In the front door out of the back

Monday was a glorious day weather wise but somewhat messy for us. We planned on just going a short way to Mapledurham and mooring there for the night but upon arrival we found only a few mooring spaces, mostly occupied and where we tried to get in was too shallow so we turned around ( a huge treat for us being on the river and just deciding to turn around without having to go miles to find a winding hole) and went back to a very nice mooring at Whitchurch. From there we then walked back to Mapledurham to investigate the location of the pump out facility to use the following day to be told by the lock keeper that it had been broken about 20 minutes earlier by a boater. (Why it hadn’t occurred to us to use it when we were there in the boat I don't know) We were also warned by the lock keeper about the approaching winds the following day and as we had to get off the Thames on Tuesday due to our expiring licence we walked back to the boat and set off again to moor up at Reading to cut down our journey time on Tuesday.

We ended up mooring by the Thames Promenade opposite some very expensive looking houses and left early the next morning to get a pump out at  a local boatyard which to our delight also sold coal so we could start using the fire again. 

(On that point I forgot to mention that when we were moored at Abingdon and asked the boatyard there about coal they didn’t sell it and couldn’t think of anyone that did. I mentioned this in passing to the boat moored next to us and he offered to give us a bag of logs but I said not to worry as I’m sure we would manage. However after we returned from walking the dogs we found they had moved on but left a bag of logs on our roof. Typical kindness of boaters. We know they were heading down the K & A too so we hope we see them again and can buy them a beer or two to say thank you.)

From the boatyard it was a small distance to turning up the K & A but you had to look for it as there were no signs at all and it almost looks just like a backwater. I think old Father Thames has rather a distaste for this genetically engineered Jonny come lately.

We managed a couple of locks but by then the wind was causing havoc and we pulled in to moor where we could in the centre of town. Not the most salubrious of places but it was quiet although litter and graffiti strewn. So we left early this morning (a 7.15am start), as the wind was temporarily quiet, through Reading’s back door of 2 up 2 down Victorian cottages (so different o the front door and the million plus houses) and have made our way to Theale having luckily caught up another boat after the first lock and so shared the work.

Its a pleasant quiet mooring so we may stay here a couple of nights before moving on. The K & A at this end is largely river and one that is flowing quite a bit faster than the Thames was and has some interesting locks, a grass sided one and a crinkly wall one (see below).

Our mooring at Beale Wildlife Trust

On the walk from Whitchurch to Mapledurham

Sheffield Lock, Theale