On Tuesday we'll be heading out of Little Venice and making our way to Brentford and onto the Thames. We have some questions.... can anyone help?
1. From Bull's Bridge junction, is there anywhere decent to moor before reaching Brentford? We stopped just short of Willowtree Marina on the way into the Paddington Arm and will stop there again on the way back out if we don't know anywhere further on. We thought if we were going well and the weather wasn't horrible we could go on a bit further and stop somewhere after the junction but our Pearsons guide shows no moorings until you reach Brentford.
2. Can anyone suggest good locations for filling our water tank on the Thames without having to go into a marina with plastic cruisers?
3. If we move on each day for a couple of hours, how long should we allow to reach Oxford? Will a two week license allow us plenty of time?
4. Does anyone have any recommendations for good, free mooring spots along the way? Is there areas where there will be no option but to pay for a mooring?
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.
We are two Australians who lived the dream and spent 20 months as liveaboards on narrowboat Parisien Star. Life before.... during.... and after.
4 comments:
That is about 100 miles and over 30 locks that trip.
Lots of free 24hr moorings on the way, if I get time this weekend I'll put you a list up.
1. You can moor overnight at Bulls Bridge itself - outside Tesco or you can go down a few locks of the Hanwell flight and moor just after the point where the River Brent joins from the left below the lock - this has good access to a famously fine pub "The Fox".
Check out our guide to moorings - http://indigodream.wordpress.com/indigo-dreams-rough-guide-to-moorings/ which details every mooring we've ever used - including lots on the Thames. If you email me I can send you more - I've had trouble updating the page with last year's Thames moorings.
2. There are water points at most of the Thames locks - they generally have very good water pressure.
3. can't remember the timing - you're travelling upstream so allow for being slowed a little by the flow (much faster coming downstream). Will calculate and get back to you.
4. See our guide to moorings and email for more (as above)
Hope that's helpful - enjoy the Thames - it's fabulous!
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
Hi from a 'neighbour' from a cross the ditch
I have been following your journey for a while now because you are doing what I dream of being able to do one day. So far, we have had to make do with short canal holidays on hire boats when ever we make it to the UK. Our last trip was a couple of years ago - down the GU to Brentford, up the Thames to Oxford and along the South Oxford. Which gives me the opportunity to get out my logbook and say thanks for letting me share your travels :-)
1. We moored below the Hanwell flight, just after the River Brent joins the canal, on a grassy bank on the towpath side with a number of other boats. We felt perfectly safe and had no problems. Only concern would be if the Brent was running high or fast. We had a nice meal at The Fox. The early morning run we had down to Brentford to catch the tide next day was beautiful and took about an hour. BTW, I noted down that the stern was shoved sidewards by the Brent current after leaving Hanwell Bottom Lock.
2. A number of the locks have a tap. I found a web page that listed them but it has disappeared. Hopefully someone else knows of one.
3. My log shows that we spent 36.5 hours on the move between Teddington and Isis Lock. We did this over 8 days.
4. From memory, we paid at Runnymead, Windsor and Henley, and had free moorings at Hampton Court, Goring, Abingdon and Oxford.
Hope this all helps. I am so envious.
Deb (NZ)
Sue (NP), thanks. We're a tad apprehensive so all the help we can get is much appreciated.
Sue (ID), will definitely have a look in detail. Thanks for the information.
Deb, welcome and lovely to hear from you. Thanks for the useful info. If you'd like to keep in touch then leave your email address in a blog comment and I won't publish the comment.
Elly
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