Maps
Crowne Plaza, Reading
Right bank immediately above bridge; was Holiday Inn
Map: Reading Slipway
Right bank, above Caversham Bridge and the hotel, and below Rowing Club.
By road approach from Richfield Avenue
This slipway may be discontinued see
Reading Planning
Swans at Caversham Bridge,
Ashley Bryant
Caversham Bridge Slipway, obscured by swans
You have two problems!
Swans: The swans at Reading are greedy. They have been trained to
be greedy by generations of trippers.
They will take it as a personal affront if you do not feed them and
as an invitation to pester you if you do.
DO NOT FEED THEM. Do not so much as think about food in their sight.
It is cruel to swans to make them
reliant on human food - think of the way in which they are so territorial
in normal circumstances and then think about the "social"
dynamics of that great flock milling about waiting for handouts.
Onlookers. … on canals
the word is "gongoozlers" …
and to compound the problem they feed the swans!
Map: Reading Rowing Club, Right Bank
There have been plans to move the rowing club, however on their website you will find:
... the club has a considerable financial stake in the building and hopes to be able to continue boating from there for many years to come.
Caversham Bridge with the Rowing Club hiding the slipway to the right.
You may encounter oarsmen at Olympic
standard, but then also beginners. Both
need to be respected in their different ways.
Be aware that racing boats go much faster than other boats
so keep a lookout behind you
and allow them right of way. Last time I
coxed an eight here we had trouble avoiding canoes paddled by beginners.
1889: Jerome K Jerome -
The river is dirty and dismal here. One does not linger in the neighbourhood of Reading.
1891: The Stream of Pleasure, Joseph & Elizabeth Robins Pennell -
From [Purley] to Caversham is the stupid stretch of which guide and other books give
fair warning. But at the hour of sunset the ugliest country is glorified,
and nowhere is the river really ugly.
The "Dictionary of the Thames" for 1888 recommended as "snug and unpretentious" the
White Hart Inn on the left bank by Caversham Bridge.
Accordingly to the left bank we drew up, but behold! we found a large hotel,
a steam launch bringing in its passengers, waiters in dress-coats, a remarkably good supper,
and a very attentive Signor Bona to add the pleasure of an Italian kitchen
to the clean comfort of the English Inn.
[ The river aspect of Reading has improved no end since Victorian times. It now compares favourably with Oxford - though that is not as great a claim as it should be. ]
The river becomes very lovely from a little above Reading.
(Purley)
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