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IWA Branch
Chelmsford Branch - North bank east of the old GLC boundary.
Guildford & Reading - Teddington Weir to tail of Goring Lock.
Kent & East Sussex - South Bank east of the old GLC boundary.
Oxfordshire - Tail of Goring Lock to head of navigation.
South London - Teddington Weir to the old GLC boundary by Purfleet and all navigable creeks not part of N E London area.
Navigation Authority
(Teddington to Lechlade) Environment Agency, Thames Region, Kings Meadow House, Kings Meadow Road, READING, RG1 8DQ
T: 0118 9535000
F: 0118 9500388
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
(Tidal Thames) The Port of London Authority, Bakers' Hall, 7 Harp Lane,
London EC3R 6LB
T: 020 7743 7900
F: 020 7743 7999
www.portoflondon.co.uk
Technically, Cricklade is the head of the navigation but few boats venture above Inglesham and the old junction of the river with the Thames and Severn Canal at the Round House. The river passes through Oxford, Abingdon, Wallingford, Reading, Henley, Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor and Staines before reaching London.
Inglesham to Teddington covers 124 miles (199.5km) through 44 locks.
The Thames above Kings Lock has 12 locks and is 31 miles to the Round House at Lechlade. It is restricted to boats having above water height of less than 7ft (2.2m) and a draft of about 3ft (Just under 1m).
The locks are quite long at 109ft (33m) & 14ft 8in wide. (4.4m) and so fall into the “broad” category.
They will take 2 narrow-boats abreast but not 2 broader beam craft. There are landing places above and below the locks.
The locks are manually operated by a Lock-keeper. However “out of hours” and during the “low season” boater operation may be allowed. Where that is the case, operate as described in the section “Narrow and Broad Locks”.
Entry and position, within the lock, is to the instructions of the Lock-keeper. You will be required to rope your boat bow and stern. Engines are required to be stopped for the duration of the filling or emptying of the lock. Exit is also to the directions of the Lock-keeper.
Between locks, the rule, at bridges, is to give way to boats coming down stream. Otherwise, the standard “keep right” rule applies except when avoiding side weirs.
Below Oxford are 33 locks and 47.5 miles to the tidal lock at Teddington. Above Oxford there are 12 locks and approximately 31 miles to Lechlade. However the upper Thames has restricted “head room” and is not available to large “high bridge” cruisers.
That is 48 miles available to high craft and altogether nearly 80 miles of cruising for the narrow-boat or medium sized riverboat or 47.5 miles for the larger craft
Entry onto the non-tidal Thames, from the Oxford Canal, is from the Dukes Cut above Kings Lock or via Isis Lock near the end of the canal. If you do not hold a Thames licence, you must boats must “book in” and purchase a short term licence at Kings Lock.
Other non-tidal entry points are at Kennet Mouth Reading &, Weybridge and Teddington, where licence conditions also apply.
Height restrictions above and below Oxford are different due to the low bridge at Osney in Oxford.
Between Kings Lock Osney Lock and Teddington Lock. The locks length varies from 120ft (36.5m) to 173ft (53m). Their width varies between 17ft (5.2m) and 19ft 6in (6m). Lay-bye/landings are provided above and below the locks where you may be required to hold until called by the Lock-keeper.
Entry to the lock and the order in which craft are called is to the directions of the Lock-keeper. Craft [may be mixed steel, wood or GRP boats and may be three abreast. Where there is such a mixture of construction material, take extra care to keep steel from more fragile GRP and wood by fending and position control by ropes.
Under the supervision of the Lock Keeper outer boats will be required to rope bow and stern to the lock-side bollards. Centre boats will be required to tie to an outer boat. Crew members are not, normally, required to alight from the boat.
Engines are required to be stopped for the duration of the filling or emptying of the lock. That is so that everyone can hear instructions and to prevent build up of exhaust gases. Exit is also to the directions of the Lock-keeper.
The rule, at bridges, is to give way to boats coming down stream. Otherwise, the standard “keep right” rule applies except where avoiding side weirs.
Also be aware of large fast passenger boats that ply on the lower Thames.
It may be necessary to turn in their wake for increased safety and comfort.
Teddington to the Thames Estuary 66 miles (106.2km) and one half-tide lock.
Passage between the “freshwater” Thames at Teddington Lock (Manned 24 hours per day) through London to the sea should not be undertaken by inexperienced Skippers. The full tideway can normally only be undertaken by vessels equipped with VHF radio & a Skipper qualified in its use. The exception being the shorter transit between Teddington and the entrance to the Grand Union Canal at Brentford. Downstream is on the ebb tide and upstream on the flood tide
Inglesham to Oxford
Length | Beam | Height | Draught |
109ft | 14ft | 7ft 6in | 3ft |
33.22m | 4.2m | 2.28m | 0.91m |
Oxford to Reading
Length | Beam | Height | Draught |
120ft | 17ft 3in | 11ft 8in | 4ft |
36.57m | 5.25m | 1.82m | 1.06m |
Reading to Windsor
Length | Beam | Height | Draught |
130ft | 17ft 10in | 12ft 6in | 4ft 6in |
39.62m | 5.43m | 3.8m | 1.37m |
Windsor to Teddington
Length | Beam | Height | Draught |
174ft | 19ft 10in | 13ft 2in | 5ft 6in |
53.03m | 6.04m | 4m | 1.67m |
Teddington to Thames Estuary
Length | Beam | Height | Draught |
No limitation on normal inland craft | |||
Boaters’ Services
Hire Boat Companies
Bridge Boats
Fry’s Island, De Montford Road, READING, RG1 8DG
Tel: 0118 9590346
Fax: 0118 9591114
bridgeboats@aol.com
www.bridgeboats.com
Caversham Boat Services
The Boat House, Fry’s Island, De Montford Road, READING, RG1 8DG
Tel: 0118 9574323
Fax: 0118 9595205
Chertsey Meads Marine
The Meads, CHERTSEY, KT16 8LN
Tel/Fax: 01932 564699
meads.marine@ntlworld.com
www.boatsthames.com
Cotswold Boat Hire
19 Berton Close, Blunsdon, SWINDON, SN26 7BE
Tel: 01793 700241
Fax: 01793 727083
cotswoldboat@tesco.net
www.formuladesign.co.uk/cotswoldboat
Kris Cruisers
The Waterfront, Southlea Road, Datchet, SLOUGH, SL3 9BU
Tel: 01753 543930
Fax: 01753 584866
chris@kriscruisers.co.uk
www.kriscruisers.co.uk
Historical Information
A charter in 1197 first gave conservation rights for this river to the Mayor and Corporation of London. Above Staines, local communities maintained the river. Boats were able to reach Oxford from the twelfth century. There were gradual improvements and in 1771, an important Act of Parliament was passed increasing the number of commissioners and dividing the river into five districts above Staines. The new commissioners were granted wide powers of improvement and built eight new pound locks. Various canals linked into the Thames, including the Thames and Medway, Croydon, Grand Junction, Basingstoke, Wilts and Berks, Oxford, North Wilts, Thames and Severn canals and the Kennet Navigation. Some of these have been restored in recent years.
Further Information
For books, maps, guides, DVDs, videos and gifts on this waterway click here...
Local government links
