Tesco's Reading

Similar, but not necessarily identical signage has appeared along Christchurch Meadow and all along the Rivermead stretch, looks to me as if Reading Borough Council no longer want any boats cluttering up their riverbank!! The Christchurch Meadow signage asks for £9.50 per 24 hours, 24 hours maximum stay, and (if I recall correcctly?) only 3 24 hour stays in 14 days.
 
Is that sign along the whole stretch by Tesco, or just part of it?
I can't see it deterring any of the regulars, but something needs to be done. When we were last there, it was obvious that a 'runner' was going between some of the boats delivering drugs. A more effective sign would be 'no mooring, unless you want something nicked'. Thank god there's a co op and a very good pie shop upstream:D
 
Yes, probably. Depends who's paying them to enforce the rules. The riparian owner actually owns the river bed to the middle of the river, just not the water on top of it.

That covers anchoring, but (only slightly tongue in cheek...) I had to become stationary to read the sign, thereby technically incurring a charge?
 
we struggled to get a space there when we passed upstream earlier in the year.

I did notice on the way back downstream that before you come to Caversham lock (near the the island with Caversham cruisers and the bowls club), just up one of the roads is an Aldi.

Streetview link here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.4...4!1sJ7MgIPDhVP33xUk5sQbJ8w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

does anyone know if you can moor here, and then walk up to the Aldi and other shops at the end of that road
 
The phone number on the signs at Christchurch meadow only seems to be manned during office hours, not much use when most boating happens at the weekend.

As for the anchoring bit, I always understood you had a right to anchor anywhere on the Thames for 24 hours, so long as you're not causing an obstruction - something to do with the right of navigation that exists on the Thames?

Edit: Several spaces on the Tesco moorings when we went past today, though still a fair few "residents" in place.
 
rosssavage said:
Yes, probably. Depends who's paying them to enforce the rules. The riparian owner actually owns the river bed to the middle of the river, just not the water on top of it.

That covers anchoring, but (only slightly tongue in cheek...) I had to become stationary to read the sign, thereby technically incurring a charge?
Click to expand...

You are correct that Riparian owners own the river bed to the middle of the river. The water however is not owned by the
Riparian and belongs to whoever the authority might be at the time. Thames Conservancy then NRA then EA and have now lost track. As a one time Riparian owner in Weybridge the NRA tried to charge us for putting rising piles adjacent to our properties. A group action at the High Court confirmed that the Authority only owned the water and navigation and not the land beneath. Once we told them to get their water off our land nothing more was heard!
 
I was on one of the Reading moorings yesterday when the signs were put up in Christchurch Meadow. Two signs that I could see for the whole stretch. A boater further upstream towards Caversham Bridge told me that he'd watched them put signs up there, photograph them, then take them down again.
The significant thing about the new signs is that enforcement has been handed over to a car parking company who will probably approach the collection of mooring fees and penalties with the same zeal that they display when clamping cars.
 
rosssavage said:
Yes, probably. Depends who's paying them to enforce the rules. The riparian owner actually owns the river bed to the middle of the river, just not the water on top of it.

That covers anchoring, but (only slightly tongue in cheek...) I had to become stationary to read the sign, thereby technically incurring a charge?
Click to expand...

Surely you can can anchor 24 hours on the Thames as long as out of the fairway?
 
dash300 said:
You are correct that Riparian owners own the river bed to the middle of the river. The water however is not owned by the
Riparian and belongs to whoever the authority might be at the time. Thames Conservancy then NRA then EA and have now lost track. As a one time Riparian owner in Weybridge the NRA tried to charge us for putting rising piles adjacent to our properties. A group action at the High Court confirmed that the Authority only owned the water and navigation and not the land beneath. Once we told them to get their water off our land nothing more was heard!
Click to expand...

If that's so how does the concept of "accommodations" work (for which EA do charge) ?

ianc1200 said:
Surely you can can anchor 24 hours on the Thames as long as out of the fairway?
Click to expand...

Similarly how does that 'work' ? Not that I've seen many folks anchoring overnight....
 
Tony, I've read the 1993 Regs sections on anchoring, but these don't specifically state "you can anchor out of the fairway for 24 hours2 which you'll find mentioned in several guides. I wondered if there was an Act/Regulation etc which said this commonly held belief was enshrined in law.
 
ianc1200 said:
http://www.environmentdata.org/archive/ealit:251/OBJ/19000597.pdf

See page 19.

However anybody know the Act/Regulations etc which confirm this?
Click to expand...

It's Section 79 (2)of the Thames Conservancy Act 1932

"The right of navigation in this section described be deemed to include a right to anchor moor or remain stationary for a reasonable time in the ordinary course of pleasure navigation subject to such restrictions as the Conservators may from time to time by byelaws determine."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Refueler
Strange water accumulation ...
Replies
9
Views
305
Refueler
Refueler

Share this page

Top