hook up power from windsor upstream and general stop offs.

Simonbb2009

Simonbb2009

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i am planning a trip from Windsor to Oxford probably over a week and was wondering where the best spots were for mooring with hook up power. would assume mostly marina's however past Henley was not really sure of best locations. would appreciate any advice on people who have done this run and any suggestions for stop offs on this journey.

thanks

Simon
 
Don't think there is much in the way of power anywhere. I rely on electrikkery quite a lot and had to use genny.


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Thames & Kennet marina at Reading is a large marina with good facilities, including electricity. It is a bit of a trek though to get to any shops or pubs, but you can always motor across to the Tesco moorings for supplies, provided you can find a space between the NBs. They have also opened a bar/cafe at the marina recently, although I have not yet had an opportunity to try it.

I understand the moorings at Shillingford Bridge hotel, above Wallingford, also have hook up, although I have never tried it. Beyond that I suspect you might be struggling.
 
o.k. thanks DWT, i think the Generator is probably the best solution.

Still interested in good stop offs on route though, areas to aim for.
 
[ QUOTE ]
i am planning a trip from Windsor to Oxford probably over a week and was wondering where the best spots were for mooring with hook up power. would assume mostly marina's however past Henley was not really sure of best locations. would appreciate any advice on people who have done this run and any suggestions for stop offs on this journey.

thanks

Simon

[/ QUOTE ]

I may regret this, but this is something I put together for some visitors to the Thames. Make sure you leave some mooring for us.

If you keep moving every day or two you shouldn't need to hook up to power, but if you do just expect to pay a premium for your mooring.

Sonning to Abingdon
Pangbourne
Meadow on the left, beware not to moor above the Yellow Post to the Bridge – ie the bit with no boats! Pangbourne town south of the river, Whitchurch village over the bridge. Good pubs in Whitchurch (Ferryboat Inn and Greyhound). Pangbourne has the Cross Keys and choice of Indian, Chinese and Italian.
Beale Park is after Whitchurch Lock and on the left. Good mooring for BBQ but nothing else unless you fancy a trip to the mini-zoo or a long walk to Basildon House (National Trust)
Goring, town mooring on the right before the bridge. Very good mooring but expect lots of people walking past. Nice little town with Catherine Wheel, Miller of Mansfield and John Barleycorn (not been in the latter for several years). Chinese and Indian in the town. Over the bridge to Streatley for the Swan (3* hotel) and the Bull further up opposite the traffic lights.
After Cleeve Lock, about 1½ miles up on the left is the Beetle and Wedge restaurant in Moulsford and is probably the best restaurant on the river. You can moor outside if you phone ahead to arrange. The Leatherne Bottle before and on the right doesn’t attract boaters so never been in. A little further up is Sheridan’s Boatyard and there are bankside moorings opposite (ie on the right). Walk from there back towards Goring and into the lovely village of South Stoke and the Perch & Pike pub, but nothing else.
A long reach of about 7 miles brings you to Wallingford. Good Waitrose but never found a decent pub. Last year we found an old bank or Post Office had been turned into a Spanish Restaurant that looked interesting but we didn’t have time to try it. From the river go north, turn left at Waitrose and the restaurant is along on the right near the Town Hall.
Through Benson Lock to Shillingford Bridge Hotel just through the bridge. Good mooring but £10 per night gets you electricity and option to eat in the bar or restaurant. A good walk over the bridge to Warborough, best to use the footpath rather than the road, a very pretty village with the Six Bells on the green, much used by Midsomer, also a general store on the main road opposite the church.
About 45 minutes upriver on the right, the river Thame enters the Thames, just after is a high bank on which you can moor and take a stroll into Dorchester across the fields – well worth it, an interesting Abbey and houses, lots of footbaths in and around the village, Midsomer land again.
The village can also be reached with a slightly longer walk from Days Lock. On the left you will see Whittenham Clumps, good views from up there if you are fit enough!
The river now takes a big curve to the left and you will see the awful Didcot Power Station moving from side to side as you go round. Very shallow approaching Clifton Hamden bridge, keep left of the green marker buoy then through the centre arch of the bridge, mooring on the right is very shallow, costs about £3 which goes to the local primary school for swimming lessons. The Barley Mow is across the bridge (famous for Jerome K Jerome staying there), in the village itself there is a shop and another pub and lots of thatched cottages.
Nothing then until Culham, along the cut after the lock there is a layby on the left before the footbridge, if there is room to moor then a nice walk can be had across the weirs to Sutton Courtenay, another pretty village with three pubs. Helena Bonham-Carter has a house here that used to belong to her grandfather (or great grandfather) Herbert Asquith, one time Prime Minister, who is buried in the churchyard, as indeed is Eric Blair, otherwise known as George Orwell.
At the end of the cut turn right towards Abingdon, keep clear of shallows marked by a green buoy then moor round the bend on the right. If full go through the bridge for more free moorings on both sides, the one on the left being beside an outdoor swimming pool so can get a bit noisy and busy. Lots of places in Abingdon to eat and drink and shop. Also a good bus service to Oxford, which those of us with bus passes make good use of.
 
Ian

Re the yellow posts at Pangebourne, there is another yellow post closer to the bridge. I suggested to my nb friend he might like to try between the post and the bridge if the rest of the moorings crowded. He looked but said very unpleasant bottom, even for a nb. However coming down through the bridge recently I noticed a wide beam nb moored on the green above the bridge. Anybody any idea if this is another available mooring?

For the OP I could say moor close to a nb and hook into their genny, a lot seem to like running them through the night!

IanC
 
I had a look at that place by the post and the river bed is very unpleasant indeed. I believe the bank above the bridge is private. There is a regular cruiser on there, but I've never seen anything else.
 
Everybody forgets -

that EA have electric sockets which they call "charging points", possibly to encourage electric boats (in which case they're not trying had enough)

My version of the "User's guide to the River Thames" had the following on your route:-

Cookham
Shiplake
Benson
Sandford

EA have a pdf copy for you to download here , but I wouldn't bother it's edition 5, 2006 so somewhat out of date.

(AQ, please notice..)

Mine is edition 7, 2008 - available from most locks - if the kids haven't pinched them.

Not only are they free, but have a lot of useful info: contained therein
 
Re: Everybody forgets -

But if you need kilowatts rather than a trickle charge you will need to pay. Not sure you can use the same supply points though.
 
A great summary from Brayman of the places to stop. We all have our favourite spots, but Dorchester must be one of the best. A quiet mooring and a great walk into the village.

The only one I would add is the spot next to the Alpacas just before you get to Pangbourne on the opposite bank. There are only a few spots, but it is very quiet as there is no public access here. There is a track through the fields to the road and on into Whitchurch for the pubs.

We used to moor there a lot and I would go for a morning run into Pangbourne for fresh croissants. I suspect it would be a bit more of a walk these days though.

Wherever you decide to go you will be cruising along what in my opinion is probably the most beautiful section of the river (shut your eyes as you go through Reading).

I have been stranded on land so far this season, but my boat is back in two weeks and I cannot wait to see these places again. I never get tired of them no matter how often I visit them.
 
nice people at Thames and Kennet, stayed many times and they nbow have a wine bar/bistro open all day and until late into the night

not tested the food yet :-)
 
We've tried it a couple of times.
It's not bad, not brilliant but ok when you get back Sunday evening and before the trek home. Once they had a draught local brew on tap which was excellent but since then just Theakstons, which for a keg is pretty good.
 
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