Planning a trip on Thames from Oxford to Reading

[Ajs1001]

Hi. Fairly new to owning a narrowboats. We have just cruised the Oxford canal, and now need to cruise down the Thames from Oxford to the Kennet Junction in Reading. The Environment Agency gives the time it takes between locks on the Thames in minutes. These timings are based on a speed of 5mph. If I planned my trip using these timings and an extra 15 mins per lock would this be realistic? Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise.

[PaulJ]

Dont know what time EA gives as you havent said but took me approx 14 hours from Reading to Oxford recently. Wasnt in a particular rush - I think all the cruisers overtook me. But its easily doable on a two day licence -and probably possible on a single day for those that like going flat out dawn to dusk...

[Ajs1001]

Many thanks Paul - really appreciate your quick response.

[john6767]

I really depends on your reason for the trip, if you want to do it as quickly as possible, or take your time.  Canalplan comes at about 14 hours, so with a 1 day licence which gives you purchase day and the next day it is easily doable.  That said a 1 week licence is not much more so you could have a nice leisurely trip, if you have the time, for little cost.  

[ditchcrawler]

Make sure you enter the Thames first thing in the morning to get maximum value

[PaulJ]

3 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I really depends on your reason for the trip, if you want to do it as quickly as possible, or take your time.  Canalplan comes at about 14 hours, so with a 1 day licence which gives you purchase day and the next day it is easily doable.  That said a 1 week licence is not much more so you could have a nice leisurely trip, if you have the time, for little cost.  

Now thats what I thought BUT the two day licence I bought started on the day I bought it and ended the next day. I know this as I have it in front of me at the moment.

The week one I purchased a couple of weeks before I believe was the same (but I dont have this to hand to prove)

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, PaulJ said:

Now thats what I thought BUT the two day licence I bought started on the day I bought it and ended the next day. I know this as I have it in front of me at the moment.

The week one I purchased a couple of weeks before I believe was the same (but I dont have this to hand to prove)

I'm not totally sure of your point but if it's a 1 day vs 2 day licence, this confused me a bit too. According to the written stuff in EA website you can have a 1 day licence which is valid until the end of the next day, or a 1 week licence. There is no 2 day licence. However at Osney lock the lady was adamant that I would need a 2 day licence. Which was of course exactly the same thing at the same price as the 1 day licence that lasts all of the next day. So it is just a matter of the terminology.

Oh and for the OP, we recently entered the Thames from Oxford at about 9:30 am, overnighted at Benson lock, went round the gaol loop in Reading and stopped for shopping, and moored at the Cunning Man on the KandA the following night. Moderately long days but not ridiculous.

On the way back we made the mistake of asking to stop on the end of the lock landing below Culham lock (just south of Abingdon) as it was getting late. Bad idea as there is an annoying land drain outlet just above the level of the river between the bank and the boat, which made a really loud running water noise all night. Don't make the same mistake!

Edited September 11, 2017 by nicknorman

[PaulJ]

30 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I'm not totally sure of your point but if it's a 1 day vs 2 day licence, this confused me a bit too. According to the written stuff in EA website you can have a 1 day licence which is valid until the end of the next day, or a 1 week licence. There is no 2 day licence. However at Osney lock the lady was adamant that I would need a 2 day licence. Which was of course exactly the same thing at the same price as the 1 day licence that lasts all of the next day. So it is just a matter of the terminology.

 

Yes according to website it is either one day or seven day. But when I bought my licence it was for 2 days -which was more money than for a single day although slightly less than 2 single days I think ( I didnt fancy doing it one day much). Same as you I was advised on two days-bought it from Maple Durham lock-there is a chart on the wall in the office with the prices of 1,2,3 and 7 days on it.

It may well be terminology but it still says two days on it ,cost me for two days and starts on the same day as I purchased it!

[Murflynn]

don't rush the journey.  

this is by far the most pleasant part of the Thames if you like variety of scenery with accessible towns and villages worth a wander, without being overcome by endless billion pound houses and matching glossy white gin palaces.  

2 days easy, but I would take 3 days just to enjoy it.

[OldGoat]

12 hours ago, Ajs1001 said:

Hi. Fairly new to owning a narrowboats. We have just cruised the Oxford canal, and now need to cruise down the Thames from Oxford to the Kennet Junction in Reading. The Environment Agency gives the time it takes between locks on the Thames in minutes. These timings are based on a speed of 5mph. If I planned my trip using these timings and an extra 15 mins per lock would this be realistic? Thanks in advance to anyone who can advise.

