CWW has become the first walking group to sail round a Thames Path closure on a boat named after Roxy Music star Bryan Ferry.
When the wooden footbridge over the Thames at Hurley was closed in May 2023 after falling into disrepair, walkers were forced on a road diversion through Temple and Bisham.
All that changed in late April this year when Marlow councillor Justin Whelan launched ‘Bryan Ferry’. It took him a year to convert a 12-seater boat to solar power, and getting permission to start the ferry service was anything but plain sailing.
Justin had to obtain a commercial vessels licence, complete an inland waterways helmsman course, apply for a boat safety certificate, replace the cabin windows to meet safety requirements, buy public liability insurance, write risk assessments and pass a first aid test which included a simulated drowning.
For permission to moor on the north bank of the river, he faced the kafkaesque hurdle of applying to the Environment Agency for a landowner’s ‘accommodation licence’, even though the land is owned by the Environment Agency itself.
Justin says navigating his way down a river of red tape made him even more determined to get the project afloat. “Boat operators told me a ferry service wouldn’t be commercially viable and the Environment Agency made it clear there was no immediate plan to replace the bridge. So I felt I had to step in and quite literally bridge the gap for the sake of walkers and the local community.
“Daily passenger numbers have ranged from 5 to 170. You never know what each day will bring. There’s been a steady stream of Thames Path walkers generally going from the source in Gloucestershire towards London. Walkers are lovely people and it’s a pleasure to welcome them on board. Most are grateful to sit down and relax for a few minutes and share their stories while we take them across the river.
“Surprisingly, a few have declined to use the ferry, preferring to follow the longer road diversion because they think it’s the official route. But some sections of that road are quite dangerous and, in fact, one of our first passengers told us he’d been clipped by a car’s wing mirror and was lucky not to have been seriously injured. With a small child, it could have been a different story.”
While individual hikers have been quick to jump on board, walking groups have been slower to embrace the service. In June CWW became the first group to include the ferry ride in a walk when veteran leader Alan Shiell took us on a 5.5-miler from Hurley to Marlow along the Thames towpath, returning to Hurley on the south side of the river via All Saints Church in Bisham, known for its idyllic waterside setting.
Alan said: “Crossing on the ferry was an absolute delight and everyone enjoyed it. Someone even said it was a shame the journey wasn’t longer.”
The walk, which ended with a church tea in Hurley, made a memorable curtain-raiser to Alan’s new series, Church Tea Grand Prix. The aim is to include a church tea on each walk as well as another interesting feature.
A month later we were back… on a walk featuring TWO rides on Bryan Ferry. Liz Hirst led 14 walkers on a midweek stroll from Marlow to Hurley where they crossed the river for a picnic, followed by a return ride on Bryan and a walk back to Marlow on a different route.
Bridge over troubled water
Bryan Ferry’s route under the partly dismantled Temple footbridge gives passengers a surreal view of the two side spans separated by the missing central section. It’s thought this was removed to deter walkers who tried to use the bridge following its official closure in 2023.
The bridge was built in 1989 using community funding. It was made from tropical hardwood with an expected life of 30 years.
The Environment Agency says: “We have received the outline designs of potential bridge replacement options and are now in the process of working with our construction partners to assess the likely costs of each option. We know the bridge is important to both local people and visitors using the Thames Path, and we are treating this as a priority.”
The real Bryan Ferry
Born in County Durham, Bryan Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before becoming Roxy Music’s front man and main songwriter. The band sold 5.9 million albums in the 1970s and 80s. Their hits included Virginia Plain, Pyjamarama, Angel Eyes and Love Is The Drug.
In naming his boat ‘Bryan Ferry’, Justin says he was inspired by the music of his youth. It’s not clear if the Roxy Music star knows about his floating namesake, but one of the first ferry passengers was the band’s former sax player.
Photo credit: Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons
● Bryan Ferry runs from 10am-4pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Fares are £2.50 each way for adults and £1.50 for under-12s. Extra donations are welcome.