Weybridge to Dorney

Tue 27th July  Weybridge to Staines via Penton Hook Marina

We have just come off the Wey, after buying a three-week Licence. We have had a lovely experience, really taking our time, and appreciating the water meadows, wildlife, and, of course, our friends. We have never cruised the navigation so slowly before, usually rushing to Guildford or Godalming over two days, perhaps spending a night at Send. If you are reading this, and haven’t cruised the Wey, we recommend you try it.

Wey licence

Moored on the Wall at Weybridge

We set off, expecting to purchase a Thames Licence at Shepperton Lock. However, when we arrived, there was a self-service sign, so Hazel stepped ashore to press buttons, while James stayed on the boat. At that moment, the lockkeeper turned up, but said he had to see to the weirs, so we should see ourselves through, and we could get our licence at Chertsey Lock instead.

James was therefore single-handed while Hazel was lock-keeping. Rather than climb up the slimy steps, and juggle with two ropes, James stayed at the helm with the engine running, keeping the boat in the middle – much safer.

Shepperton Lock

Hazel at the controls

Oxford Barge (?) at 4 All Marine

Chertsey Bridge

At Chertsey Lock we purchased a 31-day licence, which should be about right for getting to Lechlade, and back to Oxford. £226.00.

We spotted a boat called Jolly Brit, which used to be a tender (or jolly boat) for the Royal Yacht Britannia. It has just been restored, for the second time. See THE JOLLY BRIT | Community Life (community-life.co.uk)

Jolly Brit at Dennett’s at Laleham

We contacted Chris on the fuel boat at Staines, and said we were coming today. He replied to say he wouldn’t be there until Thursday. We will have gone past by then. So, we decided to go into Penton Hook Marina. This involves an extra mile of cruising, going up the river to the left of the lock, and then weaving around the pontoons in the marina to reach the fuel pontoon, which is as far away from the river as you can get. The price was a lot more than on the canals, so we didn’t fill up, but took on 50 litres, which should get us to Better Boating at Reading, which people say is cheaper.

Penton Hook fuel price

Penton Hook Marina

The Fishing Temple (Couldn’t find any history)

Going past Merchant, the fuel barge that is not open, we went under Staines Railway Bridge and saw a jetty mooring for one boat. We decided to go for it, although we were slightly longer than the jetty, so the bows stuck out.

Fuel barge Merchant

Moored on the jetty at Riverside Park

We sent a message to Mary to say where we were, as we had arranged to meet this evening.  We did some more boat cleaning, as this was the side we hadn’t been able to do before. Rain started soon after we had finished, which helped to rinse the boat.

Later in the afternoon, a crowd of youngsters gathered and started playing loud music, and shouting things at the passing boats. There was some bad language involved, and they were encouraging each other. We decided it was time to move on, so we set off once more, past several moored boats near Jimmy’s restaurant, which sadly looks closed.

We went under Staines Bridge, and up the backwater behind Church Island, and moored on the Lammas Recreation Ground, where there are some rings. We contacted Mary once again, and arranged a rendezvous by the Bells pub.

Mary and Jim arrived at the appointed time, and took us to an Italian restaurant in Englefield Green, where we had a very pleasant meal. The place was full, which shows that they must be doing something right. The food was excellent, and the service was friendly. After the meal they drove us back to our mooring, where we had a very peaceful night.

Mary and Jim

Moored at Lammas Recreation Ground

3 locks, 6½ miles. Dep 0915, arr 1220 Staines Riverside. Dep 1510, arr 1530 Lammas.

Wed 28^th July  Staines to Runnymede

The London Stone once used to mark the boundary of the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the City of London. It has stood in Lammas Park for centuries, and James went to take a photo of it before we left. He couldn’t find it. We have seen it before, in a secluded spot behind some trees. He asked a parks worker where the London Stone is, and he was asked if it was a pub! There is a pub named after it, but James was looking for the stone. Looking online, he discovered that it had been moved in 2012 to Memorial Park in Staines.

