by G Levenson

It says something about this final stretch of the non-tidal river that it is all on Sheet 176 of the Ordnance Survey map entitled ‘West London’. That is, it runs through outer suburbia, flanked on many reaches by bijou homes and villas. Nonetheless there are many fine sailing reaches. As on previous occasions, the sites are located by their grid reference numbers, easting and northing. R and L refer to the right and left hand banks of the river coming downstream.

L 973782 Eton. Very light craft over the bank into the backwater below Romney Lock. Access across public gardens from B3026. Parking along road.

L 985769 Datchet. Stepped landing in public green alongside B470. Suitable very light craft.

L 993735 Wraysbury ferry slip. Often cluttered. Access from B376.

R 993734 Crevalds Boat Services, Old Windsor. Slip. Large chandlery.

R 009724 Runneymede. Over low bank and sandy beach from public recreation ground. Parking.

L 033716 Staines. Steep slip at pay-and-display car park just above the bridge.

L 036713 Staines. Shallow-stepped slip on upstream side of railway bridge. Parking in side road.

L 038697 S. Staines. At end of River Road. An open-framed gate, alas, prevents trailer access to the towpath, but light craft can be lifted over and launched at low green bank 50 yards upstream.

L 050685 Laleham. A pretty, green reach here. Slip to the water’s edge obstructed by post which leaves just 5 ft gap to one side. Parking nearby.

R 042689 Penton Hook. Slip at sailing club.

L 051677 Laleham. Convenient gap in railing gives access to pleasant green and beach. Parking in approach road to the St John’s Ambulance depot.

L 054666 Chertsey Bridge. Light craft can be manhandled down sloping banks to beaches above and below the bridge.

L 075660 Shepperton Lock (below). Slip at Dunton’s boatyard. Gives access to lots of good sailing water up to Walton.

R 076657 Weybridge. Public slip. Access from A317. Gives onto same water as last.

L 077666 Shepperton. Steepish public slip into shallow water from car park behind church. Gives onto a lovely M-shaped bend of the river now short-circuited by the straight Desborough cut used by the cruisers.

R 092662 Walton, Cowey Sale, in open space. Public slip to just below water level, then 6 inch drop onto hard bottom cluttered with submerged kerb slabs. Free parking between bridge and slip. At the other end of the above water.

L 093665 Walton. Slip at Starley Marine boatyard immediately above the bridge. W-o-T 24407.

R 096666 Walton. Slip at Walton Marine Sales marina 100 yards below bridge. Opens to river under 10 ft towpath bridge. W-o-T 26266

R 098668 Walton. 200 yards below bridge by the Angler and Swan pubs. Road to towpath from Manor Road off A3050 leads to Thames Water quay and old ferry point with a 1 ft sloped drop into shallow water. Gives onto a 1½ mile reach to Sunbury Lock. Parking in road.

L 105683 Sunbury. Public green sloping to sandy beach. Parking in road or in car park 100 yards west. Gives onto 4 miles of good sailing to Hampton Court (Molesey Lock).

L 116690 Public slip into shallow water off B375. Some parking under the trees. Same reach as last.

L 141694 Hampton. Immediately below church. Slip road from A308 leads to a boatyard that is churlish about allowing launching, but just beyond their patch is the public quay with a low edge. A lovely open reach here.

R 139693 Hurst Park. The other side of the old ferry from Hampton. Access by lane from A3050. Slip to water’s edge.

L 146693 The A308 skirts the river here just above a swardy, tree-shaded slope extending along the bank ¼ mile with little beaches. Access at a couple of slip lanes.

R 162673 Thames Ditton. An idyllic spot with a gravel slope to the river alongside the Swan pub. Parking rather limited during social hours. Gives onto 3 mile reach from Hampton Court to Kingston.

R 176678 Hart’s Ferry boathouse. Slips. Access from A307.

R 177679 Surbiton. Public ferry site opposite Raven’s Ait in river and Grove Road on shore. On A307. Parking at slip for about 6 cars.

L 176695 Hampton Wick. Public steps just below Kingston Bridge and next to timber yard. Access from A310. Parking easy after 6.30 pm and Sundays.

R 177695 Kingston. Public slip in front of Outrigger pub. Large car parks at hand, but may be full in shopping hours.

R 179704 Kingston. Gravel bank in front of old boathouses into 2 ft of water. Parking in road.

L 177707 Teddington. Public ex-ferry slip to water’s edge, into 2 ft water. At end of Trowlock Way. Parking in approach lane.

R 178708 Kingston. Ferry steps and long stretch of low, grassy bank alongside road; parking in road. This and the previous two give onto a fine sailing reach from Kingston to Teddington. The last on the non-tidal river.