Wandering Canuck

Richmond. This was the intermediate step between Hampton Court Palace, and the tidal Thames. All good. Had some shopping, and then a chance to ring the 12 in All Saints, Richmond. Nice bells, they had a full band, so rang in the 12, and they chose tittums (on 12) for call changes. That was a bit of a challenge for someone who hasn’t rang in a 12 for more than a year!

Hampton Court Palace

one of the many formal gardens surrounding the palace

the Georgian part of Hampton Court Palace

Henry VIII’s clock court, with the chapel royal on the right

one of the royal presence rooms  of one of the three monarchs that made this palace their court

TheThames. Success and finish!

Well, after a significant amount of planning and preparation, and inviting my friend Chris Seager along, I made the trip on the tidal stretch of the Thames from Teddington Lock through London, to Limehouse basin. It was epic!

The day, unfortunately, was very misty and damp, with a significant wind. Not cold (thank goodness!), but not as sublime and pleasant as the past 10 days. Oh well. We started at 0730h this morning, moving from Kingston Bridge to Teddington lock, and went through at the top of the tide. That meant the ebbing tide would move us along smartly. We went along, under many of the famous bridges that have been so important in British history. We also went along the famous boat race course, where Oxford and Cambridge battle it out every year in rowing supremacy.

Then London.

Lots of fast catamarans, whose wakes make my very little, 17 tonne, narrowboat,  bob like a cork. The bow rose and fell almost 2m, sometimes lifting the bottom right out of the water, and then the stern (and prop) would life out, making a ‘rooster-tail’ of water spraying out the stern.

St. Paul’s Cathedral watching over some of the very busy city

the Tower of London, with Traitor’s Gate leading from the river

palace of Westminster

the approach to Tower Bridge

on the approach to Tower Bridge, avoiding collision with this other little ship (HMS Belfast)

listening for the strike of Big Ben, and 1100h

We toured past the famous landmarks of the London Eye, Westminster (and listened to Big Ben strike 1100h). HMS Belfast, the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and finally Tower Bridge. Wow!

We then crossed over the river from south side to north, weaving between two of the fast ferries, and into Limehouse cut, where we had to await the return of the tide to provide enough water to get through the lock, and off the Thames. We bumped beside the pier for 3h, with the wakes of the ferries, and then, back to peaceful canal waters.

The Thames (still continued)

Well, Henley was a bigger disappointment than I expected. Besides having to pay for the mooring, no one showed for the promised ringing practice! Oh well, on to Marlow. Nice gentleman is a scruffy boat indicated that if I moored 20m further up the river, I avoided the 12 quid mooring charge. So done! Then a chance to ring here- this time pre-arranged. They only had 6 people (including me), one of whom was just beginning, so we only rang 5 of their 8 bells.

Marlow, with a very old, iron, suspension bridge

bank-side mooring straight ahead!

mooring on the far right of the picture. The skyline building is Cliveden House, a National Trust property.

Then, onwards. I met a friend whom I have encountered several times, in “Ant”. Ken has been most helpful, and directed me to one of the best moorings ever. Tucked into a backwater, deep water so no issues, and protected from the wind. I was able to get several jobs done, as there was also a bench that I could set tools on. AND, there wasn’t anyone else around that I would annoy!

I made a rather later start yesterday, and then met Ken again just upstream of Windsor. He gave me a long, very informative (and really needed) tutorial on navigating around and through London. Then, I dodged multiple rowing crews and tour boats as I approached Windsor. Lots of very posh (and expensive riverside houses (estates…).

one of many large estates along the river

Expecting to not find anything except expensive moorings, I took pictures on the fly. Just above Windsor Lock, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, there is a stretch of free moorings! So, I stopped to offer HM a Canadian perspective. She wasn’t home, so I left a message…

HM Royal castle at Wndsor

This morning, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and I’m off to Staines, where I hope to get a mooring for the weekend. I’m invited to another boating friend’s 70th birthday. The boating community has been one of the best parts of this adventure!

The Thames.

I’ve followed the river as it twists and turns, revealing different character and places around each bend. Above Oxford, low bank and very rural. The villages are set back- likely to avoid flooding, but the end result is to provide quiet isolation. A couple of nice autumn days, and the cruising was very pleasant.

At Oxford, the river is wide, shallow, and with a huge sailing club providing all sorts of entertainment as the boats tack right across in front of me. I wonder if they’ve ever really thought about collision with a 17 tonne steel vessel? Just below Oxford are the rows of boat houses for the rowing teams of the Oxford Colleges. Each with their crests (which I can’t interpret easily), there are lots of rowers!

Then the river changes again. Much broader and deeper, the banks are a little higher and there is much more of a sense of being in the valley. The scenery isn’t boring- just different. There are many more cruisers evident, as there is a bridge in Oxford that effectively keeps most of them away from the upper reaches.

I’m moored in Goring, along a meadow. Peaceful and quiet, there were SO many stars visible last night. There was little light pollution and the sky was breathtaking. I finally got a chance to resume ringing, and rang in the light 8 in Goring this morning. Nice bells and equally welcoming people. I’m up for lots more of that!

Now, on to Reading, and mooring for the major boatshow in Southampton. I’ll take the train as i think it is a little far to cycle there and back, while still trying to see some of the boats.