We didn’t bother to start moving till 9am this morning, when the lockies come on duty. A nice sunny start to the day bode well..

Leaving our moorings this morning

On arriving at the main junction, a confluence of the Rivers Wey and Thames, as well as the Desborough Cut and numerous weirs it’s essential to get the correct landing….but nobody was home ! Oh well, let’s crack on. I opened the lock, then Hazel pushed the buttons and thru we went all by ourselves.

Shepparton Lock

You can see the huge size of these locks….some of them fill or empty in a matter of minutes ! So it’s essential to hang on and not stuff up or there can be serious consequences. Emerging out we used the services, and then headed out into waterside suburbia. Chertsey lock had a single volunteer, unable to give us a license to cruise on the Thames, which is run by the EA, otherwise known as the Environmental Authority.

Waterside suburbia

Penton Hook Lock, nobody home……where is everybody ? Finally at Bell Weir Lock we found a lockie able to write a 2 week EA license for us. Also a whole load of boats, (2 narrowboats, 1 hire boat, 2 wide beams and a Dutch barge), so many in fact they didn’t all fit in. The hire boat was left floundering in their wakes, it’s the quick or the dead unless the lockie takes charge….and she was of course getting me my license 😁

Ham Island, from the Thames for Marion 👍

As ever the Thames provides an endless range of scenery, be it boats, houses or islands, called Aits on the Thames. Magna Carta was very different from last year, when I went swimming. The drizzle had set in, but I managed to catch a glimpse of Royal

Her Majesty
Space age houseboat
The River is running at a reasonable pace when you see the Weirs

Having lunch on the go we pushed onto Windsor, first visible by its estates, don’t even think about mooring sir, then the Castle.

Windsor Great Park
Windsor Castle

Coming thru Romney Lock you emerge into Windsor one side of the River and Eton on the other. Penny had found a free 24hour mooring spot, but around the corner we have stopped at the Brocas, riverside land owned by Eton College, that will be £8 a night please sir. It does have a spectacular view though ! After a drink with Penny we are ready to have dinner and crash…..it’s been a long but rewarding day.

Tonight’s mooring !