Wargrave Marsh to Aldermaston.

Thursday 12th June.

Wargrave Marsh to Reading. 15.3 miles and 6 locks.

Last night as we were closing up the boat for the evening, the Paddle Steamer we had seen earlier in the day passed us with a party onboard. They even had a band playing oomph papa for those who were listening.Those onboard seemed to be to busy drinking and talking to actually hear the band playing their heart out. The boat looked stunning as it went past.
So onto the mornings cruising to Reading. We left our peaceful mooring at 9.15am, it was a chilly morning, overcast and it looked like there was rain on the way.Both Keith and I were wrapped up against the wind and chill, but were looking forward to the mornings cruise. We have noticed a number of thatched properties along the river, and they look wonderful. I have always thought of thatched houses being in the countryside, as I grew up in one. But to see them a long the river was really lovely.The scenery along this part of the river was not as stunning as we had seen further back.
As we arrived at Shiplake Lock, the heavens opened. There was I stood on the bow with the rain thundering down, Keith was not fairing any better on the stern. The Lock Keeper had the best place he stayed in his hut whilst it was at its worst. As the lock gates opened to let us out, the sun came out just like that. It was as though someone had turned the tap off.
There are islands along this part of the river. One of the islands appeared in the program ‘Three men in a boat’ with Griff Rhys Jones and friends. They moored up on one of the islands, where Griff cooked lunch whilst the other two took the boat to the pub.You can still moor up on the islands, but they do seem rather overgrown at the moment. Along the Thames there are numerous boatyards and brokerages and this morning we saw another with a fabulous boat up for sale.What was lovely about this one was the fact that it was not white like most of the gin palaces, but it will set you back £215,000 for the pleasure of owning this beautiful boat.
On the approach to Sonning Lock, yep the weather suddenly took a turn for the worst, with rain drops the size of golf balls and then hail to match. Yes I said hail in June arghhhhh. Someone had turned the tap on again but this time it was on pressure wash. Not even the Lock Keeper was prepared to brave this deluge. Handling the rope on the bow was not pleasant due to the bow being slippery from the hail stones, so it was gently does it. We tied up and were followed in by a Dutch barge, they were struggling in the conditions, and it took them a few attempts to throw their ropes over the bollards. Just as the Lock Keeper was about to open the paddles the deluge subsided and the sun came out, but we were all soaked through, not even my waterproofs coped with that amount of rain. But the sun soon began to dry us all out. I stayed on the bow on the run down to Reading and our mooring. We found a mooring right on the junction with the Kennet and Avon Canal.
Having had lunch we took a walk into reading to see what had changed from when Keith last visited with his fathers boat in 1994. Reading is made up of all ages of buildings dating back to the Victorian era, but it is spread out and does not have a centre as such. Keith was really surprised to see all the changes made, what with the Oracle Shopping Centre and other new shopping areas. But Reading’s shops are the same as any other shopping centre. We took a walk around the Abbey Ruins, which are now just fragments of what would have been a superb building built back in the 12th-C. The abbey was built by Henry 1st and lies on the edge of Forbury Park, they are actually doing some work on the walls to stop them decaying any further. You can still see the 13th-C gate house, it was once the Abbey school where is said that Jane Austen studied in 1785-7. We did not get to see the Museum; we will leave that for another day. After walking back to the boat and having had a coffee, we took our rucksacks to Tesco to get a provisions shop done. So a very busy day for us both and tomorrow we head onto the Kennet and Avon Canal.The perfect end to a perfect day was the sunset at 8.30pm.Friday 13th June.

Reading to Aldermaston. 10.2 miles and 11 locks.

