Camping on Thames

[Major Catastrophe]

I am planning to run the gauntlet of gun toting water plods on the Thames. But once I reach the more tranquil waters of the EA controlled waters, armed just with speed guns, I would like some information about camping.

Five of us are going on the trip, but there is only useful accomodation for two of us on board, so the plan is to take a tent.

Are there many recognised camping sites between Teddington and Oxford? Is there a definitive guide to sites?

 

[finnlou]

http://www.visitthames.co.uk/Publications/camping.html

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Thanks Huw, just the job.

 

[Captain Coochie]

Hope your not planning to go before March as the EA are working on a few locks so you wont get past Chertsey .

 

[BarryH]

Phew thats a relief!......I thought he meant"camping" on the Thames, was gonna steer clear.

 

[Hirdsp]

The "Laleham" site was nice many years ago.,

 

[sunquest]

Alright for those that have a low airdraft. Bought my Colvic Sunquest just over a year ago, now find I cannot get under Windsor Bridge. Currently in the doghouse from her indoors who says I should have checked before buying the boat. Her solution - Sell the boat. No chance

 

[boatone]

Welcome to the forum.

You got a big Sunquest then? Most boats can get as far as Oxford before air draft becomes a major prohibition but Windsor is one of the lowest at around 12 feet.....I need to lower my radar arch.

 

[sunquest]

Could possibly make it if I throttled up the donkeys to drop the stern, but what if I didn't make it ? Or if I did would I upset the locals, the ducks or at worst the man with the speed gun.

 

[tazzle]

Did the non-tidal Thames crawling two years running when a group of us worked out that we were comfort-wise better off hiring a boat at Reading for the festival and buying day-tickets rather than camping on site - as I recall we went as far as, ooh, Pangbourne on some days..

Usually the bands on after midnight were pretty crap, so we'd motor up river to some empty bit of bank with no visible cows and get the tent up. Early morning we'd motor off to find a caff for breakfast. Then back to the towpath by the festival site as the music started again.

Companions on the boat were a spectacularly bad lawyer but thoroughly good bloke and a great giant of a man with a snore to match. Usually in the tent on the bank were a spectaculary good lawyer (they were partners) and his missus, Bunsie. One night we were pretty well too wrecked to bother to move the boat, so good lawyer and Bunsie got the tent up on the towpath by the festival site as the lads sprawled and drank and laughed and smoked (OK GC1, no kids) as music at 80Db washed over us from the crap-bands gigs .... and after one rib-aching bout of uncontrollable laughter a voice came from the tent "Can you keep it down, please? There's people trying to sleep in here..."

I suppose upper Thames forumites are tut-tutting as we prolly broke tons of rules. But only embarrasing time was when we let good-lawyer have the helm while we were all below one morning. As the boat crunched to a stop, we all emerged topsides to find ourselves in 11" of water with good lawyer being watched patiently by a lock-keeper.

"Is this the way to Pangbourne?" he asked
"Well, yes sir" came the lockie's reply, "but most gentlemen don't attempt to navigate the wiers."

 

[byron]

[ QUOTE ]
Alright for those that have a low airdraft. Bought my Colvic Sunquest just over a year ago, now find I cannot get under Windsor Bridge. Currently in the doghouse from her indoors who says I should have checked before buying the boat. Her solution - Sell the boat. No chance

[/ QUOTE ]
Are you sure? Eton Bridge is higher than it looks, with my Radar Arch down I can just squeeze a Princess 435 under. In fact the lock cut bridge at Cookham is marginally lower and on normal levels I had 1" to spare there too.

 

[BrendanS]

The camping between Wargrave and Sonning is excellent though. Had many barbeques and riverside fires and sing alongs there. Nice little islands where few moor up, and plenty of breathing space from others


Up and down stream are much more inhabited, and not so camping friendly. It's not until you get up to Byron's part of the world, that it gets camping friendly again. Pretty sure if you asked nicely he'd allow you to camp on his 1m acres of land that takes over most of Berks/Oxon

 

[Major Catastrophe]

So, are you saying that there are places you can pitch a tent, other than the official sites?

 

[BarryH]

Can do, but I bet you get woken from your slumber to a chorus of....."Get orf my lann......." Of course, with the barrels of a 12 gauge stuffed under your nose.

 

[Steve Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
Nice little islands where few moor up

[/ QUOTE ]
but take care where you tread; lot's of shite there when we were on't Thames.
Going upstream from Sonning lock then as you get into Dreadnought Reach straight there are places to pitch a tent on the left and right.

Also on the right above Mapledurham lock; and there's Pangbourne meadows

Beyond Shillingford bridge and just above the bridge on the right with the Thame rivulet.

Just above Day's Lock on the right.....

Ahhhh! memories

 

[rickp]

I think you're not officially allowed to camp on Pangborne meadows though? At least some harridan came and told us we couldn't, but she didn't seem best pleased when we pointed out the same National Trust rule list said her dog was supposed to be on a lead.

Funniest thing was we were back on the boat early (ish) which allowed us to sit and watch some kids get ever more inventive in ways to frighten the occuptants of said tent. Shame the intended victums were all still in the pub /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Rick

 

[Major Catastrophe]

Maybe I ought to invoke some of my army training. Sneak ashore after dark, dig shallow fire trench and hunker down with sleeping bag, but remember to post OP (obsvervation post) and conduct regular patrols.

Stand to at dawn and withdraw to seaward before morning atttack, I mean visit, from farmer.