Weekend trip up the tidal Thames

[PaulGooch]

Good afternoon everyone. Our boat is based at Shotley in Suffolk and we're thinking of having a weekend trip up the Thames. We'll not come any further inland than the tidal section. Weather permitting we'll be doing this either Easter or May bank holiday weekend. The general plan is to set off Saturday morning and head up the Thames, stopping somewhere over night. Sunday, we'd travel further inland for some sightseeing, most likely returning to where ever we stopped on Saturday night, spend the night again then head for home Monday morning. If the weather is OK and we do this Easter, we'll set off on Good Friday and have an extra night.

Any recommendations for a visitors berth, any to avoid ? Would like somewhere with some decent facilities, food and a pint a must. Most likely need somewhere with wheelchair access, as we'll no doubt be bringing a couple of friends and he can only walk very short distances. For the first day, i'd guess we'd come in as far as the Royal Albert and King George docks, give or take a few miles. That will be a journey of around 70nm.

Second day we'll most likely come as far inland as Teddington lock, but don't plan to come through the lock. Most likely just chug down to the lock area, find somewhere to stop for lunch (any suggestions), then chug back again. Last day, we'll make the 70nm mile trip back to Shotley.

Any suggestions etc would be most welcome as this is not an area we've taken a bot to previously.

 

[Richard Shead]

Can help you with Lunch

Good afternoon everyone. Our boat is based at Shotley in Suffolk and we're thinking of having a weekend trip up the Thames. We'll not come any further inland than the tidal section. Weather permitting we'll be doing this either Easter or May bank holiday weekend. The general plan is to set off Saturday morning and head up the Thames, stopping somewhere over night. Sunday, we'd travel further inland for some sightseeing, most likely returning to where ever we stopped on Saturday night, spend the night again then head for home Monday morning. If the weather is OK and we do this Easter, we'll set off on Good Friday and have an extra night.

Any recommendations for a visitors berth, any to avoid ? Would like somewhere with some decent facilities, food and a pint a must. Most likely need somewhere with wheelchair access, as we'll no doubt be bringing a couple of friends and he can only walk very short distances. For the first day, i'd guess we'd come in as far as the Royal Albert and King George docks, give or take a few miles. That will be a journey of around 70nm.

Second day we'll most likely come as far inland as Teddington lock, but don't plan to come through the lock. Most likely just chug down to the lock area, find somewhere to stop for lunch (any suggestions), then chug back again. Last day, we'll make the 70nm mile trip back to Shotley.

Any suggestions etc would be most welcome as this is not an area we've taken a bot to previously.

You wont be able to find anywhere to moor down stream of Tedd lock (depending on tides) your best bet is to lock through moor up and head up the high street where there are more restaurants and pubs than houses...

Failing that you can ask to moor at the Wharf moorings (PM me or Tedd lock for details) and they may and I say may have room to moor (for a charge). That way you can eat at the Wharf if you so wish but it aint cheap!

 

[neale]

May Bank Hol weekend may end turning into a forum up-river cruise. Oldgit is going up to St Kats that weekend, from the Mudway I guess, and I am heading up to Teddington and beyond for 10 days from Essex. Must remember to give Richard a wave as I go past the office

 

[oldgit]

Go on spend £30 well worth it !

Any suggestions etc would be most welcome as this is not an area we've taken a boat to previously.

Make sure you do have somewhere pre booked for your over night stop.Virtually all the decent places will be booked solid,however some of the less favored places may well be able to fit you in.

Our favorite is St Kats (there that weekend)but we have given Chelsea harbour and Limehouse a go in the past.
just follow the green and red thingies !

Mind out for bigger stuff than you

Just about the most interesting tip ever forget the Med. its dull dull dull compared to this.

 

[Gumpy]

May Bank Hol weekend may end turning into a forum up-river cruise. Oldgit is going up to St Kats that weekend, from the Mudway I guess, and I am heading up to Teddington and beyond for 10 days from Essex. Must remember to give Richard a wave as I go past the office

We will be coming out of Limehouse in Parglena, our barge, on the Saturday 1st about 12.30 and heading up the Thames to the river Wey to try and scrape under Broadford bridge again.

