Oxford and the Thames

[Darren72]

We are thinking about a trip to Oxford and our first proper river cruise. Easter or August. Apart for better weather which months would you choose and which way on the Thames. North or south. We will have 2/3 days river we hope.

[b0atman]

I am thinking to the source do the otherway when doing the ring.

First on there turn that dripping tap off.

Edited August 30, 2015 by b0atman

[Darren72]

? Boatman

[Flyboy]

? Boatman

It's a reference to the source of the Thames.

[RichLech]

Might be pushed to get to Lechlade and back to Oxford in 2/3 days although river is lovely - more rural and quieter that way. Low (Osney) bridge at Oxford prevents large cruisers going that way.

 

Oxford - Abingdon - Oxford would be a good trip for 2/3 days. Abingdon is very boater friendly - lot of free mooring.

 

Easter would have been good this year but in 2014 Thames was still pretty lively at that time. Didn't finally come off yellow boards until sometime in May.

 

August OK but may be a bit busier due to school holidays.

[john6767]

We are almost back at Napton having been down the Oxford canal and up the Thames to Lechlade. The Thames was deserted. If you really need to you can go from the Oxford canal via Dukes cut to Lechlade in a day, but much better to take 2 days each way if you can. August should give you good weather but if course that was not the case this year!

[b0atman]

My reference to the tap was a comedy sketch where the tap was turned of and the thames dried up.possibly Monty Python.

[OldGoat]

A day from Duke's to Lechlade??

That's more than pushing it - especially if there's a bit of 'fresh' in the River. Mark you if there is - then you'll rush down without any effort.

Three days in total is a bit more realistic.

 

Remember (unless you're on a Gold) that a licence fee is payable and two one day licences works out at around a week's licence, so take your time.

Of course you don't have to go all the way to Lechlade...

[john6767]

A day from Duke's to Lechlade??

That's more than pushing it - especially if there's a bit of 'fresh' in the River. Mark you if there is - then you'll rush down without any effort.

Three days in total is a bit more realistic.

 

Remember (unless you're on a Gold) that a licence fee is payable and two one day licences works out at around a week's licence, so take your time.

Of course you don't have to go all the way to Lechlade...

Assuming August with not much flow as is the case now, I would say about 12 hours to Lechlade. A few years ago we went from Eynsham lock to Lechlade in a day, we bought the licence at Eynsham and the lock keeper was still on at St Johns, so I would say that took around 11 hours and we had to work more than 50% og the locks ourselves, as so an extra hour from Dukes Cut to Eynsham, says you can do it in 12 hours to me. If you take 2 days clearly that is much better, but if you need to do it in 1 day I don't see a problem.

[adam1uk]

We've also done Eynsham to Lechlade in a day, and then a day back. This was a couple of Septembers ago, when the river was at a very low level.

[OldGoat]

I dunno why I bother -

The OP is on holiday - and not a cruising challenge; he just wanted some suggestions.

Yes, you could probably cruise from Duke's to Lechlade and back in 24 hours continuous cruising - but would you want to???

 

I note several folks said it could be done from Eynsham, whereas the question started from the point of entry onto the Thames...

[adam1uk]

I dunno why I bother -

The OP is on holiday - and not a cruising challenge; he just wanted some suggestions.

Yes, you could probably cruise from Duke's to Lechlade and back in 24 hours continuous cruising - but would you want to???

 

I note several folks said it could be done from Eynsham, whereas the question started from the point of entry onto the Thames...

 

It's up to the OP to decide what he wants to do -- without people decreeing how he should spend his holiday. Information and experience from others is never a bad thing.

[Murflynn]

Upstream from Oxford is utterly rural, only a few locks, a couple of pubs, only the occasional boat, few suitable mooring places. Locks are manual, often DIY. If you like unspoilt countryside and a quiet life, that is the way to go.

Downstream from Oxford is classic Thames river - plenty of boats of all descriptions including everything from gin palaces to rowing eights, remote controlled locks, often manned by a lock-keeper, frequent villages, houses, pubs.

 

Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice.

[Darren72]

South it is then but we will need to do an about turn and get back to the Oxford after a day or 2 so how far can we get before winding? Realisic 6/7 hour cruising a day.

[RichLech]

Abingdon easy in a day. Perhaps on to Dorchester - lovely rural moorings just above Days Lock then short walk into Dorchester.

 

In two 6/7 hour days you could probably get to Goring. Great food in the John Barleycorn.

[Murflynn]

South it is then but we will need to do an about turn and get back to the Oxford after a day or 2 so how far can we get before winding? Realisic 6/7 hour cruising a day.

rather depends on the time of year - queueing for locks, or not. You'll get further at Easter, provided the river is not closed by floods.

[Peter X]

Abingdon easy in a day. Perhaps on to Dorchester - lovely rural moorings just above Days Lock then short walk into Dorchester.

 

In two 6/7 hour days you could probably get to Goring. Great food in the John Barleycorn.

I don't know if this will help, but on a trip in July as crew for Paulmeds we did King's Lock to Goring in one long day (Thu 9th in fact) of about 11 or 12 hours, including a break of maybe an hour at Abingdon. We were setting out to cover the miles getting a boat moved, you may wish to take it easier. At each lock there was enough room to fit in all the boats that were present, but maybe it gets busier in the school holidays in August.

 

Bear in mind that it's a bit easier to cover miles on the Thames because it's a big wide river, so there's less need to slow down to pass moored boats, but do watch out for rowers, canoes and swimmers. Also at the risk of stating the obvious, being a river it's a bit faster going downstream than up, depending on the flow at the time. It was pretty tame for us, but isn't always.

[nicknorman]

We did Oxford up to lechlade and back a few years ago. To be honest, after a while the rural riparian sameness gets pretty boring. Perhaps going south would be more interesting?

[OldGoat]

We did Oxford up to lechlade and back a few years ago. To be honest, after a while the rural riparian sameness gets pretty boring. Perhaps going south would be more interesting?

I think he's already decided to go downstream.

Up is fine if you like birding, fishing and perhaps walking (a bit) AND the locks are 'proper' locks; a joy to operate. Otherwise -as you say.

 

The OP asked about winding:-

The River's so wide that you can wind 'almost anywhere'

NOT immediately above a lock by the head weir (OK if you have lots of power and are experienced).

Get to one side of the river, get some speed on, turn into the stream - so that the stream pushes the bow round, a bit more power to push it round a bit further and you're done.

[Darren72]

Ta Old Goat. We can turn on a six pence. We are only 50ft.