Marlow

[Alan Wheeler]

We are planning a cruise from Newbury to Marlow, and we hope to stay a couple of days in Marlow next to Higginson Park. We had a great time last year in Henley by Mill Meadows and hope to repeat this in Marlow.

 

We are aiming to arrive around lunch time as we've learnt that's when people start to move on from the previous evening.

 

Are there any tips for the Thames section, other than turning upstream before mooring?

 

[Tony Brooks]

FWIW If the ark moorings are full, there is a very short length of public EA moorings just below the lock but they may be full as well. I wish you luck finding a mooring in Marlow if it's busy. I have been unlucky a number of times in summer.

 

If you do get caught out, there is a mooring I have used on a number of occasions immediately below the Bourne End railway bridge on the Cookham bank against a leaning and partially submerged length of concrete. Its on NT land and I have never been charged for mooring there. It's within a few steps of idiosyncratic pub The Bounty. Worth a visit on a summer's evening.

[BWM]

If mooring is a problem it may be worth talking to these, they were a great help to us when our narrow boat overheated nearby.

 

https://www.harleyford.co.uk/marinamoorings.htm

[OldGoat]

On 19/07/2021 at 13:39, Alan Wheeler said:

We are planning a cruise from Newbury to Marlow, and we hope to stay a couple of days in Marlow next to Higginson Park. We had a great time last year in Henley by Mill Meadows and hope to repeat this in Marlow.

 

We are aiming to arrive around lunch time as we've learnt that's when people start to move on from the previous evening.

 

Are there any tips for the Thames section, other than turning upstream before mooring?

 

Well that's a jolly good start - I get loadsa' stick for suggesting turning.....

If Higginson is full you could try just a tad upstream on the same side, but you may have to use a plank to get ashore.

It is possible (or was before we found a marina mooring a bit further upstream) to moor just before the lock lay by, there's room for a 60' boat where the lock access road joins the lock cut. It's a fair walk down to Marlow, but quite a pleasant one.

Failing that the lockie (if the resident is actually on duty) may have an empty slot on his lock island - as he has some permanent boats wo actually use their boats.

Or again, I've seen boats moored on the side opposite Harleyford in the reach above Temple lock - not that much further on .

Harleyford itself may have a space on its pontoons - but at Thames prices, but more importantly you can't get from the marina onto the towpath (keeps folks away, doncha know), thus you'd need a taxi into town which takes the fun out of boating.

If you aren't terrified by the thought of going anywhere near a church - I've seen a NB moored by Marlow church - but you may have to say a few Hail Mary's (or no - that's for RC - but Marlow is Oxford Diocese which is pretty near Roman anywhere). Sorry religeous joke - my bad taste...

[john6767]

We have moored a couple of times at Marlow on the public mooring just above the park, room for about 4 narrowboats, but if you stick to the rules I think it is 24 hours.

 

Does it have to be Marlow, you have Henley one day upstream and Windsor one day downstream, but with plentiful moorings at £10 a night.

[phantom_iv]

Best thing to do in Marlow is to bring some fenders and hope there's another narrowboat there you can ask to moor alongside if it's busy, doesn't work so well with the plastic flotilla though.