 

[teddington_lock]

Come and visit us at Tedders ....

Moor on the head layby ( massive ) for £7 a night and then you can easily access Teddington High Street with its cornucopia of restaurants .... The Wharf isn't too bad price wise , it gets expensive if you start boozing in earnest ....

Nowhere to moor downstream of us i'm afraid.

I've got the short straw over Easter and am on duty the whole time !

 

[Richard Shead]

In fairness

Come and visit us at Tedders ....

Moor on the head layby ( massive ) for £7 a night and then you can easily access Teddington High Street with its cornucopia of restaurants .... The Wharf isn't too bad price wise , it gets expensive if you start boozing in earnest ....

Nowhere to moor downstream of us i'm afraid.

I've got the short straw over Easter and am on duty the whole time !

I was going to say the Wharf is not too bad unless you start boozing but had to run off to a meeting.....

I think its fair to say I have never had a cheap meal in there........

 

[Brayman]

Beware, Easter Saturday is the Varsity Boat Race, I think and also the Devizes to Westminster canoe race takes place over the weekend.

 

[Cliveshep]

We will be coming out of Limehouse in Parglena, our barge, on the Saturday 1st about 12.30 and heading up the Thames to the river Wey to try and scrape under Broadford bridge again.

I can't even scrape under that one, at 6ft4in it's 8in lower than my pulpit! Please go slow past the Addlestone moorings (above Town Lock), mine is tied up there alongside the factories and it's pretty narrow and shallow and NB's come hacking past causing surge damage as they come too close too fast.

There are new moorings there, for which the Trust have only increased charges by a measly 90%, bless them. Unfortunately one is confined to tying around vertical smooth timber piles and the local scroats now have an easy time of it setting boats adrift as all they have to do, the poor dears, is slide the ropes up and off. I did fit bolted stainless steel rings but the Trust objected violently to this as it made the mooring secure and safe which apparently is politically undesirable amongst the Trust hierarchy so I had to remove them.

You'll be pleased to know that Bowers lock has been re-gated over this winter, not that the considerable batter makes the gates any easier to open, just that the top gates don't send such large waterfalls over your bows any more!

 

[teddington_lock]

I was going to say the Wharf is not too bad unless you start boozing but had to run off to a meeting.....

I think its fair to say I have never had a cheap meal in there........

Nor me ....

We had a rather expensive NYE in there Rich as i recall ?

 

[PaulGooch]

Only thing with coming as far upstream as Teddington on the first day is it will be a 100 mile trip, non stop. The sea leg will take us about three hours at a steady 15 knots, so we should be just passing Canvey Island at about midday. 2PM would see us around the Royal Albert docks area. I'd guess that'd put us at Teddington around 6PM. Would be a long day, although not impossible to doesn't give much chance to relax and take in the scenery.

If we did the trip on Easter weekend, what would be favourable would be to find somewhere to stop in the Royal Albert docks area for the Friday night, then head down to Teddington Saturday morning. Overnight at Teddington Saturday night, with the aim of being back to wherever we spent Friday night, for a Sunday night stay. It would then be a case of heading for home on Monday, with a stop on the way for a few hours fishing.

St Kat's in fully booked, so any other suggestions for marinas in that area would be welcome. How about Gallions point marina, any good ?

Thanks for the replies so far and to "Oldgit" for the pictures, that's exactly why we wanted to do this trip. We're usually anchored a few miles offshore fishing, about time we started using the boat a bit more for cruising.

 

[Dave_Seager]

One of the easiest places to stop in London is South Dock. The surroundings are not very pretty but it accessible for more of the tide than most so gives you more flexibility with your timing.

You can get the fast Clipper from the pier outside if you want to get to the more attractive areas.

