Goring Friday 6 June 2014

The Moorings here on the Forbury Loop were almost absolutely fine. The down side the birds sit in the trees and poo on the boat, but we didn’t here anyone all night. If anyone is considering using these moorings this month they will be closed from 8 am on the 12th to 12 mid day on the 15th for the Water Fest.

You may recall last time we left the Kennet there were two Black Swans with a Cygnet, when we came back up last night there was no Cygnet, this morning no sign of the Black Swans.

We left just after 10 and carried on round the loop back to the main river, passing the site of some new flats. I think they may look better if they leave the scaffolding up when they finish.

Once on the river it was down stream passed the old Huntley and Palmers building back to the Thames at Kennet Mouth, here we turned upstream and stopped at Tesco’s, we haven’t been to one lately.

Just as we were leaving nb Zygnema was also ready to leave, they are one of the boat we shared with yesterday, so they followed me to Caversham lock where we were joined by a hire cruiser and a very nice wooden cruiser called Lady Florence, this was originally powered by a petrol Gardner but is now an electric hybrid. It looks good from the front but looking at the stern is even better, with a sharper point than the bow. Needless to say we didn’t see her again until we had moored for the night at Goring Lock.

Reading bridge has some nice stone work on the sides of the arches. Again the flow on the river was playing with us. Although the yellow boards are down there is still a good flow in this reach the strongest being just above Reading Marine by the railway wall. I had the engine on a steady 1000 rpm and our speed varied from just over 4 mph  on the wide sections down to two and three quarter mph. by the railway wall.

At Mapledurham Lock the EA have some old Rymer weir paddles on display. Years ago this is how the water flow was controlled, a row of Rymers formed the weir and to let more water flow the lock keeper would draw more Rymers.It was just after this that we saw another very splendid wooden craft, this time a bit smaller and maybe in my price range, but just as beautiful making its way sedately upstream.  As well as the paddler there is a small dog onboard. Just look at the shape head on. 

A little further on was another traditional Thames Craft a rowing scull, but not 3 Men in a boat as in Jerome K. Jerome writings but Three Ladies in a Boat and it looks as if they are sponsored by our local brewery Adnams of Suffolk.

Work is still ongoing at Whitchurch lock but there is not much visible change other than four piles in the riverbed since we passed some 6 weeks ago. I guess they must have made some headway in that time.

This weekend at Beale Park there is a boat show so there were a few very smart boats moored along the bank at reserved moorings. By now the sky was a light blue with fine cloud, the vapour trails from the planes were casting shadows on the lower cloud so looked like dark trails on white clouds, then I spotter this formation over the trees.

We arrived at the visitor mooring at Goring with a fair old flow on the river to find loads of spaces, however since we have been here they have slowly field up for the night.

Today’s route. Note the squiggle in Reading.

Forbury Loop Reading Thru 5 June 2014

Just as we were considering setting off the boat that was moored behind passed us heading for the lock so we decided to give it a short time and get ourselves organised before leaving. Looking out as we were getting ready to go he was still waiting for the lock and a rather smart launch had just come down and turned up the weir stream,  so we made a quick getaway to catch the lock as well. despite several blasts on the horn the lock gates closed as we approached. A few more blasts and they opened again, what I didn’t realise was that there were already 2 Narrowboats in the lock, but the locky told us to slide down the middle which we did with ease. Once the top gates opened we were first away giving Marlow weir a wide berth.

At the next lock a cruiser joined us and I felt uneasy as the first boat in Marlow lock was not allowed entry and had to wait, whereas I should have been the late comer. Mind you, he caught us up at Marsh lock and guess where he was in the lock, piggy in the middle and first out, so overall it all worked out.

I think some of the bridges on the Thames are quite elegant like this one at Temple.

We were still officially on “Strong Flow” but it has greatly improved since yesterday, for some reason lots say its increasing.

In the next reach there is a monument to Hudson Ewbanke Kearley who was the one who suggested food rationing. One of the things that has always intrigued me on this stretch of the river is Culham Court, not the big house on the hill, or the chap trying to push the lawn dower up the grass beside the steps running up from the landing stage to the house, but what looks like a door going into the hill side, could this have been an air raid shelter or an Ice House, even a tunnel leading up to the house, who knows?

We had just moored up at Henley for lunch, its free mooring between 10 am and 3 pm by the Rowing and River Museum when the Dunkirk Little Ship, L'Orage came by looking absolutely splendid.

3 pm and we were off, heading for Marsh Lock in company with one of the boats we had shared with at Marlow, once in the lock nb. Falcon came steaming up, again from first thing this morning and joined us. We all pulled over at Shiplake Lock to fill or empty tanks and we left Falcon there still emptying. Whilst we were waiting for water I wandered to the tent area to photograph this Thames Conservancy boundary marker.

We pushed on arriving at Kennet Mouth at just on 6 pm and as we had heard that there are good moorings on the Forbury Loop of the River Kennet and we had never been there we decided to try that, so once again it was through Blake’s lock and then hard right above the weir, I wouldn’t have wanted to have done this last time we came up here as even now there was a pull from the weir on the bow, found to the left passed the mooring fingers and a quick stop to take the exhaust, flags and weather station down to get under the low bridge. Past the island with the fisherman and under the road bridge to pull in on the left and moor for the night.

