We’re getting earlier…

Nine o’clock this morning when we pulled pins at Marlow. Well, we were both up, and the forecast suggested showers later, so we’d thought we’d go.

Leaving our Marlow mooring

Although it was £12 a night (Yes, £12) to stay here, included was use of the showers in the leisure centre (there’s hairdryers, too, the receptionist pointed out, then laughed as I indicated my minimal requirement in that area), and also a session in the swimming pool. So all in all, not a bad deal, so long as you use the facilities.

It was about 20 minutes to Temple Lock, and we were through that like a dose of salts.

Approaching Temple Lock 

That would make Cookham about midway, then. Of course there’s another 30 miles of navigable water above Oxford. The total mileage from the head of navigation to Teddington Lock is around 125 miles, making the mid-point of the EA controlled river somewhere near Whitchurch Lock. The maths doesn’t add up though. It’s 30 miles from Inglesham to Oxford, then 53 to Temple and a further 58½ to “London”. That’s 140-ish miles. Maybe London refers to Limehouse and the junction with the Regents Canal? But that’s 6 miles too far. So the London referred to must be somewhere around Westminster Bridge.

Logical really.
I don’t know why I bothered to do that…

It was only around half a mile to Hurley Lock, where we had a short pause while a boat ahead left the lock.

Alongside is Peter Freebody’s boatyard, specialising in construction and restoration of traditional river craft. Some beautiful boats on their website…

We started to pick up traffic at Hambleden Lock, sharing the chamber with a “narra” and two cruisers, then we were on the wide open reach heading for Henley.

Heading for Henley

The temple on Temple Island was originally built as a fishing lodge for the then owner of Fawley Court in 1771. A 999 year lease was bought by the Henley Regatta in 1987, and the island and temple are available to hire for functions.

Images of the twin incarnations of the river are mounted above the central arch of Henley Bridge.

Thames on the downstream side…

…and Isis on the upstream.

We pulled in on the moorings alongside the park, and, after lunch, I set to and scrubbed the roof, that done I cleaned the bankside of the boat, and rinsed off the river side to remove streaks left from the roof washing.


The predicted rain has arrived, but it’s supposed to clear before morning, then returning on Sunday. Ah, well, we’ve done awfully well so far.

Locks 3, miles 8