River Thames to the Kennet and Avon canal

[Narrowboat Jimmy]

Hi there,

 

My boat is currently on the river Thames and i am going to be heading down the river Kennet and mooring up just after county lock (106).

 

My question is where abouts does the river Kennet end and the canal begin as i need to know whether i need to buy a Kennet and Avon canal licence?

 

My boat only has a river licence at the moment. I have made some phone calls to the river environment agency and the british waterways but i have so say both are proving to be unhelpful.

 

If someone could help me out i would be most grateful.

 

Jimmy

[sueb]

Hi there,

 

My boat is currently on the river Thames and i am going to be heading down the river Kennet and mooring up just after county lock (106).

 

My question is where abouts does the river Kennet end and the canal begin as i need to know whether i need to buy a Kennet and Avon canal licence?

 

My boat only has a river licence at the moment. I have made some phone calls to the river environment agency and the british waterways but i have so say both are proving to be unhelpful.

 

If someone could help me out i would be most grateful.

 

Jimmy

Town Bridge Reading is the boundary

Sue

[Tony Brooks]

Hi there,

 

My boat is currently on the river Thames and i am going to be heading down the river Kennet and mooring up just after county lock (106).

 

My question is where abouts does the river Kennet end and the canal begin as i need to know whether i need to buy a Kennet and Avon canal licence?

 

My boat only has a river licence at the moment. I have made some phone calls to the river environment agency and the british waterways but i have so say both are proving to be unhelpful.

 

If someone could help me out i would be most grateful.

 

Jimmy

 

 

To add to that, if this is just for a day or so I doubt anyone will notice you have no BW license. Blake's lock is an EA lock which your Environment Agency license is valid and Count lock is unmanned normally.

 

If you have taken a mooring on the right, between the lock and the Barclay Avenue road bridge I think you would be well advised to be very careful about security. Although the opposite bank has now been developed which will hinder the stone throwers I would not like to moor there and BW seem to have difficulty filling these berths.

 

Personally I would not moor until well above Fobney lock and out of direct sight of that lock.

[sueb]

Mooring is ok by the Prison or in front of Homebase both EA

Sue

[David Schweizer]

Town Bridge Reading is the boundary

Sue

 

Theoreticly you should purchase BW licence at Blakes lock, but I agree with Tony, that if you are only planning to spend a couple of days on the K&A, you may well get away with not having a BW licence.

 

Blakes lock is staffed by E.A. personnel and I have never been aware of them taking much notice going up stream. It really depends on how diligent the officer is, and they go off duty about 5pm so after that time thwere is no one to check anyway.

Edited May 5, 2009 by David Schweizer

[Narrowboat Jimmy]

Thanks very much for the help. I will be mooring up on the left side on the backside of one of the houses so security is not really a issue.

 

Thanks again.

[WJM]

"My boat is currently on the river Thames and i am going to be heading down the river Kennet and mooring up just after county lock (106)."

 

I think you mean UP. Rivers tend to have a slight incline!

[Guest]

Theoreticly you should purchase BW licence at Blakes lock, but I agree with Tony, that if you are only planning to spend a couple of days on the K&A, you may well get away with not having a BW licence.

 

Blakes lock is staffed by E.A. personnel and I have never been aware of them taking much notice going up stream. It really depends on how diligent the officer is, and they go off duty about 5pm so after that time thwere is no one to check anyway.

I doubt anyone will notice you have no BW license

 

Oh dear.. is it now OK to have an unlicenced boat as long as nobody is watching? The Original Poster asked where the Kennet and Avon Canal started so he could obtain the correct licence, not whether he could sneak in without one and just look at what advice he has been given so far!

 

I live on the K&A but this week I am having a few days down on the Thames. I didn't even consider that "I may get away with not having a E.A. licence" so why should it be any different for a Thames based boat visiting BW waters? BW offers a range of short term licences for visitors in the same way that the E.A. does for the Thames and boaters planning to visit should obtain one in advance - you can even do it by phone. They are a good deal cheaper than those offered by the E.A. visitor licences too.

 

In answer to the OP:

According to the Environment Agency user's guide to the Thames their jurisdiction extends "upstream (of Kennet Mouth) to 64 metres (70 yards) east of the High Bridge in Reading."

Which in practice is clearly marked by signs at the footbridge just downstream of the traffic lights at the Oracle centre.

[Steilsteven]

At the back of a house? I take it you mean one of the houses on Elgar Road, B.W. licence required I'm afraid.

If your boat is more than 15' long you could be in danger of upsetting the neighbours as these gardens are quite narrow ,apart from one the owner of which wouldn't be very happy about you not abiding by the rules.

 

Keith.