Southern Grand union/Thames overnight moorings

[khaffra]

We are off down the GU in a few weeks to the Thames, we have never been past Cowroast on the GU before, can anybody recomend some good overnight moorings on route and also places not to stop overnight, depending how we get on will depend on whether we go to limehouse or Brentford, hoping to go all the way to limehouse.

 

Also any moorings on the Thames before Reading as we have never been lower than that either.

[GUMPY]

We are off down the GU in a few weeks to the Thames, we have never been past Cowroast on the GU before, can anybody recomend some good overnight moorings on route and also places not to stop overnight, depending how we get on will depend on whether we go to limehouse or Brentford, hoping to go all the way to limehouse.

 

Also any moorings on the Thames before Reading as we have never been lower than that either.

 

OK here goes I will list stopping points I have used and ones that I wont......

 

Berkhamsted outside Waitrose good access to town

Top of Winkwell between the bridge and lock 59 good mooring ( if you can get in) two decent pubs in village

Winkwell above swing bridge three horse shoes ( dont bother pub is rubbish )

Apsley below lock, good access to village and DIY stores, sainsburys

Just above and below lady capels lock no facilities, some noise from M25 but not much

Cassio opposite Bridgewater boats

Batchworth opposite Tescos easy access to Ricky and all its pubs etc.

Uxbridge not quiet but reasonable pubs

Cowley opposite Packet Boat marina

Bulls Bridge Tesco moorings

 

to Brentford

I have never stopped between Bulls Bridge and the bottom of Hanwell flight can be a bit rough in places not to mention I cant get the barge near the bank.

Bottom of Hanwell flight great pub the Fox just at bottom of locks

Brentford basin

Brentford just above Thames locks semi tidal so use long ropes but well worth visiting The Brewry Tap just the other side of the locks.

 

To Lime house

Grand Junction Arms by bridge 8 good lunch stop noisey in evening

Little Venice

Paddington Basin (New)

Just before Pirate Club just after Cumberland turn

Just the other side of Islington Tunnel great secure moorings and one of the best pubs in london the Island Queen on Noel Road.

Victoria park it used to be advised not to leave the boat unattended but its been OK when ever I have stopped there

Limehouse basin on the wall great pub caled The Grapes just down Narrow Street.

I wouldnt stop anywhere else between Camden and Limehouse.

 

Thames:

Just above Teddington lock (paid)

Hampton Court (free)

Just below Sunbury lock by Molsey reservoirs ( free)

Up the weir stream below Sunbury opposite MTYC ( free)

Outside Anglers Inn opposite shepperton marina (free) cheap diesel in the marina

lots of spots round the old course of the Thames below Shepprton Lock

Laleham opposite 4 all marine (free)

Runnymeade outside sports centre (free)

Runnymeade on NT land (paid)

Just above Windsor Bridge on the stone wall before the trip boats (paid ) excellent accesss to town

Just below Boulters lock (free) noisey road

Cliveden NT (paid) moor on the islands and its the best moorin on the Thames!

Cookham just after Bridge (paid) but access to Bel and the Dragon excellent food place

Bourne End under the railway bridge port side (noisey free) and one of the strangest pubs on the thames 100 yards upstream

Bourne End Spade Oak (Paid) good moorings

Marlow town above Bridge

below Hambledon lock, Aston Flower Pot, little jetty sticks out and is private for the pub in the village recomended even if only for lunch

Just above Sonning lock (free) good pub in village The Bull

 

Well thats some of them we will be at Hanwell or Brentford 7-11th August and Spade Oak 14-18th August then Beale park from the 20th onwards

 

Good thames maps to be found at

http://www.visitthames.co.uk/gmaps4.html#

Also a good book lists all the EA free stopping places and is available from most Thames Locks

 

Hope this is of use

 

J

Edited July 26, 2006 by idleness

[khaffra]

OK here goes I will list stopping points I have used and ones that I wont......

 

Berkhamsted outside Waitrose good access to town

Top of Winkwell between the bridge and lock 59 good mooring ( if you can get in) two decent pubs in village

Winkwell above swing bridge three horse shoes ( dont bother pub is rubbish )

Apsley below lock, good access to village and DIY stores, sainsburys

Just above and below lady capels lock no facilities, some noise from M25 but not much

Cassio opposite Bridgewater boats

Batchworth opposite Tescos easy access to Ricky and all its pubs etc.

Uxbridge not quiet but reasonable pubs

Cowley opposite Packet Boat marina

Bulls Bridge Tesco moorings

 

to Brentford

I have never stopped between Bulls Bridge and the bottom of Hanwell flight can be a bit rough in places not to mention I cant get the barge near the bank.

Bottom of Hanwell flight great pub the Fox just at bottom of locks

Brentford basin

Brentford just above Thames locks semi tidal so use long ropes but well worth visiting The Brewry Tap just the other side of the locks.

