Bourne End Week 2026: river restriction notice
Published 13 May 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bourne-end-week-2026-river-restriction-notice/bourne-end-week-2026-river-restriction-notice
When
Friday 22 to Monday 25 May 2026.
Where
Cookham reach, Spade Oak, between Bourne End and Gibraltar Island.
Details
The event shall be confined to the area between Bourne End and Gibraltar Island.
All instructions given by Environment Agency Officers must be observed.
Masters of all boats should maintain a safe speed and lookout between Bourne End and Gibraltar Island.
Those in charge of boats should be aware that they are responsible for avoiding collision. You should use all available means appropriate to the circumstances and conditions to decide if there is a risk of immediate danger and avoid it.
Marshalls are to be afloat near the start and finish to ensure that no obstruction is caused by competitors to other river users.
Single yellow marker buoys may be placed in the following locations, allowing for adjustments due to wind strength and direction. They shall be placed in such a position so as not to cause any hazard to other river traffic.
- club / start point
- half mile point
- three-quarter mile point
- one mile point
All buoys, signs and markers must only be placed in the river during the hours of daylight and must be removed from the river immediately following the event.
All directions as to river left and river right are given looking upstream.
Byelaws
Nothing contained in these directions shall supersede those parts of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 and the UK Merchant Shipping (Distress Signals and Prevention of Collisions) Regulations 1996 as may be relevant. Particular attention should be paid to byelaws 24-42 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993, Steering Sailing and Speed.
And Notice is hereby given, that it is provided by Byelaw 52 of the Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993 that:
The master of any vessel shall except in an emergency not pass any boat-race regatta public procession or gathering for the launch of a vessel or any other event or function which may cause a crowd to assemble on or by the river nor station his vessel thereon in such a manner as would risk obstructing impeding or interfering with such boat-race regatta procession launching event or function or endangering the safety of persons assembling on the river or preventing or interfering with the maintenance of order thereon.
The maximum penalty for breach of the Byelaws is £1,000.
Read our Thames Navigation Licensing and General Byelaws 1993.