterway in Britain, and there are many books devoted to it, including several specialist “boating” books, so this article is intended simply as an introduction to boating on the Thames, and hopefully to provide readers with sufficient knowledge to make a more informed decision about which parts of this wonderful river to explore. For those looking to hire a boat anywhere on the 125 mile mainly non-tidal section of the Thames between Teddington and Lechlade you can get full details from the Thames Hire Cruiser Association.

Firstly it needs to be borne in mind that even today The Thames is an important commercial river, particularly on the lower reaches below the Thames Barrier, and that boating to seaward of the barrier is more akin to “coastal cruising” than to inland boating, so we’ll confine ourselves to describing the river up-stream from the Thames Barrier.

The Thames has many locks, but since they are all manned navigation isn’t arduous hence its popularity both with owners of private vessels and for hire cruisers. It’s also possible to connect with other waterways via Grand Union Canal or the narrow Oxford Canal. 

The twenty-seven mile section of the Thames from the Thames Barrier to Teddington is known as “The Thames Tideway” and, as the name implies, it is tidal throughout. This section of the river passes under Tower Bridge, past the docks known as “the Pool of London” past the City of London, under London Bridge  and several other well known bridges before passing Westminster and the Houses of Parliament,  and Chelsea;  it includes the section from Putney to Mortlake used for the University Boat Race every year before it reaches the locks at Brentford and Richmond.

From Brentford to Teddington the river passes the home of English Rugby Football at Twickenham, and flows around Eel Pie Island before arriving at Teddington Locks at the end of the Tideway. There are a goodly number of moorings and landing places along the tideway section for those wanting to explore on foot.

From Teddington, which is the most downstream venue from which it’s possible to hire a boat,  the river up-stream is mainly non-tidal passing through Kingston-upon-Thames, Hampton Court  and the entrance to the River Mole,  through Sunbury Lock and Walton to locks at Weybridge (where the Thames is joined by the River Wey) to Shepperton, Chertsey and Penton Hook, just up-stream from the Penton Hook Marina.

From Penton Hook, once past Staines, Egham and the Bell Weir Lock the Thames starts to flow through more open countryside before running through Windsor and Eton, both of which have locks, and where there are landing places and/or moorings, and Windsor Marina up-stream at Boveney beyond Eton Wick.

A little further on comes Bray Marina, and the New Thames Bridge, built to carry the M$ across the river, and further up-stream Brunel’s brilliantly designed railway viaduct known as “The Sounding Arch” carrying the mainline from Paddington to the West Country. Maidenhead (road) Bridge follows immediately before the Taplow Channel where the Maidenhead Steam Navigation Company moor their passenger steamers.

Once through Boulters Lock at Taplow it’s roughly eight miles to Marlow, passing the grounds of Cliveden House, and Cookham where there are moorings near the lock, as well as on either side of the river further up-stream and at Bourne End Marina a little further on before you run through Bourne End Reach and Marlow Lock – above the lock there are well-known views of the old suspension bridge and a choice of moorings.

The river above Marlow runs through dense woods on either side to Temple Lock, after which there follows a very busy section of the river up through Hurley Lock to Medmenham and Magpie Island. Up-stream from Magpie Island one comes to Hambleden Lock and Hambleden Weirs, where it’s possible to moor in order to walk into the famous village of the same name.

Continuing up-stream the Thames wends its way through The Chiltern Hills before approaching the course used for the renowned Royal Regatta at Henley, the home of competitive rowing, so look out for, and keep well clear of, rowing boats – if you happen to be here in June/July when the Regattas take place the course, along Henley Reach from Temple Island to the bridge it will be well marked with instructions for boaters on how to avoid it!

In addition to being the headquarters of the Henley Royal Regatta, Henley is also home to the Leander Rowing Club, the Henley Rowing Club and the Rowing Museum:  in other words Henley is to Rowing in the same way that  Lords is to Cricket, Twickenham is to Rugby or Bisley is to Shooting.  There are moorings to be found here, but probably not during Regatta Week unless booked well in advance.

Leaving Henley astern we come to Marsh Lock and passing the Hennerton backwater  there is a marina and other moorings alongside the old towpath near Wargrave village and Henley Sailing Club, before you reach Shiplake Lock.

Next comes the village of Sonning, with its 18th century bridge, followed by Sonning Lock before approaching  Caversham and Reading along an industrialised reach at the end of which is the entrance to the River Kennet, and the Kennet & Avon Canal. 

Keeping to the Thames, and continuing past the entrance to the Kennet the river avoids the centre of Reading itself and passes by Caversham opposite which there are short-term moorings giving access by land to Reading before coming to Caversham Lock and Reading Bridge, followed shortly by De Montford Island, where there are more moorings. The main river flows round the Reading side of the island, but it’s actually possible to pass it on either side.

