Leaving in early May, we will be travelling:-

Starting in Evesham, River Avon to Tewkesbury
River Severn to Worcester ( Grand QDJRP send off on May? - See below )
Worcester and Birmingham Canal, up the Tardebigge Locks, a flight of 36, that raise the Worcester and Birmingham Canal over 220 feet (67 metres) to Kings Norton Junction
North Stratford Canal to Lapworth Junction
Grand Union Canal, down the Hatton Flight of 21 broad locks, through Warwick and Leamington Spa to Napton Junction
South Oxford Canal, through Banbury to Oxford.
River Thames, through Reading, Henley, Windsor, Richmond and onto the tidal Thames.

A total of 221 miles and 120 locks

Well, that was plan A!
Due to the fact that since I wrote the above, the country has been effected by widespread water shortages, restricted passage on many canals in the south and hosepipe bans, we have had to put plan B into operation.

So we now leave Evesham on April 25th at 10.00am from Workman Gardens in Evesham. This should give us plenty of time to get to London by May 25th. The Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire and dignities from around the county will be sending us off in fine style. The press, radio and possibly TV will be there. Year one from Cropthorn with Charlton CofE School will be there. Members of the public will be there. We have also arranged for Trip boat, Handsam Too to come along to the first lock with us and give those who wish to, the experience a boat ride along the River Avon.
Our journey will now take us from Evesham to Pershore and Tewkesbury, along the River Avon. Onto the River Severn to Upton on Severn, Worcester and onto the Droitwich canals. At the top we turn left onto the Worcester and Birmingham canal, up Tardebigge, Alverchurch, Lapworth, Warwick, Leamington, stockton and Calcutt. Up to this point the journey is the same. We now turn left instead of right and head for Braunston. We are staying on the Grand Uniopn all the way to London. Weedon, Gaydon Junction, Blisworth, Stoke Bruern, Cosgrove, Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard, Bulbourne Junction, Berkhampstead, Hemel Hempstead, Rickmansworth, Uxbridge, Paddington and into Limehouse Basin. Our journey now has 235 locks in the 216 miles we will travel.

It is important to be in the basin on May 25th because on Sat 26th May we depart Limehouse Lock for the Thames Barrier on the ebb. Pass through the Barrier, and by the Woolwich Ferry. Continue downstream to Margaret Ness, a distance of 8 miles.  Turn across the fairway to the north bank and hold station against the ebb until the tide turns. Pass through the Barrier again, on the first of the flood, and continue upstream to Chiswick Ait, above Hammersmith Bridge, a distance of 19 miles. Practice the take-up of buoy moorings for a short while (as we shall on the Pageant). Continue upstream to Thames Lock, Brentford and exit the tideway, a distance of 4 miles. On Sunday 27th May we depart Thames Lock Brentford for Chiswick Ait, and practice the take-up of buoy moorings, at close to high water. Thirty minutes after high water, slip the moorings and assume Pageant formation. Execute synchronised narrowboating and practice emergency procedures, on the ebb tide, returning to Limehouse Basin, a distance of 14 miles.  I have always wanted to visit the Thames barrier in LT and this gives us the perfect opportunity.

While in the area we hope to visit the Basingstoke Canal and the Lee and Stort Rivers before heading for home.
We have now established that the Basingstoke Canal is shut and is likely to remain so this season, so that's off the agenda. Shame.

OK, so now see pictures and videos of what actually happened and follow the whole trip on the links below.

June 3rd
Queens Diamond Jubilee Thames Rives Pageant

To Follow Our Trip - Click Here

More Queens Diamond Jubilee Pageant
Narrowboat Photographs and Videos

This will be via London’s Regents Canal and Paddington Arm, travelling through the 2012 Olympic site. Grand Union Canal, Uxbridge, Milton Keynes, Gaydon Junction, making a detour onto the River Nene to Peterborough to explore the middle level navigations and the Fens, before returning down the River Nene to rejoin the Grand Union Canal via Braunston, Leamington Spa, Warwick, back up the Hatton flight to Lapworth, down the South Stratford to Stratford upon Avon
At this point we enter the River Avon and home to Evesham, arriving end September.

The first part of our journey home changed as well. Click on the above links to see and read about our adventures on the River Thames.
Never again!

Using plan B we will travel a grand total of 988 miles and 727 locks, and very many fantastic, unique memories.
 
Of course we will not be away all the time, I wish. Wendy and I will be returning to Evesham from time to time to attend to family and council matters.

This site will be periodically updated.
Page updated 20/7/2012

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant Official Website

All About Worcestershire

Sharpness to Bristol - Summer 2011

Environment Agency

British Waterways

The Inland Waterways Association

All about Canals

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