Some say that Friday 13th is bad luck, but it is only bad luck for those who have bad things happen to them on that day. I personally do not believe it. So when we woke up to a bright sunny morning, I knew it was going to be a good day.
We untied our ropes from the mooring rings at 8.55am and turned Hadar onto the Kennet and Avon Canal.No sooner had we turned onto the Kennet and Avon Canal, we were at Blakes Lock waiting for the lock keeper to operate the wheels and let us in.Once in and out of the lock, we carried on along the river which cuts across the middle of Reading, so all facilities have easy access. As you run through the centre of Reading which is narrow and has some twisty parts to it they run a traffic light system.You press the button on the lights and wait for them to turn green before you set off. It is a really simple but great idea and would work well on other parts of the canal system.
We skirted around the Oracle Shopping Centre and lots of cafes and eating places. Keith did not recognise any of it from when he last came through Reading.
It wasn’t long before we were out of Reading and enjoying the countryside once again, by the time we reached our third lock of the morning Fobney Lock, NB Sunshine was already there and had emptied the lock ready to go in, so we joined him in the lock and for part of the journey. The gentleman onboard was on his own, so was glad of the help, although he did keep asking if I was ok doing the work on my own.Keith told him “She charges to work locks for other boaters”, it made him laugh.
Isn’t it funny how you can spend a couple of hours in the company of another boater and yet none of us exchanged names. That happens so often that you only know the person by their boats name and that was the case today LOL. We enjoyed a really nice time cruising up through the locks and through the swing bridges with NB Sunshine and hope that we will cross paths again some day.
Under the M4, with its noisy traffic and petrol fumes. We were then into Garston Lock, which is one of only a few turf sided locks left.It is not so much turf these days, as weeds and river plants, but never the less still pretty and interesting to look at. We left NB Sunshine just after Theale Swing Bridge where he moored up for the day.
All but one swing and lift bridge is operated with the BW key, so is easy peasy to do. It really gives you a sense of power when you make all the noisy traffic stop. They have to wait for the barriers to go down and the bridge to either lift or swing and cannot move until it is all closed again and the barriers come up, now that is power to the boater yayyyyy. Along our route we saw a few of the old gravel pits, which have been turned over to nature. The last Swing Bridge of the day was at Aldermaston Wharf, which is where we found ourselves a place to moor. We decided that we would go for a meal at The Butt Inn near Aldermaston Wharf. If you are ever in the area go and have a meal there it was fantastic. I am happy to sing its praises because the food was sublime and the service was excellent. We then came back to the boat for a coffee and soon it will be bedtime. So goodnight everyone see you over the weekend.

Shepperton to Wargrave Marsh.

Monday 9th June.

Today has been a fantastic day weather wise and in other ways. It has been 24 degrees centigrade outside and once again being moored up we have been able to enjoy the sunshine in moderation of course.
The River Thames is really dropping in height and in flow now, as the boards at Shepperton Lock showed when we walked down to see the lock keeper this morning. Whilst chatting to Steve (Lock Keeper) his assistant was taking down the red boards to go down stream, and he expects that the red boards upstream will come down either later this evening or first thing in the morning, which is excellent news. Whilst chatting to Steve we got onto the subject of us carrying coal and the toll we had to pay at Teddington, as well as the licence fee and Steve looked at us with a puzzled expression on his face asking “Why did you have to get a 15 day visitors licence as well”. Our reply was “That is what we were told by the Teddington Lock keeper”. To cut a long story short, it seems that because we are carrying cargo, we should only have paid the toll fee and nothing further, which is great news if it is true. It means that they owe us £131. So now we have to contact the Environment Agency and sort it out about whether this is the case and if it is can we please have our money back. Not only did the Teddington Lock keeper get that wrong, he also filled out our cargo ticket wrong as well, which Steve kindly put right for us. So many thanks to Steve and the section keeper Carl for all their help this morning.
John on NB The Dillen invited us aboard for a coffee and a natter. We spent a good hour putting the world to right and having a laugh as you do when you make new friends. I am sure we will catch up with John again many times over the coming years as we continue our life cruising. Like us he is hoping to set off in the morning, but he is going down stream.
The afternoon was really to hot to do much, so we just chilled out as much as we could doing very little.
As the evening drew in, we hard a lovely sunset over the Thames, with lots of moth type flies hovering over the river.I dare say it will be football on the TV tonight, or we maybe lucky and find a decent film on Film 4.

Tuesday 10th June.

Shepperton Mooring to Cliveden. 20 miles and 8 locks.

