Category Archives: River Thames

The annual swan upping resumes but only as far as Moulsford

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Last year the annual swan upping – census of swans – did not happen because of the pandemic. This week swan upping has resumed, and the colourful boats are rowing up the River Thames. They began today, Tuesday 20th July, from Eton Bridge, Berkshire and will finish at Moulsford on Thames, Oxfordshire on Thursday 22nd July.

They are not doing the full five days this year and will not visit Abingdon.

This group of four cygnets will escape being rounded up,

examined for injuries, weighed and ringed.

May Bank Holiday on the river

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Visitors and locals enjoyed a sunny Bank Holiday Monday by the River Thames in Abingdon.

AV Boats opened for the first time in Abingdon on the 5th May 2021 and are hiring out: motor boats, rowing boats, kayaks and canoes, and paddle boards.

Here is one of the AV motor boats next to one of their standup peddle-boards near the bridge.

There were lots of different boats on the river.

Jetty and Portage complete

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A correspondent sent me some pictures to show that the new jetty at Abingdon Lock is now complete.

Boats go one side,

and canoe portage the other.

A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. It may also be a walkway on water. The word is from the French word jetée, ‘thrown’, signifying something thrown out.

Portage is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land. It is from the French word ‘Porter’ to wear or to carry.

Abingdon riverside changes

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Work on the Grotto at Cosenors House is nearing completion. The work is to bring it back to a safe and usable condition without changing it too much.

Abingdon Lock has re-opened after a winter when the boat layby was being rebuilt. Hooks in the grass can be used as a temporary layby. Boats can now use the lock.

The new layby is nearing completion.

At the lock itself, crowd control barriers have been added to keep spectators away from people operating the lock – for the Covid-19 safety of everybody.

To improve the look of the barriers, children are being asked to print, and colour in sections of a long Narrow Boat.

The new boat house for the Kingfisher Canoe Club has been built and should soon be used, once Covid-19 guidelines allow.

For Covid-19 social distancing reasons, people wait if people are crossing the weir in the opposite direction.