Dittons Skiff and Punting Club
Ditton Reach Slipway.
Right bank off the A307 Portsmouth Road, Thames Ditton next to the City Arms.
Ditton Reach Slipway, 1999
The boy fishing inspected the punt and decided that a 25 horsepower motor would be about right. There have been moments in punting from Cricklade to Teddington when I could have agreed with him. Notice that the far bank is grass and trees. There is plenty of greenery here. Two miles further up there are sections of apparent countryside.
Thames Ditton Regatta
Map: Boyle Farm Island
Right bank
Map: Swan Island
Right bank tiny Island between Boyle Farm Island and Thames Ditton Island.
Public Slipway
Right bank, next to The Swan, Summer Road, Thames Ditton
Map: Thames Ditton Island
Right Bank
Thames Ditton Island Website
Thames Ditton Church, 1817
Olde Swan Inn
Right Bank. Mooring for craft less than 3' draft
William Hone, 1827 -
Thames Ditton is a pretty village, delightfully
situated on the banks of the Thames, between Kingston and Hampton Court Palace.
During the summer and autumn, it is much
frequented by the followers of Isaac Walton’s tranquil occupation.
The Swan Inn, only a few paces from the
water’s edge, remarkable for the neatness and comfort of its appearance, and
for the still more substantial attractions of its internal accommodation, is
kept by Mr John Locke, a most civil, good natured, and obliging creature;
and what is not of slight importance to a
bon-vivant, he has a wife absolutely incomparable in the art of cooking a good
beef-steak, or a mutton chop.
1849: Rambles by Rivers: The Thames By James Thorne -
... step over to the Swan at
Thames Ditton, and appease what old Homer calls "the sacred rage of hunger", which we may there
do very satisfactorily.
The house is nicely situated,
affording capital views over our river ; the host is
commendable, the fare good, and the cook skilful ;
and the little village will afford an agreeable
stroll while dinner is preparing. No Thames
rambler will desire a better or more suitable inn ;
to all Thames anglers it is well known, and is, as it
deserves to be, a leading favourite.
The Swan at Ditton in 1859
see Church Spire far right
1876: Lippincott's Magazine -
Thames Ditton, Lippincott's Magazine, 1876
The angler's capital is Thames Ditton, and his capitol the Swan Inn. Ditton is, like many other pretty English villages, little and old. It is mentioned in Domesday Boke as belonging to the bishop of Bayeux in Normandy, famous for the historic piece of tapestry. Wadard, a gentleman with a Saxon name, held it of him, probably for the quit—rent of an annual eel-pie, although the consideration is not stated.
1906: Henry Wellington Wack, In Thamesland -
Thames Ditton on the Surrey side is a small village with ... an inn, "The Swan",
which half a century ago [1850s] was a popular rendez-vous for anglers from all parts of the Thames valley.
Theodore Hook, whom the last generation will probably more readily recall than the present,
as a dramatist, mimic, wit, and rhymster of exceptional facility, and a man of many greater parts,
must have regarded Ditton as the Elysium of the punt-fishing and contemplative man.
While sitting in his punt in July, 1834, with Mr. S.C.Hall [the man who with his wife wrote "Down the Thames"
in 1859] then editor of the "New Monthly Magazine", he composed seven eight line verses
cleverly expressive of his appreciation of what was then, much more than it is at present,
one of the loveliest regions of the great little river.
1834: Theodore Hook -
When sultry suns and dusty streets
Proclaim town’s winter season,
And rural scenes and cool retreats
Sound something like high treason –
I steal away to shades serene,
Which yet no bard has hit on,
And change the bustling, heartless scene
For quietude and DITTON.
Here lawyers, free from legal toils,
And peers, released from duty,
Enjoy at once kind nature’s smiles,
And eke the smiles of beauty:
Beauty with talent brightly graced,
Whose name must not be written,
The idol of the fane, is placed
Within the shades at DITTON.
Let lofty mansions great men keep –
I have no wish to rob ‘em –
Not courtly Claremont, Esher’s steep,
Nor Squire Combe’s at Cobham.