It was a cloudy start to the day, but that mattered not because we were going to set off, after being moored up for a week yayyyy.
By the time Paddy had been walked etc it was 8.45am before we left the mooring which had been home for the past week. The flow of the river was almost like a mill pond and so it was time for the off. Like us John on NB The Dillen was taking off as well, but in the other direction, so we said goodbye and wished him well as we headed off up stream and to another day of fun.
Having past a few weirs today it was clear that the river was still running moderately strong in places, and their were some yellow boards out at the locks saying that the stream was increasing, but we were making good headway throughout the day.Everywhere we go there are always beautiful houses and boats, and this pair of boats and home caught Keith’s eye.The small craft is a slipper slipper launch, we have seen a few of those on our Thames trip.
We had plenty of company along the way to share the locks with. NB Caenleon and NB Fleur de Lys we just two we shared with. There were also the cruisers or gin palaces as many people call them.All the lock keeps bar one did not ask us to turn Hadar’s engine off. I think they were worried in case it would not start again ha ha ha. She really performed well today when it came to getting out of the fast stream in places, such as through bridge holes and passing weirs. Keith would open her up and she would fly. We past by Chertsey, Staines
We also past by Runnymede where the Magna Carta was signed in 1215, there is a memorial which can be seen from the river. It was then onto Old Windsor, which these days show no sign of the 9th-C village, built around the site of a Saxon royal palace. Up through Old Windsor Lock, we pass through New Cut built in 1822 creating Ham Island which is a bird sanctuary. Then we were under Albert and Victoria Bridges.This is the first time for me cruising through the crown estate and seeing the beautiful countryside and places the Queen owns.This is the closest I have ever been to Windsor Castle. The photograph is not great as the sun was too bright for the picture unfortunately. There are fantastic views across the park. Now that the river is out of flood the trip boats are back out and causing havoc as always.I even got to see Windsor racecourse, but there was no meeting on today. At Boveney Lock we pulled into the Weir stream to take on water, before entering emptying the loo and entering the lock along with other boats. Seeing so many boats moving today really made the day exciting, because everywhere you looked there were different boats. Even the Eton boys were out in their coxed fours, with their teachers either on bikes or in power boats shouting instructions, it made for good entertainment. Having skirted past Maidenhead we then did Boulters Lock the last lock of a long day in the afternoon sunshine. We found a mooring on one of the islands which is owned by the National Trust and costs you £6 for a 24 hour mooring. We have named the island Mog and Dog Island because Paddy and Marmite had their own secluded playground and oh boy did they have fun. Keith and I had tea alfresco with a well earned can of beer to wash it down. We really enjoyed the day and everything we saw.
We also caught sight of what we think was a Red Kite. I only really think it’s that because of the tail shape, it is the only one which matches my book.Other wildlife seen today.

Kingfisher.
Great Crested Grebe.
Cormorants.
North American Wood Duck and young.
Heard a Tawny Owl.

Wednesday 11th June.

Cliveden to Wargrave Marsh. 15.3 miles, 6 locks at an average speed of 3.3 mph.

Brrrr it began as a chilly morning, the sun was trying to come out, but the cloud was hiding it away. So away went the shorts and out came the long trousers again. We enjoyed a peaceful night on Mog and Dog Island, and were looking forward to a good days cruising. At 8.45am we set off along Cliveden Deep towards Cookham Lock.

