River Thames revisited

Janet Richardson and family enjoy a weekend’s cruising from Le Boat’s Benson base.

MY PREVIOUS cruising holiday on the River Thames was around 60 years ago with my parents. Then we hired a wooden Maid Line cabin cruiser on two consecutive years, enabling us to visit everywhere between Thames Ditton and Oxford.

So it was with a mix of excitement and nostalgia that I travelled to Le Boat’s Benson hire base with my son-in-law Neil and grandsons Ollie, 15 and Lewis, 12 to pick up a Calypso comfort cruiser for the weekend. Designed for lovers of traditional river cruising, this 43ft boat certainly dwarfed what I’d been on before with its three cabins and spacious saloon. Having stopped at Wallingford for a quick stock-up at the Waitrose store, we arrived on the Friday afternoon in glorious sunshine After unloading our luggage and parking the car in the secure compound, we were ready for the handover with technician Zurek

He went through all the mechanics with our captain Neil and explained how everything worked inside, fetching an adaptor to convert one of the lighter points for additional charging for our phones and iPads

There are two steering positions at the front of the saloon and on the upper deck which Neil opted to use Following some tuition from Zurek including turning the boat and reversing into a berth, we were on our way

I said that we were planning to head north towards Oxford and asked where we would find our first mooring for the night; Zurek said he was more familiar with the river heading south towards Le Boat’s other Thames hire base at Chertsey but we should able to find something suitable

Having downloaded the River

Thames app on my iPhone I saw there were Environment Agency short-stay moorings at Days, Clifton and Culham locks but we were on the lookout for something before we got there as we just wanted to relax after a long car journey from Lincolnshire We eventually found a small space on the north side of the confluence with the River Thame near Dorchester-onThames where another Le Boat cruiser was moored on the south side

It was a lovely quiet spot where the boys had a quick dip and their first try of the paddleboard we had hired with the boat The only noise was the birdsong and we even saw a kingfisher darting past It was beautiful.

Locks and lighter

We had a leisurely start to Saturday, the boys swimming and getting far more proficient on the paddleboard before we enjoyed a full English brunch Our neighbours had already headed south and the only other signs of human life were the dog walkers and joggers going over the bridge along the riverside path passing through Hurst Water Meadows We then set off upstream for Days Lock and on to Clifton Lock We had somehow managed to get our box of matches wet so couldn’t light the gas rings We moored on the short stay moorings while the boys went to fetch ice cream from the lock office I then walked down to see if they had any matches and the lock keeper very kindly gave me a lighter which he said was a spare

In the baking sunshine we carried on through the glorious countryside where we could hear church bells ringing –possibly for a wedding – to Culham Lock where there was another very helpful and friendly lock keeper

We carried on to the outskirts of Abingdon where we decided to turn and head back downstream The sky was threatening with the thunderstorms which had been forecast so we were looking for a mooring for the night. Going back through Culham Lock the keeper pointed the way to some short stay moorings just under the bridge

We then ordered our meal from Pizza Express in Abingdon which was promptly delivered to the lock car park by the Uber delivery man. After a sharp shower and some rumbles of thunder it cooled off and the sun returned for a lovely still evening

One thing which surprised me during the day was how quiet the river was compared with the canals. However there were a variety of different river users from wild swimmers and paddleboarders to rowing boats, small motor launches, narrowboats and cruisers And the wildlife with birdsong accompanying us on our way

Homeward bound

Sunday morning promised another sunny day and I had a stroll up to the lock at around 7am to see a cruiser heading for Windsor and a narrowboat going through using ‘self-service’ , the keeper not due to start till 9am I then sat on deck enjoying the song-filled stillness broken only by traffic crossing the bridge

It was soon time to start heading back to Benson as, although on a weekend break we were due to return the boat by 9am on Monday, we needed to return home on the Sunday evening ready for work and school the following day.

The temperature soon started to rise and with the suncream applied we headed back downstream – again enjoying an ice cream at Clifton Lock

We then passed through some more open countryside where cattle had gone down to the river for a drink and hay bales stood in the distance There was again the sound of church bells ringing across the fields

We moored alongside a water meadow for a brunch stop and the boys again took to the paddleboard, dodging an inquisitive swan and families of Canada geese with their broods. We then carried on through Days Lock before stopping for a break at the same place as we had moored on the Friday night

The river got busier as we cruised along the final stretch back to Benson, managing to avoid a young kayaker having steering problems by going through the outside arch of a bridge and missing moored boats the other side We again encountered paddleboarders and kayakers as Neil tried to manouevre and reverse into the only gap between the moored hire boats With lots of spectators sitting outside the waterfront cafe watching our every move, he decided to go in forwards which we had been told we could do Neil and the boys summed it all up perfectly by saying they wished they could have stayed for the week – perhaps next time

About Le Boat on the Thames

Le Boat is a leading provider of inland water boating holidays, bringing together 50 years of experience, expertise and memories It has a fleet of large self-drive cruisers, allowing entire families to stay on board and to explore their chosen region A selfdrive river cruise from Chertsey or Benson allows holidaymakers to explore the western section of the River Thames Here moorings are easy to find and the distance between locks is greater than at the river’s eastern end, which means more cruising There’s the dreaming spires and universities of Oxford out to the west of Benson, or head east and boaters can be in Henleyon-Thames, the home of British rowing. The whole family will love Legoland Windsor Resort with its fun rides and live shows! Or take a family audio tour of Windsor Castle or an information trail around Hampton Court Perfect for those seeking an affordable staycation and with no previous experience necessary, Le Boat’s Thames holidays can be whatever guests want them to be, from a full-on action-packed adventure to a slow-paced, relaxing chance to unwind.

Sample price

A three-night self-catered stay on board a Calypso, which sleeps up to eight people, departing October 21, starting and ending at the Benson base, costs from £909 per boat, £114pp based on eight people sharing. No boating licence or experience necessary The season runs until the end of October Le Boat (023 9222 2177, www leboat.co.uk)