Sir Hobhouse has a mansion rare,
A large red house at Whitton,
But Cam with Thames I can’t compare,
Nor Whitton class with DITTON.
I’d rather live, like General Moore,
In one of the pavilions
Which stand upon the other shore,
Than be the king of millions;
For though no subjects might arise
To exercise my wit on,
From morn till night I’d feast my eyes
By gazing at sweet DITTON.
The mighty Queen whom Cydnus bore,
In gold and purple floated,
But happier I, when near this shore,
Although more humbly boated.
Give me a punt, a rod, a line,
A snug arm-chair to sit on,
Some well iced punch, and weather fine,
And let me fish at DITTON.
The ‘Swan’, snug inn, good fare affords
At table e'er was put on
And worthier quite of loftier boards
Its poultry, fish and mutton
And whilst sound wine mine host supplies
With beer of Meux or Tutton
Mine hostess with her bright eyes
Invites to stay at DITTON.
Here, in a placid waking dream,
I’m free from worldly troubles,
Calm as the rippling silver stream
That in the sunshine bubbles;
And when sweet Eden’s blissful bowers
Some abler bard has writ on,
Despairing to transcend his powers,
I’ll ditto say for DITTON.
1872: Edward Lear -
There was an old man of Thames Ditton,
Who called for something to sit on;
But they brought him a hat, and said — "Sit upon that,
You abruptious old man of Thames Ditton!"
There was an old poet called Lear,
Whose words were perfectly clear;
The sound of his rhyme was exquisitely fine,
But his last lines do seem a bit queer!
1896: Thames Ditton, Francis Frith -
1896: Thames Ditton, Francis Frith
1955: Thames Ditton, Francis Frith -
1955: Thames Ditton, Francis Frith
Record Rows by Dittons Skiff & Punting Club
River Thames crew record
1988 Fastest time to row 186 miles of the River Thames from Lechlade to Southend Pier ~ 39hrs 27mins
This was by Three Men in a Boat (no dog) in a racing double skiff, the crew sculling in rotation; they beat the previous record by over 24 hours.
24 hours non-stop rowing
1994 Longest distance rowed in 24hrs ~ 141.26 miles.
This was in the Club IV sculler skiff ‘Sandy’ with a six-man crew who were on board at all times. They completed 17 trips from Hampton Court to Teddington and back…VERY boring! They beat the distance set by an Australian racing VIII by over 4 miles.
English Channel crew record
1996 Fastest time to row the 22 miles of the English Channel ~ 2 hrs 42 minutes 20 seconds.
This was in a Watermans’ Cutter rigged for six scullers with a cox. The crew beat the previous record by 53 minutes (the return crew also beat the previous record!)
London to Paris crew record
1999 Fastest time to row the 480 miles London to Paris ~ 106hrs 14 minutes 54 seconds.
Once again in a Cutter rigged for six scullers but with a squad of 15 rotating 3hrs on 3hrs off. The elapsed time includes 12hrs waiting in Dover for a storm to blow itself out. The crews then ‘raced’ up the non-tidal River Seine doing timed pieces after over 300 miles sculling.
River Thames crew record
2004 Fastest time to row 186 mile of the River Thames from Lechlade to Southend Pier ~ 30hrs 57 mins 33 seconds.
This was in the TTBS IV sculled Shallop ‘Sgian Dubh’ once again with a six man crew on board at all times ~ they were successful where 25 other crews had failed over the past 10 years taking 5 hrs off the record time.
River Thames single handed record
2005 Fastest time to single scull 165 miles of the River Thames from Lechlade to Gravesend ~ 43hrs 40 minutes
This was in a single racing skiff (supported by over 60 people) beating the previous record by 16 hours.
Albany Reach
Map: River Mole (& Ember)
Right bank below Hampton Court Bridge
Edmund Spencer -
Mole that like a Mousling mole doth make His way still underground, till the Thames he overtake.
Robert Bloomfield -
Where the Mole still glides, dwells peace, and peace is wealth to me.
Upstream to Hampton Court Bridge
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS