Maps
Through the window of the Swan at Streatley -
From the Swan at Streatley
Notice the Magdalen College Oxford Barge now used by the Swan at Streatley
as a, rather different, conference centre.
The Oxford College Barges were the original rowing clubs of the colleges:
changing room; no doubt a bar; and grandstand - all rolled into one.
They were superceded by the properly built boathouses need to house the more fragile boats
which soon developed when rowing became fashionable in the nineteenth century.
1674: -
SAD AND DEPLORABLE NEWS FROM OXFORDSHEIR & BARKSHEIR
Sixty persons were drowned by accident in the
lock through the watermen’s imprudently rowing too neer the shore of the Lock,
they were by force of the water drawn down the Lock where they were all turned
into the pool.
Readers, this story is both strange and true,
and for your good presented unto you:
be careful of your life, all sins to fly,
lest you by death be taken suddenly.
When he is sent, on you arrest to make,
no fees nor bail, can purchase your escape
Goring Weir, 2005
Fred Thacker says about this - "An account of an old time local tragedy".
[ Lock of course means weir. But sixty passengers (and more – some survived)
in a ferry boat? It gives a very different picture of ferries to what I had imagined!
I have thought about this and the only scenario that makes sense to me is this -
That the ferry was a large flat puntlike vessel which usually took heavy wagons across.
However on this occasion (after the festivities in Goring on its Saint's Day)
there were large crowds of Streatley people wanting to return home.
No less than 72 of them crowded onto the ferry.
But the ferrymen, used to large wagons, did not take seriously the weight of 72 people
and took what was perhaps a usual path across the weir when the ferry was empty.
The current must have been higher than usual and
the weight gave the current a greater grip on the ferry and over they went.
In those days few country people could swim.]
1873: Advertisement -
1873 Advertisement
1882: England, Picturesque and Descriptive, Joel Cook -
Each village has the virtue that Dr. Johnson extolled when he said that "the finest landscape in the world is improved by a good inn in the foreground."
The Swan at Streatley, right bank above lock -
The Swan at Streatley from Streatley Bridge
"Sure never was a hostelry located half so sweetly ..."
At the Swan
Goring boat club keep their punts (for
members use). Their other boats are at
The Oratory Boathouse below Goring Lock.
1886: A Streatley Sonata, J Ashby-Sterry
Listen to ' A Streatley Sonata' -
YES ! Here I am ! I’ve drifted down –
The sun is hot, my face is brown –
Before the wind from Moulsford town,
So pleasantly and fleetly !
I know not what the time may be –
It must be half-past two or three –
And so I think I’ll land and see,
Beside the “Swan” at Streatley !
And when you’re here, I’m told that you
Should mount the hill and see the view;
And gaze and wonder, if you’d do
Its merits most completely:
The air is clear, the day is fine,
The prospect is, I know, divine –
But most distinctly I decline
To climb the hill at Streatley !
My Doctor, surely he knows best,
Avers that I’m in need of rest;
And so I heed his wise behest
And tarry here discreetly:
‘Tis sweet to muse in leafy June,
‘Tis doubly sweet this afternoon,
So I’ll remain to muse and moon
Before the “Swan” at Streatley !
But from the Hill, I understand
You gaze across rich pasture-land;
And fancy you see Oxford and
P’r’aps Wallingford and Wheatley:
Upon the winding Thames you gaze,
And, though the view’s beyond all praise,
I’d rather much sit here and laze
Than scale the Hill at Streatley !
I sit and lounge here on the grass,
And watch the river traffic pass;
Note a dimpled, fair young lass,
Who feathers low and neatly:
Her hands are brown, her eyes are grey,
And trim her nautical array –
Alas ! she swiftly sculls away,
And leaves the “Swan” at Streatley !
She’s gone ! Yes, now she’s out of sight !
She’s gone ! But still the sun is bright,
The sky is blue, the breezes light
With thyme are scented sweetly:
She may return ! So here I’ll stay,
And, just to pass the time away,
I smoke and weave a lazy lay
About the “Swan” at Streatley.
1901: Isn't it a good job that poets never copy one another's work?
I guess the management wanted to use Ashby-Sterry's poem -
but were perhaps refused permission and then
obtained this - which is undeniably not the same - but only just!
Havelock Ellis, August 1901
Listen to 'A HAVEN OF REST' -
A HAVEN OF REST
What you require is perfect rest,
Desist from work completely,
And of all the spots for you the best
Will be "The Swan at Streatley".
Thus spake my doctor; I obeyed
As patients should discreetly,
And so it came about I stayed
Within The Swan at Streatley.
Sure never was a hostelry
Located half so sweetly,
The silver stream glides peacefully
Before The Swan at Streatley.
The solemn elms, the willows grey,
Bend o'er the brink, and meekly
Amid the rushes wild fowl play
Hard by The Swan at Streatley.
In this sweet nook I found relief
And time passed all so fleetly,
The golden hours seemed far too brief
Spent at The Swan at Streatley.
And now refreshed in frame and brain,
Which had collapsed effetely,
My hope in parting is again
To see The Swan at Streatley.
And this to all is my advice
Put plainly and concretely,
"If you're in search of all that's nice,
Go to The Swan at Streatley."
See Goring Lock for comment about punting the Goring to Cleeve reach.
(CLEEVE 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