Don't be too ambitious in your planning. There is an advisory speed limit of 12 knots from Greenwich anf then a mandatory limit of 8 knots at Wandsworth Bridge. We normally need to slow down for rowers above Wandsworth as well and there will be additional traffic and restrictions due to the Boat Race. You can find the details in the Port of London Notice to Mariners U7 at http://www.pla.co.uk/notice2mariners/index.cfm/flag/2/id/3636/site/navigation

 

[TrueBlue]

If we did the trip on Easter weekend, what would be favourable would be to find somewhere to stop in the Royal Albert docks area for the Friday night, then head down to Teddington Saturday morning. Overnight at Teddington Saturday night, with the aim of being back to wherever we spent Friday night, for a Sunday night stay. It would then be a case of heading for home on Monday, with a stop on the way for a few hours fishing.

Just be aware that THE Boat Race is at 16:00 on Saturday 3rd. April. The river is closed for the duration of the race and either side of that as there is a secondary race before the main race, so I suspect the closure will be for longer.

PLA issue a Notice to Mariners, but I'm in a hurry today and haven't had time to research it for you.

Are you aware of the half tide lock at Richmond - they are somewhat sniffy about folks going through and there are now charges on it?

 

[Richard Shead]

Is boat race back to Saturday?

Just be aware that THE Boat Race is at 16:00 on Saturday 3rd. April. The river is closed for the duration of the race and either side of that as there is a secondary race before the main race, so I suspect the closure will be for longer.

PLA issue a Notice to Mariners, but I'm in a hurry today and haven't had time to research it for you.

Are you aware of the half tide lock at Richmond - they are somewhat sniffy about folks going through and there are now charges on it?

Been Sunday for a few years now? I will have a look.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

TBH Limehouse/South Dock/St Kats are very little distance further on than Galleons Point and far more civilised.

 

[MiskinDriver]

There are options for mooring on the tidal section - and most have wheelchair access, some better than others. Don't forget the marinas have restricted access around the tidal window.

Best place for walking distance of decent pubs is to see if they have space on the Hermitage Moorings www.hcmoorings.org - they're just before St Kats and have easy access to Wapping High St. Turn right and the food and drink at the Town of Ramsgate are good, reasonably cheap and plentiful. They're are more pubs which do food along the High St, along with a couple of restaurants. The mooring is on the river though, so you may get bounced around a bit.

South Dock is a good mooring and is also wheelchair accessible. Bermondsey ain't a great place to go for a night out - but there is the Wibbly Wobbly pub (I'm sorry - I didn't come up with the name - its a boat in Greenland Dock which is alongside South Dock) though last time I was in there they were not doing food.

If you can get into Limehouse Marina then that'll be OK - and you're in walking distance of Narrow St, which has several pubs and restaurants (including Gordon Ramsay's The Narrow) - though you may have to watch the access for some of them, The Narrow is down a flight of steps.

Hpe that helps.

 

[Gumpy]

I can't even scrape under that one, at 6ft4in it's 8in lower than my pulpit! Please go slow past the Addlestone moorings (above Town Lock), mine is tied up there alongside the factories and it's pretty narrow and shallow and NB's come hacking past causing surge damage as they come too close too fast.

We may be close but only because our beam is 11ft6 but we will be slow.
Last time up there except on the river sections we were at tick over all the time.
The other thing is that we are now 11ft longer than we were so the bend above Guildford (St Catherines?) will be interesting coming downstream. managed to catch a tree last time as the river was up a tad.

Found this http://www.riverweynavigations.co.uk/index.html the other day some nice pictures.

 

[PaulGooch]

Thanks again to everyone for the helpful replies. I'm currently looking at the suggested marina's and will have a phone around and see where we can find a space. Will also look into the other things mentioned too. I see the stretch of river for the boat race is closed at 14:20, which will be fine, we'll make sure we're up river of that point in good time. I'll post a bit of a passage plan when i've decided exactly what we're doing.

 

[PaulGooch]

Phoned all of the suggested marina's and they are all fully booked for Easter weekend. Guess the boat race might be something to do with that. We'll have to abandon the plan for Easter and look at making the trip at the beginning of May now.

For Easter weekend we think we'll take a coastal trip from Suffolk along the coast Ramsgate and Dover.

 

[Brayman]

Popular time

Easter is a popular time for boaters on the non-tidal Thames to go down to London, as are the Bank Holidays in May, so you are advised to book early.

Apparently some Mudway boaters also come up to sample civilisation