Rock’n’Roll and Still Rockin’ on the end of Bath Island.
Bye folks, it’s been fun. See you soon.
A little way up the river you pass the landing stages for…
...Windsor Racecourse.
The river does a wide sweep around the racecourse, finishing up at Boveney Lock.
The lock was being emptied as we approached, but we didn’t get waved in straight away…
Well kept gardens at the lock
Leaving the lock cut there are several pleasant moorings. An official 24 hour length…
and a couple of ad-hoc stretches.
The delightfully baroque Oakley Court Hotel.
Just past the hotel the replica Mississippi stern-wheeler Southern Comfort is moored, alongside Pink Champagne .
Her lowered smoke-stacks look like a pair of rocket launchers!
The Monkey Island Hotel is closed and boarded up
We knew we wouldn’t make Bray Lock before the lockie knocked off for lunch, so were prepared to DIY the passage. We arrived behind French Brothers’ Bray Royale and rather than struggle to sneak in behind him, let him go up on his own.
By the time I’d emptied and readied the lock for us we’d been joined by a “narrer” and a launch. A second launch was too plump to fit in this small chamber, so had to wait.
I must have been too busy pushing buttons and adjusting ropes to take any pictures, sorry. Apart from this one…
The rowing lake is alongside the river below the lock.
Anyway, we were out of the lock just before 2, so the boats waiting to go down and the launch waiting to come up would have had the lockie to sort them out.
Leaving the lock there some rather impressive houses on the west bank.
I think some of these are owned by celebrities. If you want some famous neighbours…
…you could always buy this! The website gives plenty of details, but no price. A case of “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it”!
Dream on…
We caught up with the trip boat at Maidenhead Bridge, he’d picked up passengers outside the boat club. But we both had to give way to the Georgian!
Boulter’s Lock is at the north end of Maidenhead, there are moorings just below, but being right alongside the main road are not very attractive, especially at £8 a day!
Bray Lock is large, plenty of room for the Bray Royale, us and a launch.
Bray Lock
The cut above the lock is narrow, but soon opens up onto the river again, in the beautiful Cliveden Reach.
Cliveden House is visible above the trees. Once owned by the Astor family, it’s now National Trust.
The distinctive forked tail identifies a Red Kite
At the end of the reach is Cookham Lock, our last for the day. The French’s boat turned around below the lock, excursion over, so there were only two of us for the lockie to look after.
We were looking for somewhere to moor above the lock, and a Seyella-sized space between two cruisers beckoned…
…with an inconveniently placed tree!
It does have a fender attached, though.
I was just tying up when we heard a shout from the river. It was Paul Balmer and his wife, out on their boat Waterways Routes. I’d no idea they were down here! No camera in pocket, though.
It’s been warm and dry but overcast today. More of the same tomorrow, I believe.
Locks 4, miles 9½
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