List of places to moor up on the thames.

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HONEYMOMMY

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We are planning a two week trip on the Thames in the summer and have been trying to plan our stops.

I had a thought of posting on here to see if people can post places they know of currently that are nice to moor overnight.

We will be looking at some out of the way and some with access to shopping or other activity. Knowing if we can BBQ is important as well as ability to walk the dogs.

Having an idea of price and maybe a few that are free will be handy for budgeting.

So.... How about a list? Can you help?:D
 
Biggest tip I can give you is..........don't plan it.
Not knowing what's around the next corner is part of the attraction. You will always remember your first trip so take it as it comes.
A Thames map or a copy of Chris Cove Smiths book will give you all the info you need.
Enjoy it!:D
 
If detail missing it's 'cos that there's nothing there
Layout -
Location, free /cost, shops BBQ possible

Cookham , cost, village shops, No
Marlow, cost (use of showers and pool?), S'bys Waitrose, No
Hurley, EA - cost, No, dunno
Medmenham, cost (Steve),No, Yes
Henley (below either side) £8 - Steve, Waitrose etc, think so
Wargrave, free, No, No - unless nearer Marsh Lock
Shiplake - well above, Free, No, Yes
Sonning, Yes, No - but pubs,No
Mapledurham, No,No, Yes
Pangbourne, Yes ? Nat Trust, yes and Fish 'n chips, Yes?
Beale Park, Free, No, Yes - all very pleasant
Goring Free- EA, Yes, No
Wallingford, No, Waitrose Chinese, No
Shillingford, Yes at hotel, No, No
Days Lock just above, Free, stiff walk to Dorchester, Yes
Abingdon, Free, Waitrose etc,, No

---- Can you get under Abingdon bridge? If so more moorings 'twixt bridge and lock. Nothing much until Oxenford -
Christchurch meadows, Free, Yes, in City,No.

Best if you cut and paste the above into a spreadsheet. This blessed (!) editor doesn't do tabs.

PM me for specific details / queries, 'cos I'm not about to give my favourite details to all and sundry (we need somewhere to moor after all..)
 
Phill said:
Biggest tip I can give you is..........don't plan it.
Not knowing what's around the next corner is part of the attraction. You will always remember your first trip so take it as it comes.
A Thames map or a copy of Chris Cove Smiths book will give you all the info you need.
Enjoy it!:D
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. When we first set out on the river computers and the internet were the stuff of dreams. We just explored the river with our 2 boys aka 'seek and destroy' and it was magical.
Don't treat the river as an itinerised package deal. Just explore.
The waypoint driven, time driven, objective driven boaters do not enjoy the river as it should be enjoyed. You will meet them racing out of the locks to be ahead of what 'they' perceive to be the pack.
There is space for all and you can moor to any field to walk the dogs and then move on.
It's your new hobby don't try to do it all in one season and just stop when you fancy a spot. We haven't been up as far as Abingdon for about 5 years now so feel we might pop up there this year to renew old memories. Thats what the river is about :)
 
hear hear - it's all about being somewhere, not getting somewhere

If you want to get somewhere take the car. Or a train.
 
TrueBlue said:
If detail missing it's 'cos that there's nothing there
Layout -
Location, free /cost, shops BBQ possible

Cookham , cost, village shops, No
Marlow, cost (use of showers and pool?), S'bys Waitrose, No
Hurley, EA - cost, No, dunno
Medmenham, cost (Steve),No, Yes
Henley (below either side) £8 - Steve, Waitrose etc, think so
Wargrave, free, No, No - unless nearer Marsh Lock
Shiplake - well above, Free, No, Yes
Sonning, Yes, No - but pubs,No
Mapledurham, No,No, Yes
Pangbourne, Yes ? Nat Trust, yes and Fish 'n chips, Yes?
Beale Park, Free, No, Yes - all very pleasant
Goring Free- EA, Yes, No
Wallingford, No, Waitrose Chinese, No
Shillingford, Yes at hotel, No, No
Days Lock just above, Free, stiff walk to Dorchester, Yes
Abingdon, Free, Waitrose etc,, No

---- Can you get under Abingdon bridge? If so more moorings 'twixt bridge and lock. Nothing much until Oxenford -
Christchurch meadows, Free, Yes, in City,No.

Best if you cut and paste the above into a spreadsheet. This blessed (!) editor doesn't do tabs.

PM me for specific details / queries, 'cos I'm not about to give my favourite details to all and sundry (we need somewhere to moor after all..)
Click to expand...

Pangbourne fish and chips it is then. :)

I may have made it sound like we were on a mission and had to plan the whole trip. I should have worded it differently. What we needed was the experience of other boaters telling us good places to stop at and mooring details. We have the books and have been online.
I want to have the opportunity as we are pooteling along to say oh look there's pangbourne, let's stop for fish and chips. :)

Great help with the list to start us off thanks.

Right I am off to bed after a manic night shift!! Night night...
 
HONEYMOMMY said:
Pangbourne fish and chips it is then. :)

I may have made it sound like we were on a mission and had to plan the whole trip. I should have worded it differently. What we needed was the experience of other boaters telling us good places to stop at and mooring details. We have the books and have been online.
I want to have the opportunity as we are pooteling along to say oh look there's pangbourne, let's stop for fish and chips. :)

Great help with the list to start us off thanks.

