Deep moorings at Sonning?

Gavi

Gavi

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Due to a friend interruption that involved an excellent meal I doubt we will get to The Beetle and Wedge. Sonning seems to be the top.... I am alarmed by both the commonness of nbd here and the lack of water. Does anyone know of a 4ft mooring without NBs near Sonning Bridge? B
 
the great house

If your'e staying for a meal then you can use the hotel (Great House at Sonning) mooring just down from the bridge. The restaurant is quite good, but not cheap - I prefer the French Horn over the bridge.
A good night out in Sonning is the Mill 'dinner theatre', again just over the bridge.
Or just up stream from the lock, near the school boathouse is good for about a metre depth, it's quite shallow close into the bank, but shelves away to a good depth three feet or so into the stream, I have no problem lying alongside at just under a metre draught.
Alternatively there are the bankside moorings down by Yuri Geller's place, also good for a metre or more - but you'll be 'charged' a tenner for it !
 
Recommend you stay below the bridge on the same side as the Great House.
If free space use the Great House mooring. There is probably a narrowboat on the downstream end but there is enough depth just in front of it.
Alternatively, a little further back on the Yuri Geller stretch - certainly enough depth for you just in the bend below the platform mooring outside the house.

Disagree with Billy about the Great House being expensive and the food is usually good.

What's the problem with NB's ? They don't bite and you are unlikely to find them on the Yuri moorings anyways as its a tenner !
 
Disagree with Billy about the Great House being expensive and the food is usually good.

From between gritted teeth.........

B1 is quite right ...the Great house was very good value and cheaper than many pubs masquerading as restuarants.
 
Tried last week to moor above the lock but grounded. The foot path is really quite close to the water so having the stern out wasnt an option. we moored just below Sonning Court with no problem, we posted our tenner in the red letterbox as per telephone message instruction. Dont bank on getting a meal at the Great House as Saturday is was closed due to a function.

Chill aka no name (picking graphics up today)
 
boatone said:
Well I think its good - on the other hand I dislike the Bull. Been there a couple of times and not impressed by the food. Far too many things on the menu which suggests Brake Bros and microwaves....... :(
Click to expand...

I've only been there once so not really a solid reccomendation, it was also the only time i've moored in Sonning, its one of those places we always seem to pass through never think of it as a destination in itself. More fun to moor on the Shiplake Islands and BBQ or push on to Henley.
 
Dont know the area so cant offer advice on moorings, but what i can say is that narrowboats make great landing stages and are ideal where the depth of water is too shallow in the edge:D
 
Have taken the advice and moored on the riverside below Sonning Bridge. Great House mooring was available but we liked the idea of here and six feet deep. A bit confused by the "to moor call nnnnn" signs as The River Thames book indicates it is free...

P.s. The NB bit was because I'd encountered quite a few inconsiderate ones on the way here! Nice chats with others though....
 
[A bit confused by the "to moor call nnnnn" signs as The River Thames book indicates it is free...

It used to be free, but the payment signs went up about four years ago. I always assumed the whole stretch of bank belonged to the Great House so I am not sure what changed, Anyone know the history?

There are a couple of permanent moorings along the bank, including one used by the membership secretary of The Broom Owners Club. I always thought his arrangement was with the Great House, but I may be wrong.
 
Oh come on - it's a shame to see this continuing bitching about narrowboats, and them bitching about cruisers; both types of craft have their pros and cons, as listed by others elsewhere on the forum. We all love our boats, whether GRP or steel.
I agree the earlier post - why not ask if you can moor alongside them? You might be pleasantly surprised by the response.
 
DWT said:
[A bit confused by the "to moor call nnnnn" signs as The River Thames book indicates it is free...

It used to be free, but the payment signs went up about four years ago. I always assumed the whole stretch of bank belonged to the Great House so I am not sure what changed, Anyone know the history?

There are a couple of permanent moorings along the bank, including one used by the membership secretary of The Broom Owners Club. I always thought his arrangement was with the Great House, but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

I believe Uri bought the moorings about 5 or 6 years ago, I know they were for sale. He subsequently had problems with narrow boats mooring all night and running their external generators all evening much to his annoyance. He then used to charge five pounds and gave the money to a Donkey Sanctuary. It's only the last two years or so that it's gone up to a tenner, and think he would just rather not have anyone mooring there at all.

If he kept the moorings tidy and the grass shorter it might be worth it but the bank isn't in a very good state at all.
 
Jaysay - I agree, just had some very bad experiences earlier in the week. A lot of hogging and inconsideration going on. One from an NB I'd even waved ahead of me because i could see holding would be difficult. Not even a nod of thanks. That said, a cruiser with a commodore flag did worse later...

I am normally chilled but I have seen too much selfishness this week.

Speaking of which, great dinner at The Bull tonight... But if you see anyone with an Ex Libris brolly,they nicked it from us.
 
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