 Boating on the tidal Thames  Teddington to kew Kew to Wandsworth Wandsworth to London Bridge Moorings Passenger boats Bookshop Bits & pieces Links |
Transfer passages between Teddington and Brentford Before attempting a passage in either direction, consult the current tide tables for the times of high water at London Bridge. These figures are published annually by the Admiralty, and may be found in Reed's Almanac and the PLA Tide Tables. Times of high water at London Bridge are also published in a number of national newspapers in their meteorological information columns. There is also, of course, the WWW tide predictor. Look up the times of high water on the day you intend to travel, and add 1 hour to get the time of high water at Brentford. Tide tables give times in GMT (also known as UT), so don't forget to add another hour for BST if necessary. Work out whether or not the tide window coincides with the normal operating times for Thames Lock, and remember that you will have to give 24 hours notice outside these times (08.00 to 17.00). To avoid having to use the lock at Richmond, you will want to time your passage through Richmond at around high water. Additionally you will have a more comfortable passage if you use the tide to assist you in either direction. The best time to leave Teddington, therefore, is on the last of the incoming tide so that from slack water you will get the benefit of the ebb as you proceed downriver. The passage to Brentford should take about an hour to an hour and a half, so you will have up to an hour to spare before Thames Lock is closed - provided you are not using a late afternoon tide which is going to bring you to Brentford Creek after the lock staff have gone off duty! The best time to leave Brentford for Teddington is as soon as possible after the lock opens, so that you will be carried upstream on the flood. On approaching Teddington lock take note of the signals at the tail of the lock island as to which of the locks you should use. If you are making this trip, it's worth getting a copy of the The Inland Waterways Association Thames Tideway Guide Back to the Grand Union Canal
|
|
|
The Tideway pages are maintained by John Kennett |