It was very deserted when we arrived, no lock keeper to be seen. So we tied up and waited, it was not long before he appeared and opened the lock for us. As always we passed the time of day, he wanted to know all about the boat and her engine, which has been a huge talking point on this part of our journey. The scenery having left the lock was breath taking, you could see for miles across the valley and beyond. Cookham Dean itself is owned mostly by the National Trust and stands above steep beech woods. Winter Hill it is said has one of the best views of the Thames Valley that will be for another day. Kenneth Grahame who wrote ‘The Wind in the Willows’ lived at Mayfield between 1906-1910, and it is thought that the Quarry Wood may have been the wild wood mentioned in the story.One thing you really notice are the beautiful houses along the Thames and not all of them grand affairs, some are modest in size but have huge character.We love to admire them, but glad we do not have a house or a garden to manage anymore. It is so much nicer admiring other people’s hard work. It is clear though that some of the property along the Thames must cost millions to buy. Whilst we were on the move I put a load of washing on, so that I could hang it in the engine room to dry whilst we were underway.
Even the local cattle get to use the water for drinking and taking a dip.Totally unbothered by all the boats moving.
As I said before there are some amazing properties along the Thames, there are also so quirky ones, such as this house that looks like a castle.Keith reckons it has been there for donkeys years and yet it looks new due to the fact that it is well looked after. Someone clearly takes a lot of pride in their home. We then enjoyed a long run to Marlow Lock.Yes that’s me arriving on the bow. I do a lot of walking along the gunwales, when we arrive at locks, as I have to throw the bow rope around the bollards whilst the lock is being operated, to hold the boat fast. Leaving the lock we past Steamboat Nuneham, she is a trip boat, which moves up and down the Thames.Marlow itself is very pretty looking, it is a Georgian town with a wide tree lined High Street. A fantastic view of the weir can be seen from the suspension bridge over the river; it was built by Tierny Clarke in 1831-6 and reconstructed in 1966.
We skirted past Bisham Abbey built mainly in the 14th and 16th C and was a private house from 1540. It is now a sports centre of the Central Council of Physical Recreation.
I made lunch on the run, today it was toasted cheese sandwiches. We arrived at Temple Lock just before 1pm and the lock keep had gone to lunch, but we were in no hurry so tied up to wait till 2pm.Some minutes later a cruiser with three gentlemen turned up and they were less happy to sit and wait and wondered of we should operate the lock ourselves. Not seeming to mind either way we walked up to see how we would go about operating the lock by hand when the lock assistant arrived. But he could not work the lock for us as he had not finished his training and it was against Health and Safety, but he was happy to convey to us the instructions on how to work the buttons, as the manual wheel was not working. So Keith emptied the lock and opened the gates, at which point five boats passed Hadar moored up and entered the lock, they came from no where. So this meant Hadar would probably not fit in. However the assistant keeper was not happy with this situation as we had been the one doing the work, so he made the other boats squish up so Hadar could get in, which was very nice of him, as he was supposed to be having his lunch. The next question was “who is going to close the gates and operate the lock”?
The assistant Lock Keeper suggested that the 3 gentleman on the cruiser should elect one man to do the deed, as he wanted two crew members to stay on each boat of the boats to hold the ropes. But none of them moved from their boat. (Too much like hard work for them). So Keith tied the stern of Hadar up and worked the lock, otherwise we would have been there until 2pm, which was no problem to us we were prepared to wait anyway. What was really disappointing was the fact that only two of the boats actually thanked Keith for what he did and they were boaters we had met before. The boat with the gentlemen in a hurry on, did not say a word they just sped off at great speed. What ever happened to politeness?
We let everyone else leave the lock before we departed wishing the assistant lock keeper well.
After leaving the lock we were soon into Hurley Lock before a long stretch to Hambledon Lock and then on past a little island with the name Temple Island, it is not apparent why it is called that until you reach the other end of it.You then see that it has a building on it that looks like a temple. It is really quite beautiful.
We were then into the Henley Mile, where the Henley Royal Regatta takes place each year.Men were already putting in the posts for the race course. Keith told me that they put them in and take them out every year, once the event is over. We saw a lot of work going on putting up marques and setting for the spectators. Keith told me it is absolutely crazy on this part of the river when Henley is on. So a place to stay away from if you don’t like mayhem.
Henley-on-Thames itself looks stunning and I would love to stop and visit one day. It was described by Dickens as ‘the Mecca of the rowing man’ so well worth a visit at sometime.We cleared Marsh Lock and found ourselves a 24 hour mooring at Wargrave Marsh. Not long after having arrived, we had a visit from a Black Swan.I have not seen one for many years, and Keith had not seen one at all. An extremely beautiful bird.

Other wildlife we saw today.

Black Swan.
Red Kite.
Canada Geese and young.
Egyptian Geese and young.
Grey Lag Geese and Young.
Buzzards.
Swifts.
Housemartins.
Swallows.
Dragonflies.
Etc etc etc.

Friday to Sunday... still moored up.

Friday 6th June.

