Canal Boat Holiday Base Information - Base 73

At base 73 a friendly and personal service is always provided by this family operated boatyard on the Thames. The fleet of craft accommodate from two to eight people and are maintained to a high standard. The boatyard is a two-minute walk from Datchet railway station, 1.5 miles from the M25/M4 motorways and within 15 minutes of London Heathrow airport.

Travelling upstream, a day's cruising from Datchet will bring you to towns such as Royal Windsor and, on the opposite bank, Eton; then the pretty village of Bray and a little way farther on Maidenhead with its memories of Edwardian punting heydays. At the limit of your cruising range are Boulter's Lock and the beech-wooded heights of Cliveden. Throughout the greater part of your trip the Round Tower of Windsor Castle remains a still and familiar landmark.
Downstream will bring you to historic Runnymede with its many associations - Magna Carta, the memorial to President Kennedy and, atop Cooper's Hill, the one to the Commonwealth Airforces. The river winds on past London Stone marking the former limit of jurisdiction of the City of London, down to the busy town of Staines and then on to Laleham where riverside homes and bungalows front the meadows which once surrounded Laleham Abbey.

At many spots along the river you will find ideal moorings where you can tie up and enjoy a picnic. Or perhaps you may prefer to visit one of the riverside restaurants and pubs which pride themselves on their standards of gastronomic excellence. The choice is yours.

During the course of your cruise you will pass through a number of Thames locks. All these are operated by navigation staff ready to help and advise on any aspect of your trip. There is no charge to the hirer for passing through locks; indeed, you will find the brief stop an opportunity to meet other boating folk and to exchange news and views on what lies ahead.

Situated just minutes by road from Windsor Castle, the Magna Carta, Runnymede, RoyalWindsor Racecourse, Eton College, Legoland and Thorpe Park.

What river can compare with the regal Thames - one of the most famous rivers in the world.

You will be entranced by its beauty and great variety of things to see and do as you cruise past towns such as Windsor, Marlow, Henley, Abingdon and Oxford. Moor up and explore them at your own pace.

The Thames is navigable for 124 miles in the non-tidal stretch from Teddington Lock to Lechlade in Gloucestershire just short of its junction with now derelict Thames and Severn Canal.

To cover the whole of the river between Lechlade and Teddington and return to our base you would need at least a two-week holiday. Downstream you can cruise past Magna Carta Island and enjoy the great expanse of Runnymede. Approaching the eastern limit of navigation for hire cruisers at Teddington is Hampton Court. Upstream from Windsor is fashionable Maidenhead and you can visit other familiar Thames-side places with names taken straight from the history books - Marlow, Henley, Pangbourne, Wallingford and many more.