Maps
Right bank unmade gravel slipway with limited parking, Ferry Lane, Aston
Aston (Right bank slipway)
Left bank unmade slipway, end of Ferry Lane, Mill End, Hambleden - off A4155 -
Left bank slipway at Hambleden
Map:The Flowerpot Aston
Right bank ˝ mile up lane
Site of former Aston Ferry
1785: A rope ferry in 1785
1920: [ I think Fred Thacker implies it is probably
still working, James Hawkes, ferryman. ]
2004: The Aston, right bank, side is now
effectively an unmade slipway for small boats.
It would be dangerous (because of towing vehicle failing to grip on the
steep gravel) to launch anything larger than can be manhandled here.
[ Once when I launched here, on my own, I
backed the trailer down to the water and firmly set the handbrake.
I got out of the car and began to deal with
the winch when ever so gently the car began to roll down the gravel towards the
river. I put my shoulder against it and
shouted "help" at the top of my voice.
Another boater ran and put the car in gear
which did the trick.
It still gives me nightmares! Ideally I think one should use wedges under
wheels on a steep slip. And what if I
had been unable to hold the car? It
could well have run over me - so maybe I shouldn't have tried but simply let
the car and trailer and boat run into the river? The morals are:
Make sure your car is in good order. The handbrake was not the strongest
point on the car type I was using at the time.
Always make certain of the brake, stop the engine and leave
the car in gear on a steep slipway.
Before you get out satisfy yourself that the car is not going to move.
Use wedges under the car back wheels if at all uncertain.
This authoritative advice comes from someone
who got away with it by the skin of his teeth! ]
1881: George Leslie -
At the horse-ferry, where the tow-path changes side, a little grassy lane leads down to the river from Aston and Remenham Hill. This used to be called “The Lady Moor”, why, I do not know; it had a pretty avenue of very fine ash trees all along it. A few ash trees are still there, but nothing to what they were in former days.
1873: Advertisement for the Flower Pot Inn -
1873 Advertisement
1891: The Stream of Pleasure, Joseph and Elizabeth Robins Pennell -
We put up at a brand-new, very ugly, but comfortable brick "Flower Pot", where there was a landlord who had much to say about art and the Royal Academy. For Royal Academicians often lunch with him, and Royal Academy pictures have been painted under the very shadow of his house, as well they might, for all the near country was as pretty as the inn was ugly. Elms, the loveliest in the whole length and breadth of England, met overhead in the narrow lanes, bordered the fields "with poppies all on fire", and shut in the old-fashioned gardens full of weary sunflowers waiting to count the steps of the sun which would not shine. Here and there through the elms we caught a glimpse of the river.
Site of Roman Villa, left bank halfway between Aston Slipway and Hambledon Weir
Upstream to HAMBLEDEN LOCK
Estuary
PLA
QEII Br
Barrier
Tower Br
Custom Ho
London Br
; Frost Fairs
Cannon St Rb
The Great Stink
Southwark Br
Millenium Br
Blackfriars Rb
Blackfriars Br
Waterloo Br
Charing Cross Rb
Westminster Br
Lambeth Br
Vauxhall Br
Victoria Rb
Chelsea Br
Albert Br
Battersea Br
Battersea Rb
Wandsworth Br
Fulham Rb
Putney Br
Hammersmith Br
Barnes Rb
Chiswick Br
Kew Rb
Kew Br
RICHMOND
Twickenham Br
Richmond Rb
Richmond Br
TEDDINGTON
Kingston Rb
Kingston Br
Ditton Slip
Hampton Br
MOLESEY
SUNBURY
Walton Br
Desborough Cut
SHEPPERTON
Chertsey Br
CHERTSEY
M3 Br
Laleham Slip
PENTON HOOK
Staines Rb
Staines Br
Runnymede Br
BELL WEIR
Magna Carta Is
OLD WINDSOR
Albert Br
Datchet
Victoria Br
Black Potts Rb
ROMNEY
Eton
Windsor Br
Windsor Rb
Windsor Slip
Elizabeth Br
BOVENEY
Dorney Lake
York Cut
Summerleaze Fb
MonkeyIsland
New Thames Br
BRAY
Bray Slip
Maidenhead Rb
Maidenhead Br
Below Boulters
BOULTERS
Cliveden
Hedsor
COOKHAM
Cookham Slip
Cookham Br
BourneEnd RFb
Quarry Woods
A404 Br
MARLOW
Marlow Br
Bisham
TEMPLE
HURLEY
Medmenham
Culham Ct
Aston Slip
HAMBLEDEN
Temple Is
Fawley Ct
Remenham
Regatta
Phyllis Ct
Henley Slip
Leander
Red Lion
Henley Br
Angel on Br
Landing
Hobbs Boatyard
Hobbs Slipway
MARSH
Hennerton
Bolney
Wargrave
Shiplake Rb
R.Loddon
SHIPLAKE
Sonning Br
SONNING
Dreadnought
K&A Canal
CAVERSHAM
Reading Br
Caversham Br
Reading Slip
Purley
MAPLEDURHAM
Hardwick Ho
Whitchurch Br
WHITCHURCH
Hartswood Reach
Gatehampton Rb
Goring Gap
Goring Br
GORING
Swan
CLEEVE
Moulsford
Moulsford Rb
Papist Way Slip
Winterbrook Br
Wallingford Br
BENSON
Shillingford Br
R.Thame
DAYS
Burcot
Clifton Hampden
Clifton Church
Clifton H Br
Barley Mow
Long Wittenham
CLIFTON
Appleford Rb
Sutton Courtenay
Sutton Br
CULHAM
Culham Cut Fb
Abingdon Slip
Abingdon
Abingdon Br
ABINGDON
Nuneham Rb
Nuneham
Nuneham Park
Radley Boats
SANDFORD
Rose Island
Kennington Rb
Isis Br
Iffley Mill
IFFLEY
Oxford Rowing
Isis
Donnington Br
Riverside Slip
Boathouses
Punting
Lower Cherwell
Upper Cherwell
Islip
Head of River
Salters Steamers
Folly Br
Bacons Folly
Oxford Fb
Osney Fb
Weir stream
Osney Rb
Bullstake Stream
Osney Marina
OSNEY
Osney Br
Four Rivers
OLD RIVER
CANAL
Medley Weir Site
Medley Fb
Bossoms
Perch
Trout
GODSTOW
Godstow Nunnery
Godstow Br
Thames Br
KINGS
River Evenlode
EYNSHAM
Swinford Br
Oxford Cruisers
PINKHILL
Farmoor
Stanton Harcourt
Bablock Slip
Arks Weir Site
NORTHMOOR
Harts Fb
//Rose Revived
Newbridge
//Maybush
River Windrush
below Shifford
SHIFFORD
Shifford Fb
Tenfoot Fb
Trout Inn
Tadpole Br
RUSHEY
Old Mans Fb
RADCOT
Radcot Cradle Fb
Swan Inn
Radcot New Br
Radcot Old Br
GRAFTON
Eaton Hastings
Kelmscott
Eaton Fb
BUSCOT
Bloomers Hole Fb
Trout Inn
St Johns Br
ST JOHNS
Halfpenny Br
Marina Slip
LIMIT
Inglesham
Hannington Br
Kempsford
Castle Eaton Br
Marston Meysey
A419 Br
Cricklade
SOURCE?
THAMES HEAD
SEVEN SPRINGS