Right I am off to bed after a manic night shift!! Night night...
Click to expand...

Pangbourne is excellent and a firm favourite with us.

If you have teenagers, its also handy to jump on the train into Reading from there for some serious retail mall therapy.

You just have to get there early in the day when all the narrowboats leave.
 
Oxford by the Head of the river. Free
Onsey marina - not too expensive but has good showers and BBQ area with built in BBQ's
 
bendyone said:
Oxford by the Head of the river. Free
Osney marina - not too expensive but has good showers and BBQ area with built in BBQ's
Click to expand...

Wot I said - just a different name.
Dunno if the Spaniel can get under wither Abingdon or less likely- Folly bridge. If the latter, then the EA moorings above Osney lock are excellent and very quiet - considering the Botley Road bridge is near and one of the main roads into the City.
Gastro pub (give it a miss) at the tail of the mooring.
A shorter walk into the centre than the meadows.
Can recommend SoJo authentic Chinese restaurant in Hythe Bridge Street. Their "Mongolian Wok" is incredible value (£7 a head). Load a bowl with your own mix of meat and veg, blend in whatever 'erbs, spices and sauces and they cook it while you wait.

All the museums are well worth a visit
 
HONEYMOMMY said:
Pangbourne fish and chips it is then. :)

I may have made it sound like we were on a mission and had to plan the whole trip. I should have worded it differently. What we needed was the experience of other boaters telling us good places to stop at and mooring details. We have the books and have been online.
I want to have the opportunity as we are pooteling along to say oh look there's pangbourne, let's stop for fish and chips. :)

Great help with the list to start us off thanks.

Right I am off to bed after a manic night shift!! Night night...
Click to expand...

I didn't know how to pitch it - so I kept the detail to a minimum.
It's all very well for others to say just point and go, but that doesn't work with families and hounds.

Now I've got your attention here are some other "thoughts":-

Sometimes it's nice to drop a pin in the stream and chill out. You've got a dinghy to escape with. There's a "pool" below Hambledon where you can tuck yourselve's away and still watch everyone else pounding along. Similar place just at the downstream end of Hennerton Backwater - take the dinghy and explore it; you'll end up at the George & Dragon. Further on the Loddon and St. Patrick's stream (might need to paddle over a small weir) are fun to explore.

Didn't mention mooring directly above Mapledurham (pay) - the House is worth a visit and they have various events during the summer.

No fuel above Reading until Abingdon.

Mooring above Byron's on the same side. GWR near but not too intrusive.

See my notes on another thread about Oxford. Well worth spending most of a day in the City. Two markets. Keep away from the main drag and it's lovely.
 
Last edited:
boatone said:
Don't ignore the buses. From Wallingford and Shillingford its quite easy to catch a bus and spend a day in Oxford.
Click to expand...

Yes we quite like to moor at Shillingford for the eleccie and get bus into Wallingford evening for a decent meal (as food at Shillingford hotel is pants)
 
Regarding BBQs we normally BBQ at most places as long as there is a bankside and grass and you don't set anything on fire :eek: then you are ok.

BBQ and a nice glass of wine is how I like to end my day!

Go into the office at Bray marina and get a River Thames map. It tells you all the facilities at each lock, shows most supermarkets, some pubs, parks, places of interest etc and also shows moorings and not just marinas. Best of all you can scribble on it to mark the best moorings you have found.
 
We have a river Thames map and are allready drawing on it with our favorite spots and the spots not to stop at (ones we found not to our liking or not suitable with the dogs etc). Paul was very helpfull also.


I think we can get up as far as osney bridge, then we are stuck.. So we do have a good amount of exploring range.

The kids are looking forward to taking the tender out and exploring the bits we cannot get down, so if anyone has a few ideas for them that would be great.

BBQ is a biggie for us due to cooking for 5 (eldest son not coming). We have a gas webber BBQ so I don't see any issues having a little cook up.

So.. going to start marking off more places on the Thames map from everyones posts for our exploring time. :)

Off to get ready for another night shift now. That would be a bad thing taking me away from my boating, but bearing in mind we seem to have had a small leak from the pipes leading from the holding tank which hubby and son have been fixing, (think its been there since we bought it, but couldn't see it till now, just smell ewwww Explains the fifty thousand air freshners we removed from the boat on buying her). I think working has been a blessing this weekend.
 
Last edited:
For a great walk with amazing views of Oxon stop its worthwhile mooring at Days lock and walking up Wittenham Clumps. It will certainly tire the dogs out!
You can see why it was used as a fort location since the bronze age! Type it into wiki or google for more info.
 
Maestro said:
For a great walk with amazing views of Oxon stop its worthwhile mooring at Days lock and walking up Wittenham Clumps. It will certainly tire the dogs out!
You can see why it was used as a fort location since the bronze age! Type it into wiki or google for more info.
Click to expand...

That would be a great walk for all. The poem tree looked interesting, just a sign there now, but still great history. :)
 
Anything between wallingford and streatley?

So.. What about Windsor to Teddington??? :D

I think I will make a list and post it here once everyone has added all thier secret places... ;)
 
Nice places Windsor to Tedders:


Laleham. Little mooring on LH side downstream. Quiet and pretty.

Hampton Court Palace: Right outside!!

Desborough Island


All free...:)
 
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