Ferries of the Upper Thames (From The Oxford Times)

Ferries of the Upper Thames

8:50am Thursday 26th April 2012 in Books By Maggie Hartford, Business Reporter and Books Editor. Please contact me on 01865 425461

This picture of the old ferry of Bablockythe appears in Ferries of the Upper Thames by Joan Tucker (Amberley, £19.99.

She has drawn from local history journals, websites and books to produce an account of the long- abandoned ferries, which played a vital role before bridges were built. The first volume covered the London reaches, from London to the sea, and this one takes us from the source at Kemble, near Lechlade.

Bablockhythe still lacks a crossing and there have been periodic attempts to install one, most recently by the landlord of the Ferryman Inn, which now stands tantalisingly on the other side of the river from Cumnor.