Rowing down the Thames - August 2012

At the end of August Nancy and I went over to the UK to visit my mother in Derbyshire, and also to take a little trip down the Thames in a rowing boat.  

The trip was inspired by the "Three Men in a Boat" TV series with Griff Rhys Jones et al, which in turn was inspired by the Jerome K. Jerome book "Three Men in a Boat".  The vessel of choice for this trip was a vintage Thames Camping Skiff just like in the TV Series and in the book.  Just to get things straight we were sculling not rowing - in sculling the oarsman has a pair of oars, one in each hand while in rowing there is only one oar per person.

We rented our boat for the week from Tom at Thames Skiff Hire and he delivered it to Oxford on the Monday morning - a wet Monday morning.  Our particular boat was named Edward and Edward was quite old - 140 years old in fact.  Among other things it has been used by Sir Steven Redgrave and it is a regular participant in the Queen's Swan Upping event not to mention roles it had in the movie "Shakespeare in Love".  It was a three person boat and we were only two, but we were told by Tom that a larger boat would be more comfortable for camping - did I mention we would be sleeping on the boat?   However a three person boat is heavier and takes more effort to row, a factor that I considered more than once in the following days.

Our boat - Edward

We had a very cursory education in the various bits of the boat and how to erect the camping cover.  It was not a complicated affair - a seat for the helmsman, and a couple of seats for the oarsmen, some oars, a paddle, and some poles to fend off or hold on to the sides of the river.  The most complicated thing was the canvas canopy that converted the open rowing skiff into a covered boat suitable for sleeping or rowing in the rain.  My step-brother had bet me that we couldn’t install the cover while the boat was in the river, and after seeing how it was done onshore in a stable environment, I think he was right.   We left the frames and cover tied up over the boat the entire time.   It was just easier with it that way to get protection from the rain and sun and to set up for the evening’s camp.

It was raining as we were rigging up the boat on shore and the forecast for the week was miserable so, to say the least, I was a bit apprehensive.  Fortunately, by the time we were ready to set off the rain had abated and we had a brief respite while we got underway and got our act more or less together.

The Thames being navigable up to Lechlade has numerous locks and we weren’t rowing long before we encountered one.  We didn’t get much instruction on how to handle the boat through a lock, so we were floundering around a bit.  It took us two or three locks before we got the hang of things but by the end of the week we were getting compliments from the lock keepers on our skillful handling of the boat.

All the locks on this part of the Thames are manned with Lock Keepers during the daytime so we did not get a chance to manipulate the sluices and gates ourselves, we just floated into the lock and they did all the work.  Not that it was a lot of work - all were electrically operated so it was really just pressing buttons in the right order.   All the Lock Keepers were really friendly and accomodating and I found myself thinking what a great job they have.

Exiting one of the locks

Our first day on the river was a short one - we didn’t get started until 1:00 pm and we wanted to get sorted out for the night before nightfall.   So we decided to tie up near the villages of Culham and Sutton Courtenay which are about 9 miles downstream from Oxford.  Our neighbours for the night were a couple living and traveling on a narrow boat (lots of people appeared to be doing this).  They were very nice and presented us with a pot of tea, sugar and milk on a tray while we stumbled around securing our boat.  All very civilized.

Our boat with the cover up for the night.

Rather than sleep on the boat the first night we decided to pitch our tent beside the river bank - it would be a more familiar environment rather than negotiating a boat exit in the middle of the night if nature called.  We had heard of a fine Michelin starred restaurant in Sutton Courtenay so we set off for some well-earned fine dining.   Alas the Michelin starred restaurant was closed on Mondays.  What was worse the other two pubs in town were not serving food since it was a Bank Holiday.  From the highest of expectations for Michelin starred food we had to resort to peanuts and crisps and a pint beer.

Despite the lack of food on a Monday, Sutton Courtenay was a nice village - it has the house of Asquith the Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916, the burial place of Asquith and of George Orwell.  The current residents include Tim Burton and Helena Bonham-Carter (they weren’t in the pub that night).

The next day, Tuesday, looked like it was going to be better weather.  It was a fine morning and we packed up camp and set off downstream.  For most of the day we were blessed with nice weather but, every now and again, the wind would pick up and the wind always seemed to be blowing upstream.  With all our rigging for the cover up top it seriously slowed down our progress.

