colmac Posted December 3, 2019 Report Share Posted December 3, 2019 Planning to cruise from Oxford to Lechlade next year and was wondering; do you need a full Thames license for this ? Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchcrawler Posted December 3, 2019 Report Share Posted December 3, 2019 You can buy a visitor licence at the first Thames lock you come to. The price depends on the area of your boat and how long you plan to stay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Posted December 3, 2019 Report Share Posted December 3, 2019 ^^^^^^^^^^ and you will have to pay for mooring in Lechlade too, but well worth it - it's a really nice stretch of river. The only disappointment was the Oxford moorings. It took us a full 14 days to get there only to find about a mile of largely unoccupied 2-day moorings at the end of the canal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacka Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 16 hours ago, Midnight said: ^^^^^^^^^^ and you will have to pay for mooring in Lechlade too, but well worth it - it's a really nice stretch of river. The only disappointment was the Oxford moorings. It took us a full 14 days to get there only to find about a mile of largely unoccupied 2-day moorings at the end of the canal. Would you have been happier if the moorings were full?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 If you don't mind a (short) walk, you can moor further upstream above the bridge on the LHS for free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midnight Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 7 hours ago, Chewbacka said: Would you have been happier if the moorings were full?? I would have been happier still if they were 4 or 5 day moorings. Why so many 2 day moorings? Someone told me they had been problems with continuous moorers but mixing 2, 5 & 7 day mooring would make no difference to that problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proper Charlie Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 We cruised up to Lechlade last year and don’t recall paying for moorings. Lots of room on the LH bank going upstream, in the meadow below the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily Rose Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 1 minute ago, Proper Charlie said: We cruised up to Lechlade last year and don’t recall paying for moorings. Lots of room on the LH bank going upstream, in the meadow below the bridge. Luck of the draw. We moored one night (summer 2017) and the farmer came along about 9 next morning to collect his £5. Other folks report that no-one came calling. I guess it depends on whether he can be arsed on any given day or whether he has other more pressing priorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keeping Up Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 3 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said: We cruised up to Lechlade last year and don’t recall paying for moorings. Lots of room on the LH bank going upstream, in the meadow below the bridge. It all depends when you arrive. If there only a couple of boats there, the farmer doesn't bother coming round to collect. If it's busy, it's worth his while to collect. We always stop there and are happy to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Detling Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 You can always stop on the river in Oxford, loads of space just upstream of the cut to Isis lock and only 100yards extra walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john6767 Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 48 minutes ago, Proper Charlie said: We cruised up to Lechlade last year and don’t recall paying for moorings. Lots of room on the LH bank going upstream, in the meadow below the bridge. It is not free there, you pay if the farmer comes and collects, on behalf of one of the Oxford collages I believe. Last time we were there for two nights, no one came to collect, but you should expect to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter X Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 On 03/12/2019 at 15:04, ditchcrawler said: You can buy a visitor licence at the first Thames lock you come to. The price depends on the area of your boat and how long you plan to stay Effectively right I think, although the EA actually call it registration, not a licence. Area is beam x length. And a typical narrow boat counts as a "launch". Here is the link to the 2019 prices: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/river-thames-boat-registration-charges/river-thames-boat-registration-charges-1-january-2019-to-31-december-2019 To get from Oxford to Lechlade and back I reckon the one week option is enough, or maybe the OP could buy a month and take their time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave123 Posted December 4, 2019 Report Share Posted December 4, 2019 1 hour ago, john6767 said: It is not free there, you pay if the farmer comes and collects, on behalf of one of the Oxford collages I believe. Last time we were there for two nights, no one came to collect, but you should expect to pay. He offers very good rates for longer stays too and is happy for donations to be made to the RNLI instead if you miss him collecting the fee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colmac Posted December 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 So by my reckoning, a 7 day "certificate" would cost £68. I take it from the replies that 7 days would be ample to explore Lechlade ? We have no plans to go any further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 40 minutes ago, colmac said: So by my reckoning, a 7 day "certificate" would cost £68. I take it from the replies that 7 days would be ample to explore Lechlade ? We have no plans to go any further. That's difficult to answer sensibly - if you just cruise, stopping only for overnight and pubs, then it's more than adequate. Contrarywise, if you would like to explore on foot (loads of footpaths) ther there's good walking and ancient sights (etc) - then a month's licence might be more appropriate - it depends on the cost differences. This latter gives you scope to go where the Great White Cruisers lie (not that many dare to leave their marinas) - down to Abingdon or Wallingford even... