Misty morning and sunny days

We woke up to a misty morning on Thursday (13th) but it soon burned away and the day was quite warm and sunny.  
We didn't do much except collect post from the post office and wander around town.

We'd pulled the pins by 8:30 on Friday morning ...

and cruised downstream towards Marlow Lock ...

passing the riverside properties ...

and approaching Marlow's lovely bridge

and weir.

George brought Still Rockin' gently to this landing so that I could step off as the lock is still on self service, and then carefully reverses to the landing to wait for the lock to be ready

As I crossed the top gates there was a chap on the other side and as the lock was empty I asked him if he was bringing a boat up.  'No' he said 'I've just taken mine down, saw you approaching and thought I'd start to refill the lock for you'.  How very kind of him.

When we were coming this way about this time last year this tree was heavy with apples but today there was none ... not even one right at the top that hadn't been picked ... in fact no sign at all that there had been any at all this year.

The lock takes 9-minutes to fill when on self service so George chats to the couple on Anglo Welsh hire boat Teddington.  They were Australians and had picked up the boat near Stratford, they had come a long way and were now about to turn around and retrace their steps!

Old mill buildings have been remodelled into apartments and this one caught my eye with its hanging chair on the veranda ... I could see myself sitting there in the sunshine.

George eventually brings Still Rockin' into the lock ...

and we're soon through.  The water from the overflow under the apartment buildings is quite fierce and the rising platform that I'm walking down is very steep today.

Last photo of the spire of Marlow Church as I look back after leaving the lock.

We have watched this strange (my opinion) house being renovated over the past 4 years.  It's obviously a 'folly' but I really can't understand why anyone would build such a place with towers and castellated walls at one end and a glass conservatory at the other ... not my cup of tea at all!

I'd rather have this next door even though it's three properties it's much more pleasing to my eye ...

and next door to that a new boat-house is being built on the river's edge of this steep garden

Woottens boat yard has been on trading on this site since 1905 through 5 generations of the same family and specialise in the restoration of traditional and vintage wooden boats.

This looks like a Thames camping boat (skiff) and we watched the chap onboard roll up the canvas cover as he drifted out in front of us.   

We said good morning to them both and I thought the lady was looking enviously at us drinking a nice cup of tea ... there's not many facilities on a camping boat!

Lots of mooring space at Bourne End ... but we're not stopping today

Have I ever mentioned that I would just love to live in this house?  No, surely not!

The meadows here belong to the National Trust 

Passing Bourne End Marina

The doors of The Bounty pub are already open ... it's only 9:30!

Lovely!

That was lucky ... a boat pulling out of Cookham visitor mooring ... it's a pity we're not stopping here either!

Under Cookham Bridge and a sharp left into the lock cut where it is very narrow and overgrown.

Beautiful tiles on the entry porch of this ...

National Trust property Spring Cottage available for hire on Cliveden Reach ... more on this in my next blog post.

First sightings of Cliveden House looking back as we continue downstream

The mooring on the left was the first mooring we ever pulled in to at Cliveden and we were enthralled with the whole place ... and still are!

The view is getting clearer now

as George pulls across the river at our most favourest spot for ...

the best views ever!