The Cruising Ground
Visiting places of interest by boat is what makes this holiday so attractive, the river experience is the real star of the show, even places that are quite familiar by road take on a completely different perspective from the water. Travelling through the industrial areas of east London for instance you occasionally see what may be familiar roads and road signs and you realise just how different this perspective is, whilst there is simply no grander way of entering say Henley or Windsor than by river.
Our total preferred cruising area is bounded by Hertfordshire (Rivers Lee and Stort), through London, up the Thames as far as Lechlade, The Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading to Bristol and the Grand Union from London to just South of Birmingham. These are over 400 miles of the most varied inland waterways in the country, ranging from industrial tidal rivers and world renowned tourist attractions to the most exclusive residential areas and the most isolated bucolic and restful areas of rural perfection, all of them imbued with the overriding atmosphere of the rivers and canals.
This is an interactive map, just click on any area to learn more details.
More places and detailed descriptions will be added in the near future as the web site grows.
The Mid Thames, between Teddington and Goring.
Teddington. Marks the beginning of the non-tidal Thames where the river depth is controlled by weirs and passage is made via a series of locks. The locks themselves are of great interest being very well kept and operated during normal working hours by professional Lock Keepers.
Hampton Court. Built in 1514 by Cardinal Woolsey and appropriated and added to by Henry VIII in 1529 this is probably the most impressive secular building in England. Open to the public, consider carefully how much time to allow to appreciate this building fully.
Windsor. The Royal Town having so much more than “just” the largest inhabited Castle in the world.
Henley. The Mecca of the rowing man.
Goring. Set in a spectacular reach of the Thames this is the site of an ancient ford across the river, now it is everything one expects of an English village.
The Upper Thames, between Goring and Lechlade.
Abingdon. A large boater friendly town.
Osney Bridge at only 7ft 6in above the water is an effective barrier to larger craft passing through Oxford. Our air draught at less than 6ft makes this very good news for us.
Oxford. The quintessential University Town, many of the colleges have grounds open to the public, it also has an excellent shopping and entertainment centre, you may well want to linger here a while to soak up the atmosphere.
Above Oxford the Thames (or Isis as it is locally known) becomes more rural and isolated. The river meanders in an apparently directionless fashion, on occasion doubling back on itself. It’s in no rush and neither are we. There are many pretty villages and hamlets to explore with ancient churches and historic buildings the choice is yours.
Lechlade. The effective end of the navigable Thames.
The Eastern Kennet and Avon, between Reading and Devizes.
Reading. Lying at the junction of the Thames and the River Kennet this bustling Town is an exciting mixture of new and old, cruise through the new Oracle Development right in the centre of Town.
Aldermarston Wharf.
Newbury. A surprisingly large town with major stores, market and canal side tea room.
Kintbury.
Hungerford. A lively country town with shops, tea rooms and pubs.
Great Bedwyn, well worth a visit with 2 pubs and a very eccentric Post Office decorated with gravestones courtesy of the Bedwyn Stone Museum next door.
Crofton Pumping Station. With 2 steam powered engines one of which is the oldest original working beam engine in the world. The brick pumping station is open to the public and both of these engines are steamed several times a year.
The Bruce Tunnel 502 yards.
Wooton Rivers, a lovely predominantly thatched village with excellent pub.
Pewsey Wharf. Very “boaty” with lots of craft moored up and enjoying the Waterfront Pub and Restaurant. The village of Pewsey is about half a mile South of Pewsey Wharf there are antique shops, tea rooms and of course pubs.
The 15 Mile Pound from Wooton Rivers to Devizes. A continuous run of 15 miles without any locks. Passing through the very beautiful Vale of Pewsey with 2 white Horses carved into hillsides this is a paradise for wildlife and bird watching.
The Western Kennet and Avon, between Devizes and Bristol.
Devizes. A charming market town with its Thursday market and large wharf housing the Kennet and Avon Trust’s Museum.
The Caen Hill Flight of locks just to the West of Devizes 29 Locks in just 2.25 miles.
The Biss and Ladydown Aqueducts, 2 splendid stone aqueducts with fine views across the Avon Valley.
Bradford on Avon. An architectural gem, very popular with boaters.
Avoncliff. A small village with a large history and an Aqueduct. Beautiful 15th Century Pub.
Dundas Aqueduct. Probably the most famous aqueduct on the Kennet and Avon, crossing both the Avon and the railway.
Claverton Pumping Station. With its water powered pump used to lift water from the Avon to feed the canal. Open to the public weekly and pumping occasionally.
The City of Bath. Famous for its fine Georgian Architecture with its 6 locks, one of which at 19ft 6ins is reputedly the deepest on the canal system.
Bristol. With its floating Harbour and Brunel’s magnificent Clifton Suspension Bridge.
London Grand Union/Regents/Hertford Canals and the River Lee between Brentford and Limehouse Basin.
The Canals of Central London. Especially suitable for those interested in:- Industrial Heritage, Sight seeing, Shows, Shopping, Museums and Historical sites.
From Brentford in the West to Limehouse in the East via Little Venice and the Islington Tunnel, this is the most relaxed and stress-free way of visiting our Capital City. For less than the cost of some hotel rooms you can have your own travelling accommodation in the very heart of the West End. Our bespoke policy allows you to decide if we motor through this area at a leisurely sight-seeing pace or moor up, for a day, or two if you wish, to allow you to experience the sights and sounds of one of the most vibrant holiday destinations in the World.
