Southern England Marinas and Moorings

What's in this region

This hub indexes marinas and long-term moorings on the waterways of southern England, including the Kennet & Avon Canal, the non-tidal River Thames (Lechlade to Teddington), the southern Oxford Canal, the Bristol area and the Gloucester & Sharpness, the South West rivers and the Wey Navigation. The Norfolk Broads and East Anglian rivers are covered separately under the South East hub for editorial convenience — they are physically east, not south, but share the southern Thames-and-rivers character.

Cruising character (and what it means for moorings)

This region is dominated by river navigation and one major canal (the Kennet & Avon). Mooring options reflect that — Thames marinas are often larger, broader-beam-friendly and price points are higher than the Midlands canal market. The K&A has a steady chain of marinas, but Caen Hill (29 locks) divides the canal practically into upper and lower sections — that affects which marina suits which kind of cruising.

Bristol's Floating Harbour and the tidal access to the Severn estuary make the south-west end of the K&A unusual: serious tidal planning is required for any passage outside the harbour. The Gloucester & Sharpness sits in scope here as a wide ship canal with limited but distinctive moorings.

Marinas in this region

On the Kennet & Avon Canal

• Caen Hill Marina (Devizes — bottom of the famous flight).
• Bath Marina (above the city flight).
• Portavon Marina (Keynsham — between Bath and Bristol).
• Saltford Marina (Avon, between Bath and Bristol).
• Hilperton Marina / The Boatyard, Hilperton.
• Frouds Bridge Marina.
• Foxhangers (Devizes — at the foot of Caen Hill).
• Greenham Lock Marina (Newbury).
• The Dry Dock Company, Newbury.
• Newbury Boat Company.
• Semington Dock.
• Bristol Marina (Floating Harbour).

On the non-tidal Thames

• Lechlade Marina (upper Thames, top of navigation).
• Bray Marina.
• Penton Hook Marina (one of the largest Thames marinas).
• Walton Marina.
• Thames Ditton Marina.
• Windsor Marina.
• Racecourse Marina, Windsor.
• Runnymede Boatyard.
• Thames & Kennet Marina (Reading, Thames/K&A junction).
• Peter Freebody & Co (heritage Thames boats, Hurley).

On the southern Oxford and upper Thames

• Thrupp Marina (south Oxford).
• Cowley Boatyard (south Oxford).
• Eynsham, Pinkhill and other Thames upper-river moorings.

On the Wey Navigation and Basingstoke

• Pyrford Marina.
• W Bates & Son Marina (Wey).
• Walton Marina (above — also Wey access).
• Bates Boatyard & Moorings.

On the Gloucester & Sharpness and Severn-side

• Saul Junction Marina (G&S — also serves Stroudwater Navigation restoration).
• Sharpness Marina.
• Lechlade Marina (above).

Other Thames-area and southern marinas

• Frenches Wharf Marina.
• Cathedral Marina.
• Brentford Dock Marina (Thames / GU junction).
• Limehouse Marina (Thames / Regent's Canal junction — straddles the South East hub).

Suggested cruises from this region

Weekend (2–3 nights)

• Pyrford up the Wey to Guildford and back.
• Lechlade down to Buscot or Tadpole Bridge and back on the Thames.
• Bath out toward Avoncliff and back on the K&A.

Week (7 nights)

• Caen Hill (Foxhangers) down to Bath and back, taking your time at Bradford-on-Avon.
• Lechlade to Oxford on the Thames and back.
• Penton Hook to Lechlade and back — the full upper non-tidal Thames.

Fortnight (14 nights)

• Hilperton end-to-end of the K&A — Bristol (with optional tidal-Avon excursion to the Floating Harbour) and back.
• Thames Ring approximation: Penton Hook up the Thames, into the Oxford Canal at Oxford, down the Grand Union to the Thames, back to base. Hard fortnight — many crews extend.
• Saul Junction down the G&S to Sharpness and onto the Severn (subject to tidal pilotage), then back via the Avon.

Related

• Hire firms — Southern and South East England
• Kennet & Avon Canal guide
• River Thames cruising guide
• Grand Union Canal guide