The one good thing about waiting for the strong flow to calm down is the fact that we get to talk to other people and see other things.
So having woken up to yet another sunny morning. I donned my camera, put Paddy’s lead on and took off on his morning stroll. For a change I took paddy for his walk back towards Shepperton lock, to take a photo of a boat we saw when we were coming up the river. From the bow it looks like a beautiful houseboat.But the stern looks like a galleon. Someone is obvious doing a lot of work on this fabulous boat as I could hear drills and electric saws being used. A real work of art.
As we walked along the one way rode, painted in the middle of the road were yellow ducks. I wonder if the ducks know it’s a duck crossing. It’s either that or someone has a good sense of humour.The one way road has a 30mph speed limit, but not many of the cars that use it seem to stick to that limit.
Since we have been out, I have admired many different boats and have shown some of them in the diary, but this boat has a real history.You maybe looking at the photograph and thinking, what is so special about this boat?
The Silver Queen or as she is known now Fermain V was one of the Dunkirk boats. She is owned by the Dunkirk Little Ships Restoration Trust. She was built in Southampton in 1926 by Horn Brothers. The boat was towed across to Dunkirk, because she was ideal for ferrying soldiers from La Panne Beach to the larger destroyers and ships, which eventually bought them back to England. The Silver Queen is a remarkable boat and it is a credit to the Trust that she is looking so wonderful today. If she could talk what a tale she would tell. It is amazing to think that she along with over 700 other little ships helped to save over 338,000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk. Also on our walk this morning Paddy and I found some wild honeysuckle, its scent drifting across the towpath.I love the smell of honeysuckle, especially the wild kind as its scent is so strong. This time of the year you can see a lot of wild flowers you just have to open your eyes.
The rest of our day was pretty quiet, I got a laundry wash done, Keith went down to the lock and emptied our toilet at the sanitary station. Whilst there he got chatting to the assistant lock keeper, who told him that yesterday two boats coming down with the stream crashed into the Thames barges working on the weir at Shepperton Lock, all because they could not slow down and stop due to the strong flow. That is another good reason not to move, it is not just going up with the flow that causes problems. We have seen a few boats moving today but they are cruisers with twin engines and a lot of power. The waterfowl are also finding the strong flow hard to cope with. We sat and watched a coot as it tried and failed to swim up stream, not matter how hard it tried it just could not make it, so it tried flying a little, but then found itself going backwards quicker than it had flown up the river. Eventually it gave up and flew up onto the bank, probably for a rest.
Keith and I enjoyed a coffee and a chat with John on The Dillen; John was in the Navy as a diver for a number of years and has been living on the water for 15 years in different boats. He now has NB The Dillen and has a lot of experience on and under the water. Both he and Keith have enjoyed chatting about their lives around water.
So another day moored up and a chance for me to read the rest of my book by Annie Murray. ‘Where Earth Meets Sky’. It’s a brilliant book to read, like all of her books, if you like a bit of romance, mystery and scandal. I have all of Annie Murray’s books and love reading them over and over again.

Sunday 7th June.

If only the river matched the weather, it would be perfect and we would be moving. When the weather was foul the river was perfect, but now the weather is perfect the river is foul. We cannot win it seems at the moment. It is another sunny day, with a breeze to keep the heat down.

Keith and I took a walk down to Shepperton Lock as I wanted to take some photographs. The red boards are still out and although craft are moving they do so at their own risk.The only boats we have seen moving have been ones with powerful engines, no narrowboats are moving, which is the safest way.
We were told that the river at Oxford peaked last night, so we now wait for the water to come our way. If all goes well we hope to be underway on Monday, but we shall have to play it by ear and keep watching the stream. We have seen an improvement in it today; it has begun to slow down. The problem will come if we get anymore heavy rain before then.Whilst at the lock we got chatting to a lovely couple from Atherstone, we sat and put the world to right and watched as a couple of boats came up through the lock, one being the Environment Agency boat and another being an old army boat. It does not matter how many times I walk along the river I never get bored and there is always something new to see. We spotted a Great Crested Grebe swimming up stream, it was finding it hard going.
There are a lot of people about due to it being the weekend. We spent the rest of the day chilling out on and off the boat, watching the world go by.

Sunday 8th June.

Phooooooo it’s been a hot day 26 degrees centigrade. Keith and I both sat out for a short time to top up our tans, but the heat got over powering, so we settled to being inside watching a Sunday movie. Even Marmite and Paddy have lain low today, trying to stay cool. The Thames itself is still under red boards, but it has been busy with traffic going up and down. Keith once again rang the flood line and it said as of 11 am this morning that the red board would remain up possibly until Tuesday, so it is looking more and more likely that our Thames Licence will run out, but we will cross that bridge if and when it happen. We sat and watched the F1 race from Canada. Not a good race for Lewis Hamilton, but well done to David Coulthard who earned himself and the Red Bull team a third place. So another day has passed and a new week begins tomorrow, so we shall see what it has to offer in the morning. We will ring the flood line in the morning as they update it at 11am and 4pm each day. See you next week; I hope your weekend has been a good one.

Sitting out the strong stream.

Wednesday 4th June.

Last thing during the evening Keith rang the Flood Line and listened to their advice on the answer machine, which told him that all but two of the lock up to Chertsey were on Red Alert and therefore boats should moor up and not move. So not great news for us moving.Rain, rain and more rain fell over night and first thing this morning. Paddy’s walk was even in the rain. What was more worrying was the fact that the Thames was rising and the flow was getting stronger by the minute

The rain did stop and the sun came out, giving us hope that the water levels would drop. But it would not be enough for us to get underway today, because the flow of the water was so fierce, Hadar would hardly be moving. We sat and watch the water rising until it reached the top of the concrete on the mooring. We also watched as a couple of narrowboats which were moving struggle to get up stream. Behind us on the mooring was the owner of NB The Dillen and he said he would not be moving, which the water was moving this fast and we agreed. So we got out our chairs and table and settled in for the day.
The afternoon produced fabulous sunshine, and thankfully the water level did begin to go down, but the flow at this moment in time is still running very fast. We have enjoyed a quiet day chatting to passers-by and enjoying the sunshine, topping up the tan. We will see what the flow is like in the morning, but we hope to be able to get underway as we only have 7 days left on our Thames licence.

