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Holiday on the Thames


Matthew Rodliffe

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16 hours ago, Scholar Gypsy said:

I would extend your range a bit downstream to cliveden reach. The river from there to Wallingford is the best scenery IMHO. Above Oxford is very quiet and flat, I like it many don't.  The Nene (where I am now is even prettier. I went past eight churches today,  including Fotheringay, but did not hear any bells.. 

Yes that's the area I was thinking of really - the stretch from Oxford to Reading or down to Henley, probably not much above Oxford.

 

And yes the Nene looks interesting: https://dove.cccbr.org.uk/googleMap.php?lat=52.48181&lon=-0.46747

A bit further for us to travel (from Cornwall) but worth considering by the looks of it.  Thanks.

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I emailed a narrowboat firm in Oxford (city) today whose website mainly talks about the Oxford Canal - they told me they are happy for their boats to go on the Thames but "you would need to buy an additional license and it's subject to weather conditions".

 

But going by what @OldGoat and others have said, we would have to be pretty unlucky for that to be a problem in May?  Nevertheless the thought of arranging a trip, paying over 3 grand to hire a couple boats and then finding we're not allowed to go on the river makes me a bit uneasy.  Would I be worrying too much?

 

 

Thanks for all the replies to this by the way, invaluable to have some expert advice and people's points of view ? 

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22 hours ago, mark99 said:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4856611-a-summer-on-the-nene

 

BB illustrated Tom Rolts book.

 

Very sought after author.

Thanks for that. I used to live a couple of miles from where he grew up in Lamport, Northants. I’d like to read the book sometime, as i’m very fond of the Nene.

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6 minutes ago, Matthew Rodliffe said:

Nevertheless the thought of arranging a trip, paying over 3 grand to hire a couple boats and then finding we're not allowed to go on the river makes me a bit uneasy.  Would I be worrying too much?

The River is very weather dependant.  Hire boats have to tie up when the Red Boards go up.  You could stick to the Oxford Canal, plenty of towers to ring.  Can I suggest you talk to your Travel Insurer?  

Don't miss St. Barnabas in Jericho. Oxford.  Tubular bells.

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1 hour ago, Matthew Rodliffe said:

 

 

But going by what @OldGoat and others have said, we would have to be pretty unlucky for that to be a problem in May?  Nevertheless the thought of arranging a trip, paying over 3 grand to hire a couple boats and then finding we're not allowed to go on the river makes me a bit uneasy.  Would I be worrying too much?

 

about the same risk as your holiday flight being cancelled because of a volcano in Iceland.   

 

why don't you contact a narrowboat company based on the river? - they would presumably have different terms and conditions if the river is 'closed'.  e.g Anglo Welsh at Eynsham near Oxford.

Edited by Murflynn
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1 hour ago, Chris Williams said:

The River is very weather dependant.  Hire boats have to tie up when the Red Boards go up.  You could stick to the Oxford Canal, plenty of towers to ring.  Can I suggest you talk to your Travel Insurer?  

Don't miss St. Barnabas in Jericho. Oxford.  Tubular bells.

Are the red boards pretty common then?  Do they tend to be out for long periods or usually just an hour or two while the currents are at their worst?

 

1 minute ago, Murflynn said:

about the same risk as your holiday flight being cancelled because of a volcano in Iceland.   

Haha that sounds reasonably reassuring!
 

11 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

why don't you contact a narrowboat company based on the river? - they would presumably have different terms and conditions if the river is 'closed'.  e.g Anglo Welsh at Eynsham near Oxford.

Yes indeed I was going to speak to them as well

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In the 'Season' you'd have to be incredibly unlucky to be stuck on "Reds". Given out curent weather type conditions you're more likely to be stuck with low levels.....

 

Typically Reds run for a couple of days with a longer peroid of Yellows at either side.  You may be allowed (prabably will be allowed to tie up at lock moorings for free and you're never that far away from a major road - so could arrange alternative transport for the limited time that you couldn't move.

There's nothing to stop you navigating in   evenings / early morning to catch up. If going downstream you'll go quite fast......

Edited by OldGoat
correction - remove 'at night'
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1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

 

There's nothing to stop you navigating at night  / evenings / early morning to catch up. If going downstream you'll go quite fast......

Most hire boats aren't permitted to travel at night I.e. when it's dark. But the hours of daylight are pretty long in May.

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57 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Most hire boats aren't permitted to travel at night I.e. when it's dark. But the hours of daylight are pretty long in May.

Yes - my bad , now removed 'night'.  - as you say there's still plenty of scope to extend usable cruising hours - if needed.

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1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

Yes - my bad , now removed 'night'.  - as you say there's still plenty of scope to extend usable cruising hours - if needed.

I'm guessing if you've got a large party on a boat, one or two people could get up early to get moving and the rest can just lie in bed til they feel like getting up?

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1 hour ago, Matthew Rodliffe said:

I'm guessing if you've got a large party on a boat, one or two people could get up early to get moving and the rest can just lie in bed til they feel like getting up?

It happens even if you have a smallish party. Especially when some of them are teenagers...

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1 hour ago, Matthew Rodliffe said:

I'm guessing if you've got a large party on a boat, one or two people could get up early to get moving and the rest can just lie in bed til they feel like getting up?

 

4 minutes ago, David Mack said:

It happens even if you have a smallish party. Especially when some of them are teenagers...

Works really badly if you are singlehanded though ...

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2 hours ago, David Mack said:

It happens even if you have a smallish party. Especially when some of them are teenagers...

 

What is the secret to getting teenagers to get up and move the boat whilst you have a lie in?

 

Whatever it is I never found it. ?

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7 hours ago, Matthew Rodliffe said:

I'm guessing if you've got a large party on a boat, one or two people could get up early to get moving and the rest can just lie in bed til they feel like getting up?

They can, but those having a lie-in are unlikely to stay asleep long.

 

I've also seen ABC hire boats from their base at Aldermaston out on the Thames (presumably with permission!), but you'd have to allow a bit of time to do the bit of the K&A between there and Reading. If going through the Reading locks, beware the weir at County lock going downstream (tie up under the bridge and walk ahead to get the lock ready), and don't open the top gate paddles too quickly at Fobney lock going upstream. Also be aware of the one way working section through the shopping centre and its traffic light controls and awkward bridge. All easy when you know how.

 

As you only want to do the river, it wouldn't surprise me if you can hire river cruisers for your trip from somewhere, but you'd need to research the hire companies and ask about sizes and costs, and how many can sleep aboard. A narrow boat is fine on the river, but those GRP boats are more suited to it. But you'd still be delayed in the (very unlikely as Old Goat says) event of a flood.

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1 hour ago, Peter X said:

A narrow boat is fine on the river, but those GRP boats are more suited to it.

A proper river boat is wider and that makes a lot of difference to comfort.  They mostly have a wheelhouse of some sort to keep the rain off you and wheel steering.

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