trip to Penton Hook

thamesS23

thamesS23

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we planned to travel to Penton Hook last Friday evening, but the terrible weather put that trip on hold until the following morning. In the end we travelled down Saturday morning and arrived at Penton Hook just before the heavens opened, and it then didn't stop raining until the early hours of Sunday morning. Was still nice to chill out on the boat, and the trip back on sunday was in better weather.

Here are a few photo's from the trip

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Just not sure why you went to Penton Hook marina when you passed all those nice places on the way :)
Thanks for the pics though heading down there too week after next.
 
Chris_d said:
Just not sure why you went to Penton Hook marina when you passed all those nice places on the way :)
Thanks for the pics though heading down there too week after next.
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well we fancied a 3/4 hour cruise downstream from Bray, so there was really no where else to go apart from Penton Hook.
After you pass Romney lock going downstream, we noticed that there really aren't that many nice places to moor up.
Datchet - there are no longer any visitor mooring pontoons that allow access to Datchet and the water there is to shallow to moor up against the wall.
no other public moorings between Romney and Old windsor lock.
There are the moorings at Runneymede just after the Magna Carta tea rooms, although you are only a few yards from a main road.
After the park at Runneymede there are some EA moorings which look okay, but not much around there to see or do.
After Bell Weir lock, it looks like the only public mooring are right in Staines town centre, which we stopped at briefly on the way back. They are nice new moorings with secure rings and very tidy, ideal to stop there for a lunch, but I wouldn't want to moor there overnight.
After Penton Hook there is the public moorings at Laleham, although when we went passed on the sunday, there seem to be liveaboards moored there, plus the actual moorings themselves didn't look in great condition.
So the choice to stay at Penton Hook marina was an easy one, with it's free mooring (to fellow MDL berth holders), showers, electric, club bar etc.
 
one thing that we both noticed once you passed Windsor, is the noise from the planes flying overhead. Really made it hard to hear conversations with other boats when in the locks down that way.
 
thamesS23 said:
one thing that we both noticed once you passed Windsor, is the noise from the planes flying overhead. Really made it hard to hear conversations with other boats when in the locks down that way.
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Don't worry you are safe till you get to Richmond where you pick up the noise again ! Depending on direction of course !
 
thamesS23 said:
well we fancied a 3/4 hour cruise downstream from Bray, so there was really no where else to go apart from Penton Hook.
After you pass Romney lock going downstream, we noticed that there really aren't that many nice places to moor up.
Datchet - there are no longer any visitor mooring pontoons that allow access to Datchet and the water there is to shallow to moor up against the wall.
no other public moorings between Romney and Old windsor lock.
There are the moorings at Runneymede just after the Magna Carta tea rooms, although you are only a few yards from a main road.
After the park at Runneymede there are some EA moorings which look okay, but not much around there to see or do.
After Bell Weir lock, it looks like the only public mooring are right in Staines town centre, which we stopped at briefly on the way back. They are nice new moorings with secure rings and very tidy, ideal to stop there for a lunch, but I wouldn't want to moor there overnight.
After Penton Hook there is the public moorings at Laleham, although when we went passed on the sunday, there seem to be liveaboards moored there, plus the actual moorings themselves didn't look in great condition.
So the choice to stay at Penton Hook marina was an easy one, with it's free mooring (to fellow MDL berth holders), showers, electric, club bar etc.
Click to expand...

Why wouldn't you moor in Staines overnight?

And what is wrong with liveaboards that makes you not want to moor with them?

Only asking for future reference :)
 
because the moorings in Staines (at least the one we stopped at), is outside a couple of town centre pubs. I'm sure you could moor there and never have any problems, but with other options available, I personally wouldn't bother.
Plus for me, the boat is a place to escape town life (as we live in a large and busy town), and enjoy the peace and quiet of the lovely thames countryside.
 
Staines is ok to spend a night but there are better spots with less late night youff activity, Runnymede and Concept Italian is good with a full English at the café in the morning :)
There is the Riverside Hotel a bit further down in Staines which has secure private pontoons and is good for a free night if you eat there, last time had probably the best Burger and chips ever ! Laleham used to be good but yes the live-aboards do take over, but still worth a go as it is quiet there. The nthere is Chertsey, Shepperton at Thames Court or through the lock and EA moorings for Weybridge pubs. Anywhere except a marina really :rolleyes:
 
Chris_d said:
Staines is ok to spend a night but there are better spots with less late night youff activity, Runnymede and Concept Italian is good with a full English at the café in the morning :)
There is the Riverside Hotel a bit further down in Staines which has secure private pontoons and is good for a free night if you eat there, last time had probably the best Burger and chips ever ! Laleham used to be good but yes the live-aboards do take over, but still worth a go as it is quiet there. The nthere is Chertsey, Shepperton at Thames Court or through the lock and EA moorings for Weybridge pubs. Anywhere except a marina really :rolleyes:
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We never moor in marinas when on the rivers unless we absolutely have to. Like in London for example.

We have no need for marina facilities as we are fully self sufficient!"
 
CX54WEK said:
Why wouldn't you moor in Staines overnight?

And what is wrong with liveaboards that makes you not want to moor with them?

Only asking for future reference :)
Click to expand...

When I moored at Staines, in the location described, three weeks ago two nice lads were attacked with broken bottles by a gang of smaller kids actually on the mooring. It was a Sunday night. And threw their bike and belongings into the river. A kind narrowboater moored behind me helped them (I was out for a walk when it happened). The police said the local youths got bored on Sundays. Also the area around the mooring is littered with metal cylinders (NO). Otherwise a nice mooring and convenient for shops.
 
We are not ones to right off a mooring purely on a one off incident.

We will see what it looks like when we get there.

Although if it seems people don't tend to like mooring there overnight it could be an ideal spot for us all to get in together and hit the pubs as a group. :)
 
Stayed at Staines many times, only little issues on one night as some tart stepped on the boat for a photo. She called me a pervert when I stuck my head out of the forward hatch and told her to pass off! Cheeky mare.

Shepperton has always been good until the last time a couple of weeks ago when a moron on a Grey barge (probably still there...) started his loud engine at 4AM. We persuaded him to switch it off or go for a swim. Yet another junkie live aboard on a free permanent mooring despite Rex being moored four boats in front...

In reality, we have very few issues, even overnight at Tesco in reading!
 
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