Thames Side Promenade slipway (Caversham)

The slipway sits on the Caversham reach of the non-tidal Thames, on the paved Thames Side Promenade that runs along the south (Reading) bank near Caversham Bridge — with Caversham Lock and its main weir downstream to the east, and Mapledurham Lock around four miles upstream to the west. The promenade also carries the Thames Path National Trail, and the opposite bank rises into Caversham Heights, giving views across the water to Caversham Court gardens, St Peter's Church and the riverside houses along the Warren.

This is a working stretch of river rather than a quiet backwater: rowers from Reading Rowing Club, based right at the launch, share the water with scheduled Thames Rivercruise pleasure boats running from Caversham Pier a short way downstream, and Caversham Bridge is a regular gathering point for a resident swan flock that can number up to 400 birds. The launch itself sits on the scouring side of the river, where a step can form at the tail of the slipway as sediment washes away.