It depends on what time of the year you are going to do the trip. Operating the locks in the dark is not pleasant - especially as you're not familiar with the system and picking up the boat can be tricky. Buy a week's licence and do a bit of exploring.

 

[Tony Brooks]

and be prepared to pay a MINIMUM of £5 a night mooring fee unless you can get in at Abingdon, Child Beal, Pangbourne meadow, or the odd EA mooring.

[Ajs1001]

Many thanks everybody. First time I have used this forum, and it is obviously a massively useful resource that I will now follow and contribute to.

[magpie patrick]

Lutine, hardly the greyhound of the canals, did Oxford to Reading in 14 hours of actual cruising, possibly 15 to Kennet Mouth as we spent a full day moored in Reading.

A two day licence is valid for nearly three days, if, say you buy it on the 10th it is valid until the 12th. Because of our stop in Reading this wasn't quite long enough, and a week's licence is cheaper than a 3 day licence... 

9 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

and be prepared to pay a MINIMUM of £5 a night mooring fee unless you can get in at Abingdon, Child Beal, Pangbourne meadow, or the odd EA mooring.

Or Reading Bridge, where the signs are so miniscule and infrequent I only found them  about ten minutes before we left after a 48 hour stay... 

 

[Boat&Bikes]

20 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

and be prepared to pay a MINIMUM of £5 a night mooring fee unless you can get in at Abingdon, Child Beal, Pangbourne meadow, or the odd EA mooring.

Oddly, and I'm not disagreeing with you we had two weeks on the Thames this summer and only paid once to moor at Windsor. We moored free at Abingdon, Marlow, Goring, Maidenhead? Plus several other places I can't remember. Many said there is a charge but nobody collected. Maybe we were lucky, or perhaps it's often like this.

[OldGoat]

10 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

Lutine, hardly the greyhound of the canals, did Oxford to Reading in 14 hours of actual cruising, possibly 15 to Kennet Mouth as we spent a full day moored in Reading.

A two day licence is valid for nearly three days, if, say you buy it on the 10th it is valid until the 12th. Because of our stop in Reading this wasn't quite long enough, and a week's licence is cheaper than a 3 day licence... 

Or Reading Bridge, where the signs are so miniscule and infrequent I only found them  about ten minutes before we left after a 48 hour stay... 

 

Umm - no it isn't, it's an illogical mess.  The two days  licence expires at the time stated on the ticket which is 48 hours after you bought it. It's the old (?) 1 day licence which went from midnight to midnight and nobody understood it. That's why you get a two day ticket now....

Mooring fees  - It's not everywhere that charges. There are lots of informal moorings where it's uneconomic to charge - but you have to be prepared to stop 'out in the sticks' away from pubs and facilities... EA owned sites allow you one night free  and you're supposed to register your arrival with TVM - ThamesVisitorMoorings.co.uk.

Their website has lots of useful information as well as chargeable moorings.

 

[nicknorman]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

and be prepared to pay a MINIMUM of £5 a night mooring fee unless you can get in at Abingdon, Child Beal, Pangbourne meadow, or the odd EA mooring.

We found that free mooring between Oxford and Reading could easily be found. Henley and below it was virtually impossible not to pay.

[john6767]

32 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

We found that free mooring between Oxford and Reading could easily be found. Henley and below it was virtually impossible not to pay.

I would agree with that, gonig downstream Henley was the first place we payed (£10).

 

1 hour ago, OldGoat said:

Umm - no it isn't, it's an illogical mess.  The two days  licence expires at the time stated on the ticket which is 48 hours after you bought it. It's the old (?) 1 day licence which went from midnight to midnight and nobody understood it. That's why you get a two day ticket now....

Mooring fees  - It's not everywhere that charges. There are lots of informal moorings where it's uneconomic to charge - but you have to be prepared to stop 'out in the sticks' away from pubs and facilities... EA owned sites allow you one night free  and you're supposed to register your arrival with TVM - ThamesVisitorMoorings.co.uk.

Their website has lots of useful information as well as chargeable moorings.

 

So has this changed recently and the 1 day licence (that gave you the day of purchase util midnight the next data), has been replaced with a 48 hour licence timed from the point of purchase?