Thursday 5th June.

We opened the back cabin doors to wall to wall sunshine, but the flow of the Thames was still pretty fast, although one bit of good news was that the water level had dropped by quite a lot. Keith had again contacted the Flood Line and it was saying that every lock was on Red Alert and still recommending staying put due to a strong stream and they did not expect that to change until possibly Friday or the weekend. So we were looking at another day of sitting still…… it’s a hard life ha ha ha. Keith and I took a walk down to Nauticalia which is a chandlery of sorts. To me it was more like a gift shop for boaters with lots of money. The water level below Shepperton Lock was high and water was actually 3 inches above the pontoon. We enjoyed a nice stroll back to Hadar and then sat out in the sunshine and read. There has been very little moving today.A Thames tug came past us during the afternoon, as did a couple of high powered cruisers. Going down stream we saw a Braunston Hire boat, which was travelling at great speed, I am not sure he would find it so easy to stop at the speed he was travelling. We however are staying put, waiting to see what happens with the flow at the moment. If we tried to head off we would probably end up going backwards. We would need to flog Hadar’s engine at full power to get any headway and we are not prepared to flog her for the sack of waiting a few days.

Dapdune Wharf to Above Shepperton Lock.

Monday 2nd June.

Dapdune Wharf to The Anchor Pub, Pyrford. 9.8 miles and 6 locks.

Last night we went to the cinema and saw the new Indiana Jones movie and we thought it was brilliant. We both liked the way it incorporated some of the other Indiana movies into it, so you knew the other characters already, well worth seeing but that is just our point of view.
As we woke up we could hear a sprinkling of rain on the boats roof, but it came to nothing much, just a few spots.
We were already for the off at 9.30am and tried to leave the Dapdune Wharf mooring, but Hadar was stuck fast. It appeared that the level of water had dropped over night and we were on silt. But with the help of two guys working on the renovation of one of the River Wey Barges we managed to push and pole Hadar into the flow of the river and we were off. Thanks guys for your help it was much appreciated. If you’re ever in this neck of the woods you really should call in and see the wharf and the exhibits, it really helps you understand the history of the place and the barges. You can also take a boat trip out on one of their trip boats for 35 minutes. If your going to stay overnight on your boat, it is a really safe place to moor. We past by what must have been an old mill in the past, but is now the home of the Surrey Advertiser. It is a good use of an old building.I bet that place alone could tell a few stories. Let alone the ones that are being told through the paper these days.
In a field right next to the river, there were a field of pygmy goats; these two were having fun on an old log. They looked like they were practicing for gladiators. A first for this trip was the chance to share a lock with another Narrowboat. Two were already coming up through Papercourt lock, and we would share the lock with NB Wingingit going down. A nice young couple and their young daughter out for a few days using their parent’s boat.As with all the pretty lock cottages on this navigation, the National Trust has plagues on the buildings explaining what part they played in the navigations history, which I think is a fabulous idea, and something BW should take onboard. It is so important to keep this countries history to the fore and this is a good way of doing it.
After leaving the lock we then pasted Newark Priory, or should I say the remains of the priory. Before entering Newark Lock.Newark Augustinian Priory was built out of flint in the 12th-C, it stand in a buttercup filled meadow by the river and is really beautiful. You cannot however get to the walls from the navigation. I took the opportunity to make us some lunch whilst on the move.
We then passed NB Foxglove, which we know quite well as she was built by Roger Fuller a couple of boats before us and we saw her in her final stages of finishing off. It was lovely to see her again.The navigation then passes Pyrford Place, with its lovely Elizabethan Summerhouse with a pagoda roof.It was here that John Donne, Poet and Dean of St Paul’s, lived from 1600 till 1604. We then passed through Walsham Flood Gates which were open now that the river was at a normal level. This is the last remaining turf sided lock on the navigation.
Our last lock of the day was Pyrford lock above The Anchor Pub and our mooring for the night. There were plenty of people sitting outside the pub with their cameras poised as we exited the lock. NB Wingingit did not join us on the decent; they moored above the lock and only came down later. We moored up and it was a chance to get the jobs done at the beginning of the month. At the start of each month we like to do boat checks and get the grease pot and oil can out. Keith went around oiling the door hinges and then greased all the grease nipples on the propshaft and checked the gearbox oil. We make it the start of the month, then it is always something we remember to do. After all a boat will not look after itself. Tomorrow we will leave the River Wey and go back onto the Thames. It has been a lovely visit to this beautiful navigation. The National Trust is certainly making sure it is well looked after. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone we have met on this trip; it has been an experience which we will repeat again one day no doubt.