Next comes the historic old Caversham Bridge, Pipers Island and the Holiday Inn; this is another busy area with several bases for passenger boats offering day trips etc., boat-houses and rowing clubs before passing the moorings at Reading Marine Services, St Mary’s and Poplar islands and Purley Marina.
North of Purley Marina comes the deep lock near Mapledurham House featured in the Forsyte Saga, with short-term moorings for those wishing to visit the house.

Continuing up-stream from Mapledurham Lock past Pangbourne the river reaches Whitchurch toll bridge and Whitchurch Lock, Pangbourne railway station and the Swan Inn before a long reach leading up to Brunel’s Gatehampton Bridge, after which the river flows in-between hills in a reach known as the Goring Gap, followed by Goring Bridge and Goring Lock, where there are moorings. Ahead lies a short reach to Cleeve Lock passing Goring Sailing Club moorings and on to South Stoke where there are moorings near the well-known Beetle & Wedge Hotel before passing under Moulsford Railway Bridge, and through North Stoke and the Winterbrook Bridge to Wallingford Bridge and Wallingford itself where there are several attractions and moorings at the Town Wharf.

Continuing up-stream from Wallingford through Benson Lock, where there are moorings, the river runs north-west under Shillingford Bridge to historic Dorchester-on-Thames,  via a section with several mooring opportunities both south and north of the entrance to the River Thame. North of Dorchester the river makes a wide sweep through Day’s Lock past Burcot and Clifton Hampden and the well-known and popular Barley Mow pub. to Clifton Lock where there is a navigable side-stream leading to another popular watering-hole, the Plough Inn.

The next up-stream section, Culham Reach under Sutton Bridge through Culham Lock to Abingdon Lock is seriously busy with a variety of watersports, with few mooring possibilities above Sutton Pools until you are almost at Abingdon Bridge. There are moorings and hostelries between Abingdon Bridge and Abingdon Lock, and further moorings above the lock too.

From Abingdon Lock the river wends its way north past Radleigh College, and through Sandford Lock before reaching the pretty mainly tree-lined section near the Isis Bridge and the university City of Oxford which really starts at the Iffley Lock – north of this lock up to the Folly Bridge is the colleges’ rowing territory with useful moorings immediately before Folly Bridge but few opportunities to moor beyond here until you reach Osney Marina or are through Osney Lock where there are moorings useful for those wishing to walk into the City Centre, or to the mainline railway station.

Up-stream from Osney Lock the river divides, with Bulstake Stream running off to the west, the main river and Castle Mill Stream straight ahead, and the Sheepwash Channel leading to the Oxford Canal off to the East.  Staying on the Thames itself under Medley Bridge there are moorings at Bossoms Boatyard near Medley Sailing Club just south of the village of Binsey.

From Binsey the river is quite wide up to Godstow Lock after which it narrows  before passing under Godstow Bridge above which there are moorings enabling a visit to the Trout Inn of Inspector Morse fame,  while further up-stream the river widens again above the Thames Bridge carrying the Oxford By-Pass before arriving at Kings Lock, with its entrance into the Oxford Canal to the right.

Up-stream from Kings Lock the river swings westward past the entrance to the River Evenlode to reach Eynsford Lock and  the moorings just before Swinford toll bridge.  These moorings are useful for provisioning, or topping-up with fuel at the Oxford Cruisers Boatyard, because there are no other facilities for attending to these things during the following 25 or so miles to Lechlade, and the limit of navigation at Cricklade.

The river up-stream from Swinford twists and turns through the section either side of  Pinkhill Lock, passing Bablock Hythe village through Northmoor Lock and on to Newbridge where there are moorings and several  hostelries especially popular with those looking to explore the beautiful, and normally tranquil  final 16 miles of  navigable river up to Lechlade,  and even perhaps in a small boat a further 11 miles beyond Lechlade to Cricklade.

Above Newbridge through Shifford and under the Tadpole Bridge (with moorings near the Trout Inn) to Rushey and Radcot Locks to Radcot village where there are moorings opposite the Swan Hotel just downstream of the tricky-to-navigate Radcot road bridge.

Continuing  up-stream through Grafton Lock there are several moorings below and above the village of Kelmscot followed by a rather tortuous section approaching Buscot Lock before reaching moorings near St.John’s Lock just short of Lechlade.

Approaching Lechlade itself there are moorings alongside the towpath near the Halfpenny Bridge,  and other moorings further up-stream before finally reaching the head of navigation for motor vessels at The Round House.

In small boats (ie less than about 8m overall length) it may be possible to continue further upstream towards or even right to  the official head of navigation at Cricklade Bridge, but it needs great care and the river narrows to the point where turning round to head back can be very difficult!

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