Lechlade

[landlockedpirate]

We are staying in Lechlade this weekend for an event on Saturday, but we have the whole of Sunday to ourselves. It seems silly to look a gift horse in the mouth so we are going to take the Inflatable tender and go for a run on the river.

Any ideas where to head ? Do we go upstream or downstream? All suggestions welcome, we are launching at the Trout inn.

Thanks

 

[prof pat pending]

I guess that depends on how adventurous you are feeling

While you can navigate a smaller boat past Lechlade, it’s not too far before the Thames gets quite small and there’s really not that much up there. Although you will pass the site where the Thames and Severn canal joins the Thames (if they ever manage to restore it)

There are a few more hamlets to look at downstream and some wartime gun emplacments, but there are quite a few locks in relativly quick sucsession on that part of the river

 

[Alan ashore]

Methinks it would be rude not to go up as far as you can reasonably get - which will depend mainly on how much water there is at the time, how brave you are with your outboard, and/or how far you are prepared to row (/wade and haul if you REALLY want to take it to the limit).

Might be interesting to take a forum poll of who has been how far up in what. I've been just as far as Hannington Bridge, in a 14ft mini cruiser - on that occasion you would have needed wheels to get anything deeper that far, but several forumites have got NB's that far or further.

Cheers,
A.

 

[landlockedpirate]

Cheers for the input.

I have had a look at Google Earth,and I think I can get a decent way up from Lechlade. Dont fancy wading though, so when the prop touches the bottom I'm done.

 

[Brayman]

Cheers for the input.

I have had a look at Google Earth,and I think I can get a decent way up from Lechlade. Dont fancy wading though, so when the prop touches the bottom I'm done.

Your prop may be gummed up with weed before that point!

 

[Chris_d]

Your prop may be gummed up with weed before that point!

Yes I've taken a few largish 25-30 ftrs a couple or miles or so above Lechlade and it is always the weed that defeats you rather than the lack of water
or space.

 

[Mirror Painter]

Upstream or down? You must do both!

Note, I used to have a 16' cabin cruiser moored near the Roundhouse, (upstream of St John's lock), until this year so I know what I'm talking about. Go upstream and enjoy the absolute quietness broken only by one or two canoes per day coming down from Cricklade. I reckon the overhanging branches will make you turn around before the weed does. I used to be able to get well above the airstrip you can see on Google earth so you'll go further in your tender. Then turnaround, go though a couple of locks and moor for lunch at the Plough at Kelmscott. The river bank is a few minutes walk from the village and pub.

You are about to see some of the very best parts of the Thames. If you happen to see a fat main flailing about in a sailing dinghy - either with sail or an outboard - that's me!

 

[ProDave]

I guess that depends on how adventurous you are feeling

While you can navigate a smaller boat past Lechlade, it’s not too far before the Thames gets quite small and there’s really not that much up there. Although you will pass the site where the Thames and Severn canal joins the Thames (if they ever manage to restore it)

Are they actually making any progress on restoring that? or is is still just a wish list?

 

[prof pat pending]

I believe that they were making headway, whether it will actually get finished is anyone’s guess though

 

[landlockedpirate]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but it didnt help me decide where to go, so we went up and down

We launched at the back of the Trout Inn in Lechlade, there is a large camping field with a fairly new looking concrete slip. The slip is great and I think you could launch up to about 20ft, but the access cut is very shallow with lots of over hanging trees to get out into the channel, punting was the order of the day.

We headed downstream first after buying a 24hr licence from St Johns lock, and after about 90 mins and a couple of locks arrived at the Swan Hotel, Brampton for lunch. This is the furthest we have previously been upstream in the main boat. After a relaxed roast and a few cold ones, we set off back to Lechlade to see how far we could get.

Approach to St Johns lock through the arched road bridge.

The lock is shallow and unpowered, but with 2 lock keepers on duty we were through quickly. Another couple of hundread meters brings you to the Riverside Pub, it was packed outside most of the weekend.

The river is really quiet up here, a few kayaks and the odd rowing boat but mostly we had it to ourselves.

The lastboat on the river, looks a bit sad with a fallen tree nearly on its bow.

The vegetation really starts to encroach on the stream, but depths are good with a steady 4ft for most of the way.

I think we managed about 2 miles before we were stopped, not by trees, weed or water depth but by a couple of reed (?) beds growing from each bank and blocking the river.

It was a really nice and relaxing day, and it now means we have covered the entire Thames from the barrier to above Inglesham.

 

[Ramage]

Nice pics and write-up.

Well done Mark!

 

[Gumpy]

Just for the record in 2003 I took a 50ftx11ft barge to within 500 yards of Hannington Bridge, only stopped by a shoal just before the final bend, we could have got over it but might not have got back

http://goo.gl/maps/U2R2p

I would go upstream from Lechlade every time.

 

[Mirror Painter]

Just for the record in 2003 I took a 50ftx11ft barge to within 500 yards of Hannington Bridge, only stopped by a shoal just before the final bend, we could have got over it but might not have got back

http://goo.gl/maps/U2R2p

I would go upstream from Lechlade every time.

Well done. Just for the record, last year I saw a number of narrow boats get stuck on the silt by the Roundhouse. So ten years after your trip things have changed. I mention this in case it helps anyone this year.

 

[landlockedpirate]

Thanks to the vegetation, the only way you are going much further at the moment is with a machete, and thats not something I want to be swinging about on an inflatable boat

Joking aside, I probably could have got further if I had taken a run at the reed beds.

 

[Gumpy]

Machete and bosaw were required tools the year I did it.
I was out in the fold up boat clearing the path where required.
couldn't do it now age has taken hold

 

[ianc1200]

Our trip 2001 on 58' 6" nb "Earnest, much pruning as shown using chainsaw to get to within sight of Hannington Bridge.

http://www.tuesdaynightclub.co.uk/Tour_01/fen35.html

Wasn't the recent talk of the canal restoration to use the Thames instead of the canal downstream of Cricklade?

 

[Sulley]

I have been up to Grafton lock a number of times in the past few weeks, beautiful area and very different to the lower parts of the Thames.