Maps
Oxford Boat Clubs,
Oxford Rowing.
The Oxford Rowing Reach, Reproduced by kind permission.
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River Cherwell
Left bank, the main, second, mouth of the Cherwell (pronounced
Char-well).
Click here for River Cherwell.
1884: This new cut was dug through fields to relieve flooding
in Christchurch Meadow.
Construction of the new Cherwell Cut, Henry Taunt
Construction of the new Cherwell Cut, Henry Taunt, 1884
© Oxfordshire County Council Photographic Archive; HT02723
1823: J S Boone -
...
As, first, the rower's inexperienced strength
Plies the small skiff the safer Cherwell's length ;
Soon, proud of skill, assembled crowds he braves,
Where silver Isis boasts her broader waves.
What time his course the summer sun hath stayed,
And softer evening spreads the gathering shade,
While beauty walks the banks, and music round
Sheds o'er the heart the enchanting power of sound,
And gazers, from each hill and college, stand,
Cheer their own boat and anxious urge to land,
When back from Iffley the swift oars are heard,
Dash in the stream, though scarce the stream is stirred-
The steersman shouts, the gallant crew rows on,
And toil is pleasure if the race be won.
As here young Isis rolls, in laughing pride,
Through classic scenes her unpolluted tide,
With more of beauty than of grandeur flows,
Sounds but of joy disturb the calm repose,
Soon ships and commerce crowd the mightier streams
And deck the bosom of majestic Thames.
University Boathouses
Above the Gut on the left bank the main section of University boathouses.
If you have a propeller, keep dead slow if there are any rowing
craft or punts about.
1955: Eights Week. Notice the transitional stage between the old College Barges as
College rowing headquarters, and the new boathouses.
Eights week, 1955
1999: 25th September, the University boathouse on the right bank, destroyed by fire. Photos
River Cherwell
Left bank, the first and oldest mouth.
Click here for River Cherwell.
The old mouth of the River Cherwell.
1784: And here is a view from almost the same position - showing (I think) the old mouth of the Cherwell, Christchurch College and Folly Bridge - (here called South Bridge). Drawing by Samuel Ireland -
[The old mouth of the Cherwell and ] Christchurch College & South Bridge, 1784, Samuel Ireland
THE noble College of Christ Church, and its contiguous buildings, form a beautiful combination of objects from the neighbouring meadows on the margin of the river. At the extremity of these meadows the river Cherwell unites itself with the Thames, which gently winds its current through a delightful range of verdant scenery ...
Christchurch Meadow
The historic meadow hardly impinges on the river and certainly makes no fuss of it.
Indeed this is the truth about Oxford - it ignores its best asset!
There is no place on the river where you can see more than the odd glimpse of Oxford.
And there is no place in the city where the river is shown off as a feature.
Indeed it is typical of Oxford that it cannot even decide what the river is called!
If you don't know what I'm talking about then see the
Trent in Nottingham.
Look at Trent Bridge and the Council House and all the work that has gone into the river side steps and
walks and lawns - now there is a city which is proud of its river
(and with far less cause!)
The College Barges have gone. (See the Swan at Streatley)
1890: College Barges, Francis Frith -
1890: College Barges, Francis Frith
1893: From "The Oxford Magazine" -
BEFORE THE EIGHTS
MID-May ! and the Eights are upon us, and looming already in sight
The vision of Schools that we look to with terror, yet half with delight,
To think that at last they'll be done with, and clad in a decent degree,
We shall laugh at our Tutors and leave them to "viva" themselves, and be free.
Yet 'tis pleasant to linger a moment, while May wears the glory of June,
And the fragrance of midsummer floats from the meadows, where sudden and soon
The flowers of several seasons have blossomed together in one,
Ragged robin and clover, and comfrey and sorrel ablaze in the sun.
What a Term ! was the cricket-field ever baked brown at so early a date ?
Or the river so shallow that scarce there is water to carry an Eight ?
Yet for sake of our sisters and cousins, some water no doubt will be found
To float us a week for the racing and save us from going aground.
For though Tutors be born with discussions to fix the foundation of Ford,
Though the Council is still in existence, and Delegates meet to be bored,
Though Professors, turned architects, lecture so learned on "gablet" and "squinch"
And explain how St. Mary's was built at the first to the tenth of an inch
Still the pleasant May world will go gaily unheeding, and bonnet and frock
Invade the Broad Walk and the Barges, and from Folly Bridge down to the Lock
The stream will be crowded with faces as eager as ever to see
If Magdalen keeps head of the river, or which will be first of the three
That have struggled these years; and the shout will re-echo from lungs that are strong
On the meadow, the bank and the Barges, and they will be flashing along,
Those sixty-foot racers that throb to the stroke as the lilt of a song.
So the race goes its way, and St. Mary's looks wistfully down at the stream
She has loved through the ages, to wonder if scaffolds and poles are a dream,
And Professors and pedants but shadows that pass as a vapour and die,
To leave her unharmed and triumphant the glorious Queen of the High.
Punting, Lower Cherwell, Upper Cherwell, Islip.
(Upstream to the Head of the River)
Introduction
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