upper thames

[alant]

Planning to go down to Oxford and turn right for the first time in June. but I have never been onto the Upper Thames before, what's it like ? Is it busy ? Can you just moor, or is it like the rest of the Thames, all fees, notices and braided caps ?!

Thanks.

[Keeping Up]

It is IMHO the very very best part of the Thames. It's not very busy, but you have to be careful on some of the sharper bends because they can be completely blind and Sod's law says that is where you will meet a full length narrowboat coming downstream far too fast; you really do need to use the whole river to get a full-length boat around the corners, which confuses some of the smaller boats that try to nip past you as you swing wide on the approach to a bend (they have to back off suddenly when they realise there's nowhere for them to go!). There is a high percentage of narrow boats there, and many of the lock keepers have their own narrow boats and understand their needs when in the locks. The locks of course are operated manually by the keepers, which gives you plenty of opportunity to make friends with them. Look out for some brilliant topiary at a couple of the locks!

 

 

There are plenty of good places to moor, and not many notices forbidding it; there are a fair number of casual 'field' mooorings but in practice it's often difficult to moor anywhere other than the recognised places because the banks can be very steep and overgrown. We've never had difficulty finding a mooring, but you may need to find someone to breast up to at popular spots like Lechlade. I've yet to see a braided cap anywhere.

 

I'm sure you will enjoy it. I'd go back there every year if it wasn't fot the extra licence fees.

[Hairy-Neil]

The beauty of the Thames west of Oxford is that the cruisers that dominate the rest of the Thames are prevented from going beyond Osney Bridge by its low headroom........Plus form Kings Lock on the locks are of the traditional type with balance beams and mechanical paddle gear.

[Howard]

No more braided caps or epaulettes anywhere on the Thames now , as of a couple of days ago we have all been told that we are not allowed to wear that uniform any more ....

Edited March 16, 2007 by Howard

[alant]

 

Thanks all for that, sorry to hear the uniform has gone on the Thames, does this spell the end of my 'nevercleaned' jeans, brown (it was white) teeshirt, and 'perpetual' socks...that I seem to always wear on the cut as my uniform!! My first experience on the Thames included proudly chuggin down the middle of the river, past lots of people and stands and such (it was Henley) they were waving at us, we could not make out what the man on the PA was shouting....until the race came into view round the curve... mind, everyone in the locks seemed to appreciate us coming in in our Willow Wren cut down hireboat.

 

So far, it sounds like that the 'right turn at Oxford' will be worth it, in fact I'm looking forward to it!!

[John Orentas]

I would reccomend the trip too if only to say you have 'Done' the Thames. Watch out for the pill-boxes.