Maps
[ Manually propelled small boats can use Hennerton Backwater instead of this section ]
1881: George Leslie
The main stream has in the meantime been left quite neglected, as we have been passing up the little backwater.
Site of Bolney Ferry
1775: A rope ferry at
Beggar’s Hole (Beggar’s Hall – one
of the halls of Harpsden House demolished before 1800)
1835: Ferryman’s shed repaired
1868: Mr. Rhodes asked that -
the old house at Beggar’s Hole Ferry be removed. It was a great eyesore and has not been used for years.
[ They sold it to him for £2 and told him to remove it himself! ]
1881: George Leslie -
The islands off Bolney Court are a very pretty cluster; I call them islands, because they have grass and trees on them – eyots proper I should say, were those covered with osiers. Mr. Vicat Cole had last year in the Academy Exhibition a very beautiful picture from the Bolney Islands, the truth of which I recognized in an instant; these islands my children christened “The Balmy Isles of Rumtifoo”, from the Bab Ballad, partly because we there found warm sheltered corners for lunch or tea.
[ The Bab Ballads were nonsense poems by W S
Gilbert containing several references to the Isles of Rumtifoo, where a
colonial Bishop went native and partook of the local delicacy (Scalps in Rum
- there being no other sauce). ]
1886: Bolney Ferry, Joseph Ashby-Sterry -
The way was long, the sun was high,
The Minstrel was fatigued and dry !
From Wargrave he came walking down,
In hope to soon reach Henley town;
And at the “Lion” find repast,
To slake his thirst and break his fast.
Alas ! there’s neither punt nor wherry
To take him over Bolney Ferry !
He gazes to the left and right –
No craft is anywhere in sight,
Except the horse-boat he espied
Secure upon the other side;
No skiff he finds to stem the swirl,
No ferryman, nor boy, nor girl !
He sits and sings there “Hey down derry!”
But can’t get over Bolney Ferry !
No ferry-girl? Indeed I’m wrong,
For she, - the subject of my song –
So dainty, dimpled, young, and fair,
Is coolly sketching over there.
She gazes, stops, then seems to guess
The reason of the Bard’s distress.
A brindled bull-dog she calls “Jerry”
Comes with her over Bolney Ferry !
She pulls, and then she pulls again,
With shapely hands, the rusty chain;
She smiles, and, with a softened frown,
She bids her faithful dog lie down.
As she approaches near the shore
She shows her dimples more and more.
Her short white teeth, lips like a cherry
Unpouting show, at Bolney Ferry !
With joy he steps aboard the boat,
The Rhymer’s rescued and afloat !
She chirps and chatters, and the twain
Together pull the rusty chain:
He sighs to think each quaint clink-clank
But brings him nearer to the bank !
His heart is sad, her laugh is merry,
And so they part at Bolney Ferry !
The Minstrel sitting down to dine
To retrospection doth incline;
“A faultless figure, watchet eyes
As sweet as early summer skies !
What pretty hands, what subtle grace,
And what a winsome little face !”
In Mrs. Williams’ driest sherry
He toasts the lass of Bolney Ferry !
[ Mrs. Williams was, I think, the landlady of the Red Lion ]
Island near Park Place, from Picturesque Views of the Thames, Havell -
Island near Park Place, Havell
A heavily loaded barge being towed by two horses. Note the mast which lifts the tow line
over obstructions (and other boats), the man in the bows with a pole
to fend off as necessary, the dog to deal with rats, and the punt towed astern.
They are approaching the place where the towpath changes from the right bank
to the left at Bolney Ferry. I wonder if they could manage that without
detaching the horses as they were taken over the horse ferry?
A Canoe Canzonet, Bolney Backwater, July, J. Ashby-Sterry -
The leaves scarce rustled in the trees,
And faintly blew the summer breeze;
A damsel drifted slowly down,
Aboard her ship to Henley town;
And as the white sail passed along,
A punted Poet sang this song !
In your canoe, love, when you are going,
With white sail flowing and merry song;
In your canoe, love, with ripples gleaming
And sunshine beaming, you drift along !
While you are dreaming, or idly singing,
Your sweet voice ringing, when skies are blue:
In summer days, love, on water-ways, love,
You like to laze, love, - in your canoe !
In your canoe, love, I’d be a tripper,
If you were skipper and I were mate;
In your canoe, love, where sedges shiver
And willows quiver, we’d navigate !
Upon the river, you’d ne’er be lonely,
For, if you had only room for two,
I’d pass my leisure with greatest pleasure
With you, my treasure, - in your canoe !
In your canoe, love, when breezes sigh light,
In tender twilight, we’d drift away;
In your canoe, love, light as a feather,
Were we together – what should I say?
In sunny weather, were Fates propitious,
A tale delicious I’d tell to you !
In quiet spots, love, forget-me-nots, love,
We’d gather lots, love, - in your canoe !
1881: Leslie George -
On several of the eyots about here, and below Marsh and Hambledon Locks, the
beautiful summer snowflake can be found in May, a doubtful native according to
the books, but often seen in gardens; it
is a sort of polyanthus snowdrop, and a bunch of them looks very pretty.
The
river bends a little way above these islands, and the green lane from Shiplake
Station is on the right hand close by;
then
comes, or came, for I do not know if it still exists, a creek leading into some
ponds belonging to a fellmonger’s establishment; these ponds I never explored, as the smell
was decidely fellmongery.
The tow-path
with its bank fishermen, which is on the Berks shore past the Bolney islands,
changes sides just above the fellmongery.
Map: Site of Former Shiplake Ferry.
Site of Lashbrook Ferry.
I don’t know where this was unless it was anther name for Shiplake Ferry.
1762: Rocque’s Map – “Lys Brk Ferry”
1775: Lord Mayor’s View -
The horse was near being lost on account of the soft muddy shore; after being in the river half-an-hour they fastened the other horses to him and puled him out by the head.
1881: George Leslie -
After the ferry there is nothing noticeable about the stream except its turns and twists, until you reach Wargrave. The bank fishermen are very fond of the steep cliff banks over the eddies on the tow-path side, and as the punting is good on the other, it is best to keep there.
Henley Sailing Club
Map:
Website,
Willow Lane, Wargrave. Right bank.
The Club Commodore, Duncan Mackay, wrote the text for the lovely book: THE SECRET THAMES
with photos by Skyscan.
1896: The Henley and Shiplake Sailing Association.
1897: The Henley Sailing Club. The club started sailing punts under the rules of the Thames Punt Sailing Club.
They were very fast and required skilful handling.
Sailing Punts at Henley Sailing Club
1923: The present Club house was built.
(Upstream to the George & Dragon at Wargrave)
Introduction
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