Tuesday 3rd June.

The Anchor Pub to above Shepperton Lock, 6.7 miles and 5 locks.

Oh what a morning we woke up to. During the night we had heavy rain fall and it was still the same as we got up this morning. I had been woken up at 4.30am by Marmite playing with her ball with a bell in it. She obviously thought it was time to get up. Having got up and put the ball away, Marmite then settled down at the end of the bed on my fleece jumper. So Keith and I eventually got up at 8.30am. We decided we would sit the heavy rain out before setting off to exit the River Wey and get back onto the Thames again. That did not happen until 11.45am once the rain had stopped and we saw a glimmer of hope for a dry run.

The run back to Thames Lock was uneventful, and even though the weather was overcast, the River Wey and surrounding countryside was still looking fabulous. We arrived at Thames Lock for 1.45pm and waited for the lock keeper to arrive, he was on his dinner break. Keith in the meantime walked down to see if he could see how fast the weir was running out onto the River Thames, because when we came up last Thursday it was running very fast and gave us a roller coaster of a ride to get onto the river. Unfortunately he could not get far enough down on the towpath to see, so it would a suck it and see moment.The lock keeper arrived, just as the rain began to fall again, this time it was the drizzly stuff, you know the drizzle that gets you wetter than proper rain. We manoeuvred Hadar into the lock, tying up allowing the lock keeper to work the paddles for us, Keith on the stern and me on the bow. We then left the lock, said goodbye to the lock keeper and carried on towards the weir and Shepperton lock. As we approached the weir, Fire and Rescue were carrying out manoeuvres and there was a fireman actually swimming across the navigation and through the weir. I thought they maybe useful if we do not make this crossing successfully. The weir itself looked very mean and unforgiving, causing a very strong flow across the navigation. But not being faint hearted we went for it with me still on the bow, holding on for dear life to the fireman’s hose over the sheeting. Keith wound Hadar up and ploughed through the water. The sheer force of the water was pushing us over to the bank and some concrete steps were looming fast. Tiller over full Keith managed to get Hadar under control and we slide around the bend and back onto the Thames. On approaching Shepperton Lock, the lock keeper opened the gates and let us in along with two other boats which had come from Hampton Court. Once again we tied up in the lock and turned the engine off, whilst the lock keeper opened the paddles and let the water in. Once out of the lock it was clear there was a strong flow on the Thames and it would be hard going, especially with the wind and rain, soon after though we found a mooring place past Pharaohs Island and decided to stop for the day it was now 2.50pm.
So not a long day but an exciting one, the weir coming out off the River Wey is certainly not for anyone to tackle if they do not know what they are doing. Thankfully Keith has had many years of boating experience on and off of the Thames. It would normally be fine but due to all the rain we have had lately it is running really fast, with copious amounts of water being thrown out of it by the minute.

Dapdune Wharf to Godalming and back again.

Saturday 31st May.

Dapdune Wharf to Godalming 4.9 miles….. 4 locks.

