Where: Along the River Thames between Sunbury and Abingdon.
£: Free to watch
What is it?
The ceremony of Swan Upping takes place during the third week of July every year. Swan Upping dates from the twelfth century, when The Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans which were considered an important food source for banquets and feasts.
Today The Crown retains the right of ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen mainly exercises this right on certain stretches of the River Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This ownership is shared with the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Livery Companies who were granted rights of ownership by The Crown in the fifteenth century. The swans are counted but are no longer eaten.
The Queen’s Swan Marker and the accompanying Swan Uppers of the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Livery Companies use six traditional Thames rowing skiffs in their five-day journey upstream to Abingdon. By tradition scarlet uniforms are worn by The Queen’s Swan Marker and Swan Uppers, and each boat flies the appropriate flag and pennant.
It has always been the duty of the Sovereign’s Swan Marker to count the number of young cygnets each year and ensure that the swan population is maintained. The cygnets are weighed and measured to obtain estimates of growth rates and the birds are examined for any sign of injury, commonly caused by fishing hooks and lines.
This year’s Swan Upping will start on Monday 15th July departing from Sunbury, and end at Abingdon, Oxfordshire on Friday 19th July. The observation points and approximate times are as follows:
Monday 15th July 2013
Sunbury 9am (departure point)
Shepperton Lock 10.45am
Penton Hook Lock 12.30am
Romney Lock 5.30pm
Tuesday 16th July 2013
Eton Bridge 9am (departure point)
Boveney Lock 10.15am
Boulters Lock 1pm
Cookham Bridge 2pm
Marlow Lock 5.30pm
Wednesday 17th July 2013
Marlow Bridge 9am (departure point)
Hurley Lock 10.30am
Hambleden Lock 12pm
Henley Town 1.30pm
Marsh Lock 4pm
Shiplake Lock 5pm
Sonning Bridge 6pm
Thursday 18th July 2013
Sonning-on-Thames 9am (departure point)
Caversham Lock 10.30am
Mapledurham Lock 12.30pm
Goring Lock 5pm
Moulsford 6pm
Friday 19th July 2013
Moulsford 9am (departure point)
Benson Lock 10.15am
Clifton Hampden Bridge 1pm
Culham Lock 4.15pm
Abingdon Bridge 5.30pm
More info: www.royal.gov.uk/royaleventsandceremonies/swanupping