19th -26th May

Can’t believe it’s already a week since our last blog entry!  We’re now following the Thames for approximately 100 miles towards Oxford, where we will rejoin the canal system. After our epic adventure on the Tideway we spent the Saturday night at Teddington, 

Hampton Court

then moved up to moor beside the royal palace of Hampton Court, where we retrieved Benny from the nearby “Cats’ Palace” cattery in East Molesey. This short trip involved braving scores of canoes, kayaks and sailing boats all enjoying the glorious weekend sunshine as they played chicken by dashing across our bows.  Slightly nerve-racking!

Dinghies playing 'chicken'

The Thames locks are huge in comparison to canal locks, but passage through is luxuriously easy, as they are all manned (or womanned in a few cases) during working hours. 

Molesey Lock

We have become comfortably accustomed to mooring up briefly below the lock before being waved in by a friendly lock-keeper, all of whom have been charming, and a great source of knowledge and information. The locks are all electrically operated, and can be used 24 hours a day, but before 9am and after 5pm they are ‘self-service’.

Do-it-Yourself

By Tuesday afternoon we had reached Windsor, mooring half-way between the Castle and Eton College – very illustrious neighbours. 

Patiently waiting for HRH

No comment needed ...

  However, even Her Maj has to suffer the constant noise from incoming planes heading for Heathrow, as the castle is directly under the flight-path.

On Wednesday we moored at Cookham, home village of the artist Sir Stanley Spencer, where the gallery dedicated to him was showing a very interesting exhibition ( www.stanleyspencer.org.uk/ )

Stanley Spencer gallery, Cookham

Thursday saw us just below Henley where we moored in a hail storm just below the race course on Henley Reach.  Despite the inclement weather, there were plenty of rowers powering past all afternoon and evening, presumably practising hard for the forthcoming regatta.

Rowers at Henley

The boat has made steady progress against the current, averaging about 3mph (as on the canal).  The river is so vast compared to the narrow confines of the ‘Cut’, and if we overshoot a possible mooring spot we can simply swing the boat around in a huge circle and come by again – quite unlike the canal system where it’s only possible to turn at designated ‘winding holes’.

Below Cliveden

Boating on the Thames is certainly not cheap!  We’ve just paid a second whack of £69.50 for a further week’s river licence, and have been charged (up to £10) at several overnight moorings. 

Near Medmenham

But it is very beautiful, and we have passed through some stunning scenery and enjoyed a variety of wildlife.

Sunset at Cookham