A beautiful morning greeted us as we opened up the back cabin doors; it was going to be a nice day.
We had enjoyed a really peaceful night at the secure moorings at Dapdune Wharf, it is a place anyone coming here should visit, we woke up needing a cuppa before getting out of bed. Breakfast was Bacon Rolls for a change before setting off at 9.15am. Some of the old mill buildings are really beautiful; it is nice to see they have been preserved and are now apartments. So often these historic places are flattened for a new, modern building. I prefer the old ones when it is possible to save them.Once out of Guildford we were into some stunning countryside and met up with the local canoe club, all out in force practicing.Thankfully they kept out of our way, as there was no way we would have been able to slam Hadar into reverse in time to stop hitting them.
Not everything was as straight forward as expected; we encountered a very low bridge, not helped by the fact that the navigation is running a little high. So it was down with the mast, off with the chimneys, Buckby cans and engine chimney.Keith and I had to duck low, but we made it through ok, with gongoozlers watching in amazement. It seems that they very rarely see a working boat, because we have been video, snapped with all the latest cameras, and asked every question under the sun.
We saw the junction with the Wey and Arun Canal as we headed on towards Godalming.
As we arrived in Godalming, the first thing was finding a mooring because there did not seem to be any of a suitable size for Hadar, well that was until NB Belle moved off and we moved from the sanitary point to their mooring. Having moored up at 12.15pm and had lunch we then took a walk into Godalming. It is a very pretty town, with a lot of very old buildings, with a great deal of character. Keith and I enjoyed a walk around the very small museum, which is free to enter. As with all towns we visited the charity shops, but there was nothing that caught our eye. As we arrived back at the boat, horse drawn boat Iona was being prepared for a trip out with passengers onboard.Iona is a small Woolwich built in December 1935 fleet number was 232 and used to go by the name of Bellerophon, which was paired with Boots. We sat and watched as the horse went about its job, taking paying customers on a peaceful trip along the navigation. I went into Sainsbury’s which is right by the mooring to buy a few bits to top up supplies, it always pays to keep extra’s onboard. It had been a lovely day.Marmite enjoyed herself sitting up on the Buckby can watching the world go by, so we were bitterly disappointed with the evening and the behaviour of a group of young people. During the late afternoon, some Polish lads had gathered on the benches by the moorings, having bought drink from Sainsbury’s. There were also 4 other lads there eating a celebration cake, not interfering with anyone. The lads who were drinking then got together with the cake eating lads and they were having a really fun time, drinking Vodka and goodness knows what else, but not bothering us. They even chatted to Keith, after he had gone out to see if they had been moving the boat and they said it was not them and that they would not stay late, making a nuisance of themselves, which was not a problem at all, they seemed harmless enough. We had no problem with them having some fun, but what happened later in the evening did upset me in particular. Keith and I had gone in and were sat watching some TV, when we felt the boat move again. Keith was up and out the back cabin doors like a shot, to find a lad jumping up and down on the bow of the boat. He of course shouted for the lad to get off. What followed was not pleasant. This was one of four new young people to the group, two lads and two lasses. The mouthy lad of the four was eyeball to eyeball with Keith giving him the lip, with the F word and the C word etc. I asked them if they would please go away and had my phone on 999 in case I needed to phone the police. One of the nice lads from the first group eating the cake rushed over and pulled the lad away saying “he was nothing to do with them, but he would make sure they left as he did not want any trouble”. Infact he was almost begging us not to take it any further. The mouthy lad was clearly looking for a fight, and he did not care who it was with. After sometime the lad did leave us alone and eventually at 9.45pm they were moved away by the polite lad, who was obviously not happy with the others behaviour, which was drink induced. It is a really sad reflection on the youth of today when they behave like this, and it was down to binge drinking. God help the next generation of adults. I would never have behaved like they did when I was there age, and we know that they were school age as they told us so. So for starters they should not have been drinking, but that was down to the Polish lads giving them bottles of Vodka. I really feel the next generation of adults is heading for a crisis if they do not sort themselves out.
My main worry in all of this was Keith confronting them, because with all the knife crime going on at the moment, I did not want him involved with anything like that. So a sad end to the day, but it would not put me off of coming again.

Sunday 1st June.

Godalming to Dapdune Wharf, Guildford….4.9 miles….. 4 locks

After the night we had, had we decided to head back to Dapdune Wharf for our overnight stay. It started out spitting as we left Godalming. Keith turned Hadar around at the winding point and we set off, all but 1 of the locks was with us, so we did it half an hour faster than when we went up, it also helped that the flow was with us. We did have a bit of excitement with the Guildford Canoe Club. They were out in force in their fours and on the outside of the bend at the club sight. Hadar needed the outside of the bend to get around the sharp turn. So Keith gave a few blasts on the Klaxon and shouted that we needed the outside of the bend. There was then a mass move of the canoes to get out of our way; they were going in all directions. Eventually we set off around the bend, using it to the full, meaning if they had stayed put, they would have been squished canoes and crews. We arrived back at Dapdune Wharf and I did an early lunch so we could walk into Guildford, which was only a ten minute stroll. Guildford is a pretty town with its Cathedral and Castle. There are plenty of shops in the sprawling town. It is well worth a visit. Later we are off to the cinema to see the new Indiana Jones movie with out free tickets, not to mention the free popcorn and drink.
I have to say that The National Trust has done some fabulous work on this Navigation and it has been an enjoyable trip so far in many ways. We belong The National Trust and have enjoyed visiting many of their properties. They run the Dapdune Wharf museum and do a fantastic job. We would love to come an visit again sometime in the future.