07:00 yesterday morning and the sun is warm already ...
09:30 and we’re on our way ...
Weybridge is a lovely place to moor up, especially for a visit to Nauticalia using the ferry service. George loves this type of shopping and came back with two fantastic garden towpath chairs with built in sunshades!
This riverside property is having a mooring incorporated ...
... and on the other side of the river the trees have been severely pollarded and it looks as if a new road is being built, but it hasn’t stopped the anglers from pitching their tents!
It must be a big road being built from the size of those huge concrete pillars
The entrance to Shepperton Marina is round the back of these trip boats ...
... and it’s clear for us to go in ...
... there’s a chain ferry operating for berth holders ...
We go left to pump out and water and Moore 2 Life will go to the right for fuel then we’ll change over
E.A. depot just before we arrive ...
... at Sunbury weir and St Mary’s Church and C Wilson and Sons, Boatbuilders
A much extended lock keeper’s house at Sunbury originally built in 1812.
A much extended lock keeper’s house at Sunbury originally built in 1812.
Trip boat Richmond Venuturer emerges from the lock as we await our turn
Getting closer to our destination now - small clue - that’s Hampton Church!
Platt’s Eyot (island) which once supported a community of engineers and craftsmen, with boatbuilding being carried out from the 1850’s and 170 torpedo boats between 1938-45.
The Sublime ...
... to the ridiculous -
the assorted buildings on the whole of this tiny island (I think it’s Garrick’s Ait) appear to very plush or held together with sticky-tape and hope!
This fantastic house boat (Astoria) belongs to Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame, could this be the man himself with mop and bucket?
The boat was originally built in 1911 for impresario Fred Karno who wanted to have the best houseboat on the river and designed it so that an entire 90-piece orchestra could play on the deck.
Leaving Molesey Lock ...
... and approaching the bridge through which we can see trip boat Yarmouth Belle picking up passengers ...
There doesn’t seem to be any mooring spaces left for us - can you see the gilded gates behind that large boat? Well that’s Hampton Court!
There was just enough room for Moore 2 Life to squeeze in behind that boat ... and we ...
... managed to get a mooring us in front of it. The Magna Carta through the front cratch window.
A good mooring spot this one - it’s not on the official visitor mooring site so the £5 fee does not apply.
Out for a walk with the hounds - this is the long water at Hampton Court park looking away from the palace
Molly couldn’t tell the difference - can you?
If you can’t you would have walked off the grass and fallen in - like she did!
Looking towards the palace and that splendid fountain
Bushy Park ...
... where deer still roam freely
Even from this distance the droplets of water from the fountain can be seen so clearly.
Chestnut Avenue conceived by Sir Christopher Wren in the reign of William III and Mary II.
Must be plenty of fish in there - we saw a few herons standing guard
Ann and Molly with George and ‘our’ Molly.
Today we’ve been dog sitting Ann’s Molly whilst she and Chas have visited the palace and tomorrow they will do the same for us - can’t wait!
Today we’ve been dog sitting Ann’s Molly whilst she and Chas have visited the palace and tomorrow they will do the same for us - can’t wait!
Lovely photos as usual. Makes me very jealous!! Hope you're all ok, And Molly is over her dip. Keep well, always thinking of you. XXXX
ReplyDeleteAll that construction is for the new Walton road bridge, to replace the bodge up that was built after the old bridge was bombed in the last war. It's taken a long time!
ReplyDeletePicked up some stowaways on my last trip - George might be interested!
http://nbstronghold.blogspot.co.uk/
Pity I missed you on the Weybridge mooring, as I passed there about 5pm on Saturday.