[OldGoat]

13 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I would agree with that, gonig downstream Henley was the first place we payed (£10).

 

So has this changed recently and the 1 day licence (that gave you the day of purchase util midnight the next data), has been replaced with a 48 hour licence timed from the point of purchase?

Short answer -

Yes

Long answer

It depends on who issues the ticket - if it's a Relief lockie then he / she may not be up to date. The problems begin when there's nobody on duty at the normal port of entry locks (Kings, Eynsham, Caversham, Sonning, Shepperton or Sunbury and you get picked up at one of the other locks. I had a long conversation with the duty keeper at Teddington who's in charge of the STLs and he confused me utterly. As both licences are the same price, I'd request a 2 day one as you get a longer period anyway.

 

Moorings -

Henley has two sets of moorings. Those above the bridge are managed by the council  and can be cheaper. Below the bridge and up to the next lock and managed by SRB Moorings and he'll pounce on you as soon as you get off the boat...

[PaulJ]

26 minutes ago, john6767 said:

 

So has this changed recently and the 1 day licence (that gave you the day of purchase util midnight the next data), has been replaced with a 48 hour licence timed from the point of purchase?

Yep seems so.Have a look at the dates on the photo of licence -it explains it all. Please dont take this in any way sarky-its the best way I know of showing OP up to date licencing details...

[nicknorman]

47 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I would agree with that, gonig downstream Henley was the first place we payed (£10).

 

So has this changed recently and the 1 day licence (that gave you the day of purchase util midnight the next data), has been replaced with a 48 hour licence timed from the point of purchase?

No it hasn't changed recently, I think it just that the lockies selling the licences don't fully understand what they are selling. She said it was a 2 day licence, same price as a 1 day licence, but with validity for the current day and all of the next day, up to midnight. Not 48 hrs from purchase.

 

edit: it is of course a registration, not a licence!

Edited September 12, 2017 by nicknorman

[Naughty Cal]

So when we visit next July can we buy a two day ticket and a one week ticket to immediately follow on from it?

[OldGoat]

18 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

So when we visit next July can we buy a two day ticket and a one week ticket to immediately follow on from it?

HeHe - I can see a trap lurking there (was that your intention?..)

The short answer is 'Yes' to the two tickets and the cost would be the same -

The short term registration application form  says that the licences run from midnight to midnight, so your one day registration runs into two days and your one week runs on from the expiry of the former. I assume you're not registered on one of the Anglian Waterways currently? If so you get a better deal.

The form is here:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...452_e083da.pdf

and the periods are noted under items 6 on page 2 and 3. Perhaps reading too much into the muddle - I can guess why there are two registrations at the same price. One as an add-on to a STL (midnight to midnight) and the other as a stand alone  Wey to Teddington or Oxford to Reading for transits from one system to another.

 

 

[magpie patrick]

'ang on a minute

When we joined at Osney, on August 1st, we were offered a 1 day, (valid til end of August 2nd) a 2 day (valid until end of August 3rd) but when I explained we wouldn't leave the river until August 4th we were offered a 3 day (cost of one day + two day) or a seven day (about ten pounds less than a 3 day): I bought the seven day which was valid until end August 8th...

The lockie had a table with all those rates on one page, and in all cases the day I bought it was not one of the days in the total

I've still got the seven day licence with the date of purchase on it

[john6767]

9 minutes ago, magpie patrick said:

'ang on a minute

When we joined at Osney, on August 1st, we were offered a 1 day, (valid til end of August 2nd) a 2 day (valid until end of August 3rd) but when I explained we wouldn't leave the river until August 4th we were offered a 3 day (cost of one day + two day) or a seven day (about ten pounds less than a 3 day): I bought the seven day which was valid until end August 8th...

The lockie had a table with all those rates on one page, and in all cases the day I bought it was not one of the days in the total

I've still got the seven day licence with the date of purchase on it

Nuts isn't it, different lock keepers seem to do it differently.  

I was not able to purchase a 2 week licence (as 2 x 1 week) when I wanted, as he said the only thing you could have is 1 day, 1 week or 1 month and that is it.  Only the 1 day did not include the purchase day, the others did.   So the 1 week bought on a Friday ran out the following Thursday at midnight, not as in your case where it run out the Friday at midnight.