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colmac Posted December 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 2 hours ago, OldGoat said: That's difficult to answer sensibly - if you just cruise, stopping only for overnight and pubs, then it's more than adequate. Contrarywise, if you would like to explore on foot (loads of footpaths) ther there's good walking and ancient sights (etc) - then a month's licence might be more appropriate - it depends on the cost differences. This latter gives you scope to go where the Great White Cruisers lie (not that many dare to leave their marinas) - down to Abingdon or Wallingford even... Good point. We are only in the planning stage for next years' voyage so will do some more research. Thanks for all replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scholar Gypsy Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 Lechlade: don't polish your paintwork before you arrive, as the cows have been known to lick boats and make a bit of a friendly mess. Also: Kelmscott is well worth a visit, home of William Morris and the arts and crafts movement. Good moorings there. Not open every day so worth checking ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtB Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 10 hours ago, colmac said: So by my reckoning, a 7 day "certificate" would cost £68. I take it from the replies that 7 days would be ample to explore Lechlade ? We have no plans to go any further. Lol, even if you had such plans, you still wouldn't be going any further. Lechlade is the limit of navigation, even if you manage to get that far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john6767 Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said: Lol, even if you had such plans, you still wouldn't be going any further. Lechlade is the limit of navigation, even if you manage to get that far! They could go downstream though. If it is the first time on the Thames and you have a full week, then as well as going up to Lechlade and back, it’s worth going downstream to say Abingdon. You get to experience the electric locks and bigger boats, and Abingdon is a good place for an evening out and lots of good free moorings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGoat Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 Be prepared for rather sniffy London W.Morris 'expert' voulunteers looking down on visitors (other staff are quite friendly) - there is / was a nice pub down the road. It can be a bit of a cattle market if there's a coach party viewing. As with all special interest venues, it helps if you have an interest in the subject. 'The Management' thouroughly enjoyed the visit. Perhaps I'm a miserable curmugeon (yes). Noe that I've started - The upper - upper Thames is what it is - a river overflow 'valley', thus mostly agricultural as it's technically a flood plain, thus habitations are scattered. Wonderful if you enjoy the slight solitude, but dire if you want some excitement (we love it as The Management revels in 'lesser spotted reed warblers' (!) and neither of us particularly look for pubs with their ever increasing control by large scale brewer property owners. (so many of folks on here seem to navigate between pubs). To counter MTB Lechlade is NOT the end - the Round House at Inglesham is (junction - so called) with the Thames and Severn canal. A short walk to a delightful deconsecrated church with box pews amidst manor estate buildings woth a visit. Depending on the flow conditions you may have to reverse back to the marina, but then I enjoy a slight challenge - otherwise boating is boring... Lechlade is pleasant even though a main road runs through it and if still there (we didn't look this year) - the Christmas shop and an Italian bakery with ditto bread. While I'm still enthusiastic, it's worh pottering around some of the locks and nearby footpaths. (Most) of the lock keepers are friendly and some of the footpaths go to delightful Cotwold villages. Do NOT miss Oxford (the canal moorings are a bit dreich, but for us (Thames based) the East Street moorings are remarkably quiet for overnighting and if you avoid the shops, some colleges are very open to visitors. If you enjoy choral music then Merton, New (and some we have yet to discover) have good choirs and even better organs. That's not everybody's taste - but worth a try - and in some cases you can visit the college for free if 'going to the chapel'. The side roads / lanes are remarkably quiet. Enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scholar Gypsy Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 5 minutes ago, OldGoat said: Be prepared for rather sniffy London W.Morris 'expert' voulunteers looking down on visitors (other staff are quite friendly) - there is / was a nice pub down the road. It can be a bit of a cattle market if there's a coach party viewing. As with all special interest venues, it helps if you have an interest in the subject. 