By the middle of this second day we had learned a few things about how things would work on the trip.  In particular:

• how we had to make a decision to stop and just do it.  There was no making a pass to scout out a good mooring or a good pub and then rowing back upstream to the choicest spot.  That would be way too much effort.
• how moorings are few and far between in many places.  So much of the mooring space is private and not open to visitors tying up.
• how we need to keep rowing and how it is not really realistic to spend a lot of time sightseeing in nearby towns.   By the time we had moored, secured the boat and walked to town or a pub or a restaurant we had lost 2 or more hours.
• how sensitive the boat is to minor tweaks on the rudder and how you need to pay attention when you are at the helm.  We had a few diversions into the trees and bushes which can be difficult to extricate yourself from.
• how frustrating it can be when two independent minds have different views on which way to row and or navigate (but we worked through those).

A nice evening sleeping in the boat.

Tuesday night we made it to Moulsford which was at mile 24 for the trip and we decided to try our luck at  sleeping in the boat.  We put everything in the bow or the stern and lay down our sleeping pads in the bottom of the boat. We then had room to lie end to end in our sleeping bags.  With the cover down it is quite private, with the canopy pulled up on the river side, it was a nice view to go to sleep to.  It was all surprisingly comfortable.

That night we dined at the Perch and Pike in South Stoke.   A very nice meal indeed - all those critics of English Food just haven't been there lately.

The next day, Wednesday, was forecast to be wet, and the forecast came true.  We had a fair amount of rowing in the rain.  Fortunately it was not windy and the rain was coming straight down.  So with the boat’s canopy spread out to cover our heads we were actually quite dry.   We had a late breakfast/early lunch in Pangbourne and then pushed on through Tilehurst and Reading.

Coming from the USA where music festivals are not that common anymore and seeing all the facilities for the prior weekend’s Reading Festival was quite remarkable - they went on for miles and miles or so it seemed - parking lots, camping areas, multiple stages.   That must have been a seriously large music festival.

Since a good part of the day was spent in the rain we decided to stay in a hotel on Wednesday night.  The Great House in Sonning (mile 38) was convenient and had moorings close to the hotel so we took advantage of a warm dry room and a chance to get showered and clean.   That night we dined at the Bull in Sonning - Pig's Cheeks in a cream sauce. 

Thursday we pushed on down stream stopping in Henley for lunch and passing by Marlow and stopping for the evening in Bourne End.   We moored by the river in a park area downstream from the railway bridge and walked into Bourne End for dinner at The Walnut Tree - Fish Pie.   We were at mile 54 and we again slept in the boat.

Friday was a nice day and we made good progress early on.  We passed down one of the nicest stretches of the river known as the Cliveden Deep.  Looking back up this section you saw the most impressive Cliveden House. 

We stopped in Maidenhead for a late breakfast and moored just below the Maidenhead Railway Bridge.  This bridge turned out to be built by Brunel and it was/is the largest brick built bridge span - presumably in the whole world.  

Windsor and Eton came up next.   The castle at Windsor is impressive indeed, but the area felt way too touristy.   Lots of pleasure craft taking people on river tours, lots of people feeding way too many ducks and swans (very messy) and some weird looking Olympic Mascot on the fine old bridge between Eton and Windsor.  Very disappointing as I remember it being so nice when I visited there as a child.   

Windsor Castle from the Thames

Below Windsor there is a fine view from the river of the Royal Estate - a great park with a wonderful panorama of the castle in the distance.

That night we tied up below the Old Windsor Lock (mile 68).  The locks all have varying facilities and the Old Windsor Lock was well equipped.   For 6 pounds we got a mooring below the weir with toilets and for a further pound we got a hot water shower - just what we needed.  

Later in the evening we walked along the river bank for a mile or so to the Bells of Ouzeley - a disappointingly big modern pub.  Surprisingly the food was quite good and relatively cheap compared to what we had been paying.   

Saturday was our last day on the river and we had about 10 miles to cover.  We rowed past Runnymede (Magna Carta, JFK Memorial and all that), through the more urbanized areas of Staines, Chertsey and Weybridge and ended our trip in Walton on Thames.   Having stayed with dry feet for the entire trip, I slipped while pulling the boat out of the river and got wet feet for the drive home.
In total we did 78 miles of rowing - it was a great trip, one I would recommend to anyone.

Here are some more photos.