No National Waterways Festival?

Friday, 29 April 2011 10:36

We left you at some moorings - a long line of them. Just below we saw a well known name - Beale Park. Known to boaters (not exclusively narrowboaters!) as one of the sites for the IWA National Waterways Festival in 2010. This year's Festival is at Shobnal Fields, Burton on Trent at the end of July. (IWA = Inland Waterways Association)

Entrance to Beale Park

The River is very wide here and so it is easy to see that triple mooring would be possible for a festival here!

River below Beale Park

A narrowboat pulled out in front of us from his mooring at Beale Park. He then proceeded to toddle on in front of us - we saw no point in overtaking as the lock was not far! We were tempted to stop, but had reasons not to as you will see. Beale Park is actually a wildlife park and gardens with plenty for families with children to occupy!

Then the scenery changed, almost abruptly, as we approached Whitchurch Lock, the only Lock on the Thames without pedestrian access. Before the lock is reached there are some lovely houses on Shooters Hill on the outskirts of Pangbourne.

Narrowboat ahead

They are known as the "Seven Deadly Sins". When they were built they were thought of as "brash" and "pretentious". Now with their immaculate gardens and interesting architecture they just add to the riverside scene.

Seven Deadly Sins Villas

The villas were built by D. H. Evans, the founder of the West End store in London. Some claimed they were built to house his seven mistresses - one local resident claiming that parties held in them were riotous and wild. Possibly they were thinking of the parties held by Lady Cunard who bought one of the villas! Others said D. H. Evans lived in a different one each day of the week.

Pangbourne College Boat Club have their boat house here above the lock. Founded as a Nautical College to train boys for the Merchant Navy, the independent school now has a more usual academic programme. The line of neatly moored control boats is impressive - maybe the naval influence lives on!

Pangbourne College Boat Club

Opposite is a long line of private moorings - I love the way the trees echo the line of boats in this photo!

Private moorings above Whitchurch Lock

John recognised the pub at the weir - The Swan. I have no memory of mooring here, so it must have been another "lady" who visited it with him!!

The Swan (C18th)

Once again I mention Jerome K Jerome and his two mates. According to the version of Three Men in a Boat that I have just read (downloaded free on my Kindle!), they ended their downstream journey here at the Swan.

Whitchurch Lock was built in 1787 and then, like many locks on the River Thames, rebuilt in 1876. We joined the other narrowboat in the lock and had an important question for the Lock Keeper - the reason we did not stop at Beale Park.

Whitchurch Lock

I shall keep you guessing - find out tomorrow!