Today’s Map, although we are going up the Thames we have been travelling south most of the day.

Marlow Wednesday 4 June 2014

Boy did it rain last night and then started again almost as soon as we left.

10 am our normal start time and we winded in the flow to head downstream, there was another Narrowboat ahead of us and we followed them passed the weir and pulled in behind him on the Marlow Lock Lock moorings, while we were waiting for  boats to come up one of the Salter’s boats came passed and stopped on the dolphins. I was expecting the Locky to call him in , but no we both went in. I said to the Salter’s skipper as I passed I expected him to go ahead of us, but he said they had lost their priority.

Leaving the lock we passed the other “Free” moorings in Marlow, there were two boats there but room for another couple of Narrowboats on each end. The kids from the activity centre at Marlow http://www.longridge.org.uk/ were having a great time, the rain didn’t bother them.

Before we reached the next lock the Salter’s boat had not only caught us up but had passed us, however he had to wait for boats coming up in the lock so this time we shared with him as we did at Boulters lock.  We carried on through the railway bridge in Maidenhead before winding to fight our way up stream against the flow. There is a plaque in the far side of the bridge saying it was designed by Brunel and has the widest, flattest brick arch ever built.  Back at Boulters Lock a hire boat pulled in behind us and went to find out what the Locky was up to, good job they did as he didn’t know we were waiting.

We stopped for a bit of lunch moored to a tree on one of the Cliveden islands, looking straight up the cut Cliveden House  http://www.clivedenhouse.co.uk/ is set nicely in the trees.

These cormorant were making the most of the posts protecting the weir above the lock.

By now the weather was improving, the rain had stopped and there was a bit of sun about. We passed a house with a strange sphere arrangement in the garden which we guess was some sort of hanging garden seat/summer house. It was interesting to note that with constant engine revs our speed was anywhere between 4 and just over 2 MPH pushing the current, depending on the width and depth of the river.

We decided to try and moor below Marlow lock on the free moorings, when we arrived there were two boats there, one who was there when we passed this morning and one we met on our travels, The landing stage ahead of them was longer than behind so we tucked in there, it is not a very straight piece of piling so our stern is about 5 foot from the bank.

As you will see from the map below we are only moored about half a mile from where we where last night, but it has take us all day and 15 miles to get here. Today’s journey

Marlow Tuesday 3 June 2014

Early start for us, 9am as we had agreed with Avalon we would travel to the Thames together. The moorings here were very quiet overnight but I was still awake at 5am.

The flow below Fobney Lock was not to bad, nothing like when we came up and boats leaving the lock almost turned round with the flow. I lead the way down to County Lock which was just as well because due to some large bushes it is impossible to see the lock mooring until you are level with it. At the lock 4 men had just finished erecting a new sign about the traffic lights.

Once the lock was empty Margaret went and pressed the crossing light so we got a green straight away, as I was on the outside I lead off through the town passed the Dinosaur golf park and the last obstacle a bridge with a low curve on a bend so the flow takes you sideways. You may start off nicely lined up but soon the stern is heading for the left side of the arch, we escaped with all handrails still intact. Eventually we reached the end of the controlled section.  I have never been round by the prison but with someone following who didn’t know exactly where they were I gave it a miss, but there are some fine old looking buildings by the weir.

There were lots of Swans on the Kennet and a pair of them were black, I didn’t realise that their chicks were pale, not quite white, but not black

Once out onto the Thames we waved goodbye to Avalon as they headed upstream to the South Oxford heading for the Llangollen, we in turn went down stream towards Marlow.

We were rather intrigued by this barge who had his tiller on pointing backwards and an extension over the stern to stand on. The next point of interest was this tug coming round the bend on the wrong side trying to overtake a hire boat. As you can see he was pushing quite a bit of water.

We pulled over at Shiplake Lock, the land of tents to fill the water tank and empty the loo tank which cost £9

At Henley the erection of the regatta course is in full swing with three quarters of the river blocked. All the marquees along the towing path ready for the big day. We were followed down the course by a ladies 8 but they weren't going very fast at all and we were at the next lock before they caught up. Anyone know how far they pile all those posts in?

You may recall that I posted a photo of an old iron fencing post last week well here is the modern equivalent.

Approaching Temple Lock the Steam launch “Alaska” was just setting off and followed us down to Temple Lock but the lock keeper was adamant there was not room for both of us so they had to wait while we locked down alone. As we approached Marlow Leisure Centre 3 Narrowboats from the river Nene had just moored up. The front one kindly dropped back so that we could get in on the front. These moorings are free for 24 hours, very handy. Just as I was getting in Alaska came by heading downstream. Funny I didn’t get a cheery wave this time, maybe he felt it was my fault he had to wait.

The view from the back doors is quite pleasant, it looks as if the bridge has had a coat of paint since last time I was this way and yes we did turn round to moor, the river is still on yellow boards.

  Today’s journey.