'The Management' thouroughly enjoyed the visit. Perhaps I'm a miserable curmugeon (yes). Noe that I've started - The upper - upper Thames is what it is - a river overflow 'valley', thus mostly agricultural as it's technically a flood plain, thus habitations are scattered. Wonderful if you enjoy the slight solitude, but dire if you want some excitement (we love it as The Management revels in 'lesser spotted reed warblers' (!) and neither of us particularly look for pubs with their ever increasing control by large scale brewer property owners. (so many of folks on here seem to navigate between pubs). To counter MTB Lechlade is NOT the end - the Round House at Inglesham is (junction - so called) with the Thames and Severn canal. A short walk to a delightful deconsecrated church with box pews amidst manor estate buildings woth a visit. Depending on the flow conditions you may have to reverse back to the marina, but then I enjoy a slight challenge - otherwise boating is boring... Lechlade is pleasant even though a main road runs through it and if still there (we didn't look this year) - the Christmas shop and an Italian bakery with ditto bread. While I'm still enthusiastic, it's worh pottering around some of the locks and nearby footpaths. (Most) of the lock keepers are friendly and some of the footpaths go to delightful Cotwold villages. Do NOT miss Oxford (the canal moorings are a bit dreich, but for us (Thames based) the East Street moorings are remarkably quiet for overnighting and if you avoid the shops, some colleges are very open to visitors. If you enjoy choral music then Merton, New (and some we have yet to discover) have good choirs and even better organs. That's not everybody's taste - but worth a try - and in some cases you can visit the college for free if 'going to the chapel'. The side roads / lanes are remarkably quiet. Enough. Agree with all of this - don't forget the Cathedral choir (Christ Church, close to Folly Bridge). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 Can confirm the cows are a bit inquisitive a friend of mine had his generator (an old Johnson "chorehorse") pushed into the river by cows just below Lechlade bridge. That was about 25 years ago but cows are still cows. A trip to Lechlade is always worth doing. I've done it in a variety of boats including 55ft nb and 58x12ft barge. Last time was last summer in a 20f Colvic. Never been up there in noticeable stream conditions but it does always seem to be flowing faster than further down the River and there are some very tight bends. So if it was an early season trip it would be worth keeping a close eye on the conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) 37 minutes ago, magnetman said: Can confirm the cows are a bit inquisitive a friend of mine had his generator (an old Johnson "chorehorse") pushed into the river by cows just below Lechlade bridge. That was about 25 years ago but cows are still cows. A trip to Lechlade is always worth doing. I've done it in a variety of boats including 55ft nb and 58x12ft barge. Last time was last summer in a 20f Colvic. Never been up there in noticeable stream conditions but it does always seem to be flowing faster than further down the River and there are some very tight bends. So if it was an early season trip it would be worth keeping a close eye on the conditions. Lechlade 2003 Edited December 8, 2019 by Tim Lewis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Lewis Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 1 hour ago, OldGoat said: Be prepared for rather sniffy London W.Morris 'expert' voulunteers looking down on visitors (other staff are quite friendly) - there is / was a nice pub down the road. It can be a bit of a cattle market if there's a coach party viewing. As with all special interest venues, it helps if you have an interest in the subject. 'The Management' thouroughly enjoyed the visit. Perhaps I'm a miserable curmugeon (yes). Noe that I've started - The upper - upper Thames is what it is - a river overflow 'valley', thus mostly agricultural as it's technically a flood plain, thus habitations are scattered. Wonderful if you enjoy the slight solitude, but dire if you want some excitement (we love it as The Management revels in 'lesser spotted reed warblers' (!) and neither of us particularly look for pubs with their ever increasing control by large scale brewer property owners. (so many of folks on here seem to navigate between pubs). To counter MTB Lechlade is NOT the end - the Round House at Inglesham is (junction - so called) with the Thames and Severn canal. A short walk to a delightful deconsecrated church with box pews amidst manor estate buildings woth a visit. Depending on the flow conditions you may have to reverse back to the marina, but then I enjoy a slight challenge - otherwise boating is boring... Lechlade is pleasant even though a main road runs through it and if still there (we didn't look this year) - the Christmas shop and an Italian bakery with ditto bread. While I'm still enthusiastic, it's worh pottering around some of the locks and nearby footpaths. (Most) of the lock keepers are friendly and some of the footpaths go to delightful Cotwold villages. Do NOT miss Oxford (the canal moorings are a bit dreich, but for us (Thames based) the East Street moorings are remarkably quiet for overnighting and if you avoid the shops, some colleges are very open to visitors. If you enjoy choral music then Merton, New (and some we have yet to discover) have good choirs and even better organs. That's not everybody's taste - but worth a try - and in some cases you can visit the college for free if 'going to the chapel'. The side roads / lanes are remarkably quiet. Enough. The Round House is not the end, we have taken Fulbourne, a 71' ex working boat the best part of two miles above there. Have heard of boats getting as far as Hannington Bridge in the past. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetman Posted December 8, 2019 Report Share Posted December 8, 2019 I've been past hannington bridge in a kayak yearsago but it was very shallow as in inches not feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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