We needed to go to Sainsbury’s for a few things, so we set off back to Staines-upon-Thames, noticeably easier with the flow downstream. The unofficial moorings we used to use on the right bank were all occupied, and are now designated as private moorings. We moored instead outside the Slug and Lettuce.

We found it difficult to get ashore as the quayside is too high here, so we reversed down river to the first jetty which is a lot lower. At the top of the steps, we found the London Stone! Apparently, this was its original position before it was moved centuries ago to the Lammas Park.

Difficult to get ashore

London Stone

Information plaque

We walked across the bridge to Sainsbury’s, armed with brollies and sunhats, as the weather forecast was uncertain. Returning with our shopping, we passed an Indian restaurant with enticing aromas on the air. We dropped the shopping off at the boat, and returned for a very pleasant lunch at Roshni’s.

We had heavy rain in the afternoon, and we set off once more when we thought we had a dry window. We caught another shower when we were waiting for Bell Weir Lock. It had stopped again by the time we left the lock, and we headed upstream to the visitor moorings by a large warehouse at Runnymede.  We had more heavy rain.

Later, James had a chat with BCF member Clive, from My Diadem. He and his wife Sally know several people we know in BCF, including Peter and Fran Braybrook, Babs and others. (It later turned out that in 2017, we had given him a leaflet about BCF).

We had a lovely red sunset

Where have the cherubs gone?

1 lock, 2 miles. Dep 1010, arr 1025 Slug and Lettuce. Dep 1040, arr 1050 Memorial Gardens. Dep 1515, arr 1600 Runnymede moorings. Total 1hr 10. Not a lot of boating.

Thu 29^th July  Runnymede to Dorney

My Diadem left quite early, but we didn’t need to rush.

As we set off, we noticed a garden opposite that was full of balloons with large eyes, and aluminium foil on poles. It looked a mess, but we assume it was to keep ducks and geese away.

Foiling the ducks.

We had a gentle cruise past all the Runnymede memorials, which have grown in number in recent years.

Runnymede, and the Airforce Memorial on the top of the hill.

French Brothers have their base here and we saw the steam powered river cruiser Streatley, built in 1905. Name Streatley | National Historic Ships

Streatley

At Old Windsor Lock, it was self-service, and in front of us there was hired narrowboat Orion with extra crew, so one of them went to press buttons.

Sharing Old Windsor Lock

We left first and soon left them behind. We spotted an elderly looking vessel called Royal William, and research revealed that it was used on D-Day in WWII. Name Royal William | National Historic Ships

Royal William

We saw some extremely large rocks being unloaded from a barge. Is the Queen having a rockery installed?

Windsor Castle

The Queens rockery?

At Romney Lock we had advised the hire boat crew to tie on, as the lock is side filling, and tends to push the boat out. We had been told to do this years ago by a previous lockkeeper. This time we were told not to tie on, as we should be taking up the slack. The force of the water is very strong, so it is difficult to hold the rope when the boat is being pushed sideways to the middle of the lock. We had to take a couple of turns round the T-stud to keep control.

We cruised through Windsor slowly, trying to avoid the trip boats, the rowing fours that suddenly stop mid-stream and start to turn, as well as small hired dayboats that zigzag. It is always busy in Windsor.

Duck tours

Windsor

A sightseeing boat like the ones in Amsterdam.

We stopped to empty a cassette and rubbish just before Boveney Lock. We were pleased to find a mooring by the Olympic rowing lake at Dorney. The permissive footpath that used to connect the Thames Path with Dorney village now appears to be padlocked!

Moored by Dorney Rowing Lake

We sat in the bows for some of the afternoon, and we saw a mink swimming across the river. Hazel saw a kingfisher. 

There were a lot of boats racing past to get to the next lock.

Moving water art

3 locks, 7½ miles. Dep 0920, arr 1215

Next: Continuing upstream through Maidenhead, past Cliveden to Cookham, Bourne End, Marlow and Henley.