 

To Lime house

Grand Junction Arms by bridge 8 good lunch stop noisey in evening

Little Venice

Paddington Basin (New)

Just before Pirate Club just after Cumberland turn

Just the other side of Islington Tunnel great secure moorings and one of the best pubs in london the Island Queen on Noel Road.

Victoria park it used to be advised not to leave the boat unattended but its been OK when ever I have stopped there

Limehouse basin on the wall great pub caled The Grapes just down Narrow Street.

I wouldnt stop anywhere else between Camden and Limehouse.

 

Thames:

Just above Teddington lock (paid)

Hampton Court (free)

Just below Sunbury lock by Molsey reservoirs ( free)

Up the weir stream below Sunbury opposite MTYC ( free)

Outside Anglers Inn opposite shepperton marina (free) cheap diesel in the marina

lots of spots round the old course of the Thames below Shepprton Lock

Laleham opposite 4 all marine (free)

Runnymeade outside sports centre (free)

Runnymeade on NT land (paid)

Just above Windsor Bridge on the stone wall before the trip boats (paid ) excellent accesss to town

Just below Boulters lock (free) noisey road

Cliveden NT (paid) moor on the islands and its the best moorin on the Thames!

Cookham just after Bridge (paid) but access to Bel and the Dragon excellent food place

Bourne End under the railway bridge port side (noisey free) and one of the strangest pubs on the thames 100 yards upstream

Bourne End Spade Oak (Paid) good moorings

Marlow town above Bridge

below Hambledon lock, Aston Flower Pot, little jetty sticks out and is private for the pub in the village recomended even if only for lunch

Just above Sonning lock (free) good pub in village The Bull

 

Well thats some of them we will be at Hanwell or Brentford 7-11th August and Spade Oak 14-18th August then Beale park from the 20th onwards

 

Good thames maps to be found at

http://www.visitthames.co.uk/gmaps4.html#

Also a good book lists all the EA free stopping places and is available from most Thames Locks

 

Hope this is of use

 

J

 

Wow quite a list thats exactly what I was after, we are leaving Weedon on the evening of the 9th, estimated that we will get to Reading on the 20th to meet some people so will go past you at Beale park soon after that.

[alan_fincher]

OK here goes I will list stopping points I have used and ones that I wont......

 

Berkhamsted outside Waitrose good access to town

 

Yes, this seems quite appealing, but the reality can be rather different for an overnight stay.

 

Opposite is an open public field, and kids playground, where large amounts of local youth hang about into the early hours, and beyond. We were woken by a football match starting at around 3:00 a.m.

 

We have also been told by someone else who stopped there for a few days that you can see kids openly snorting drugs off the slides in the playground area.

 

Personally if stopping in Berkhamsted OVERNIGHT, I'd avoid the bit by Waitrose, although it's a brilliantly convenient day-time mooring.

 

Once you are on the Tring to Kings Langley stretch you are never too far from the London (Euston) to Birmingham railway line, which can be intrusive at some places, but it's usually possible to get a reasonable separation with a bit of planning.

 

Stopping anywhere in the Cassiobury area down near Watford can be really tranquil, but at some points you'll not get right against the side. We were dragging the bottom when we last tried mooring before the bridge above the two Cassiobury Park locks, (although had been fine previously with a hire boat), but found better depths just below those locks. A very quiet overnight stop.

[GUMPY]

Yes, this seems quite appealing, but the reality can be rather different for an overnight stay.

 

Opposite is an open public field, and kids playground, where large amounts of local youth hang about into the early hours, and beyond. We were woken by a football match starting at around 3:00 a.m.

 

We have also been told by someone else who stopped there for a few days that you can see kids openly snorting drugs off the slides in the playground area.

 

Personally if stopping in Berkhamsted OVERNIGHT, I'd avoid the bit by Waitrose, although it's a brilliantly convenient day-time mooring.

 

 

Good point I havent stopped there for a couple or 3 years as its really to close to home.

 

J

[valrene9600]

If going via Little Venice i would not re-comend stopping on Paddington arm overnight from greenford into Little Venice. I was born near kensal grn and worked the whole area Greenford to L Venice for 20 years till xmas last and have seen and heard of some horrible things. Ok some might come back at me and say they moored o`night ok but i say it `s a high risk area why chance it.

LES

[NB Willawaw]

If you are going to Limehouse using the Regents Canal, we wouldn't normally moor between Bulls Bridge and the Paddington Basin.

 

There are lots of nice places below Reading.

Henley is nice, as is the eton bank of Windsor, Hampton Court (right outside the palace) and Kingston (just above Kingston bridge on the west bank).

Edited July 26, 2006 by NB Willawaw