Voyages of Gabriel: Weybridge to Cliveden

Fri 5th May Weybridge to Runnymede

Water art

When we set off from Weybridge, the first bit of excitement was Shepperton Lock. We were heading for the lock bollards to tie up, when the lock keeper opened up the sluices fully and we were swept away sideways by the force of the water. When it had all subsided and the gates opened, we moved into the lock, and were still trying to get correctly positioned when he opened up the top gate sluices. We had to lasso the nearest bollards, which meant both ropes were at about ninety degrees to the lock wall. We usually try to have the ropes at opposite angles so that we can stop the boat surging forwards and back. The lock keeper put the sluices up fast so that the boat was banging against the lock walls with the surge.

I don’t usually tell lock keepers how to do their job but this time I had to tell him it was much too quick. To be fair, I think he was a volunteer, and perhaps had not had much experience. The lock keeper in charge also told him to put the sluice down a little when he realised what was happening.

Shepperton Lock

Soon afterwards, we came to the lovely Chertsey Bridge. Construction of the present bridge was started in 1783, and I found an interesting snippet online: In an early example of contract dispute, the contractor built the number of arches specified, but as they did not reach the shore, the counties had to pay, at extra expense, for linking the bridge to the banks.

Chertsey Bridge

As we went under the bridge, we saw that boats were already in the lock, and we managed to find a space down the middle between Josephine and Bones. Bones was not the well known one on the Oxford Canal. Josephine had also been at Cavalcade. The lock was self operated, and the crew of Josephine kindly did the necessary.

Squeezed in the middle at Chertsey Lock

At Penton Hook there were two large white hired cruisers who had some difficulty getting tied up.

Chaos at Penton Hook

We had an unusual sky as we approached Staines, where we moored up for some shopping. We saw our friends Sue and Eric on Remus come through the bridge going downstream, but they did not see us. We tried phoning them but their phone seemed to be switched off.

Ridges in the sky at Staines

Moored by Staines Bridge

When the shopping was done we continued our journey upstream, passing under the M25 and towards Bell Weir Lock by the Runnymede Hotel. Once again, as we were heading for the lock bollards to tie on, the sluices were whacked up fully and we were swept away. Perhaps the lock keepers are having a competition to see how many narrow boats they can score! Once in the lock we noticed they had some used mooring spikes for sale and we bought two.

Under the M25 into Bell Weir Lock

Mooring spikes two for a tenner

Hugo out on deck

We moored up just before all the Runnymede memorials, and James went to chat to the man from Y-Knot, who was moored in front of us. Friends Mary and Jim, who live nearby, came on board for drinks and nibbles.

4 locks, 7 miles

Sat 6th May Runnymede to Windsor

Y-Knot

We set off before Y-Knot and went past the Bells of Ouzeley and to Old Windsor lock, which was self service. Hazel pushed the buttons, and a notice said to leave the lock empty, so left the sluices up on the bottom gates. Just as she returned to Gabriel, another boat came downstream wanting to use the lock, which by now would have been almost empty, so they would have to fill it again.

We then had the three mile route round Windsor Home Park into Romney Lock, where there some cruisers hired from Kris Cruisers of Datchet. This would be their first lock, and it is side-filling, so you need to tie on securely to avoid being swept out into the middle. Hopefully they had been told this.

Romney Lock

We left the lock and cruised under the bridge between Windsor and Eton (now foot traffic only) and headed for a mooring on the Windsor side, behind a long thin island, which gives protection from the wash of the trip boats.

Black Swans at Windsor

Windsor riverside

We went to do some shopping in the town, and to spy out the land for eateries tomorrow lunch time after church. On our return we found Y-Knot moored behind us.

The castle from the station

2 locks, 6 miles

Sun 7th May Windsor to Cliveden

We found our way to the Theatre Royal which is taken over by King’s Church on a Sunday morning. Strangely the back stalls were completely cut off from the front stalls by a barrier going right across, so to move back a few rows we had to return to the foyer and choose another way in, whereupon we emerged by error in the circle. Back to the foyer once more and yet another route to the auditorium and we were finally where we wanted to be.

The service was very performance oriented, but the worship songs were good, and the talk was good, based on the beatitudes. After the service coffee was served in the Hart and Garter, a pub further up the high street, but we declined as we only had limited time on our mooring. We had lunch at a Wetherspoons pub (sadly no guest ciders), and walked back through the park past the fountain and the replica Hurricane to the boat.

King’s Church

Hazel by the fountain

The Hurricane

Water art

To leave the backwater, we could either reverse out, involving a bit of a zig zag past other boats, or we could go on under the railway bridge. We chose to go on, and had to take down our chimney for a very low footbridge. We also had to keep to the centre of the channel as it was shallow at the edges and we grounded once. The mayflies were making an appearance, and one landed on James’s hand as he was steering.

Low bridge

Mayfly

We paused to use the facilities at Boveney Lock, and chatted to Tony and Judy of Freedom. They have a Christian fish symbol on their boat but are not members of BCF, so we gave them a leaflet. Tony said he had nearly joined at Crick last year.

As we moved off to use the lock, the gates had just closed. We tied up and after a few minutes James went to see what was happening. The lock was full with the top gates open, but nothing going on. The lock keeper apologised, and said he was catching up with his paperwork. At that point a trip boat appeared, so he let them down before we could go in. It was a very ugly trip boat! A blue boat caught up with us in the lock

Ugly trip boat at Boveney

When we reached Bray Lock the blue boat behind had overtaken us and they were waiting to go in. When the lock keeper tried to open the gates, only one of them opened, and the other one needed to be pushed open with a long pole. We went in behind the blue boat and we filled the lock. They closed the gate manually again and said they would have to close the lock after we had gone through.

Bray Lock

Brunel’s “Sounding Arch” Bridge at Maidenhead, has the largest brickwork spans in the world

Maidenhead

It was a gloriously sunny afternoon as we negotiated Boulters Lock and moved into Cliveden Reach, where we found several boats moored on the islands, but there was one place left for us. Hugo enjoyed climbing on a leaning tree.