Rather English - Book a sail on a Thames Barge

Topsail Charters was established in the late 1980s by Stephanie Valentine and Paul Jeffries, with a plan to preserve Thames barges by giving them something to do, and by 2006 around 11,000 people a year were taking up their invitiation to enjoy a trip on their boats.

The company operates five barges, including grain barge Kitty, built by Cann of Harwich in 1895, Cabby, the the last wooden sailing barge ever to be built in 1928 and Hydrogen the largest surviving wooden barge. Their extensive 2013 programme of day trips has already been released, offering some interesting trips in East Anglia and the Thames Estuary as far up as Tower Bridge, with birdwatching trips, sightseeing and lunches amongst others.

For more, see http://www.top-sail.co.uk/

<sub>^Picture © Dave Hamster used under a Creative Commons license^

From November 2012 until January 2013, Tired of London, Tired of Life will briefly be posting as RatherEnglish.com and featuring interesting things to do in England</sub>