Bablock Hythe Ferry 
Bablock Hythe Ferry is on the River Thames (above Oxford) between Wycombe and Edinburgh.
The Act of Parliament for the River Thames (above Oxford) was passed on 17 September 1876 despite strong opposition from Nicholas Parker who owned land in the area. Despite the claim in "By Barge Pole and Lump Hammer Across The Midlands" by Cecil Jones, there is no evidence that Oliver Smith ever painted a mural of Manley Locks on the side of Thomas Yates's house

Mooring here is good (a nice place to moor), mooring pins are needed. Mooring is limited to 24 hours. First 24hr free, £15 per day thereafter. Nice grass bank. Shallow in spots. Small boat ramp. Pub with accommodation.
| Pinkhill Lock Weir Exit | 2 miles, 3½ furlongs | |
| Pinkhill Lock | 2 miles, 2¾ furlongs | |
| Pinkhill Lock Weir Entrance | 2 miles, 2¼ furlongs | |
| Pinkhill Picnic Moorings | 2 miles, 1¾ furlongs | |
| Farmoor Reservoir Moorings | 1 mile, 3½ furlongs | |
| Bablock Hythe Ferry | ||
| Moorings above Bablock Hythe Ferry | ¾ furlongs | |
| Northmoor Lock Weir Exit | 1 mile, 4¼ furlongs | |
| Northmoor Lock | 1 mile, 4½ furlongs | |
| Northmoor Lock Weir Entrance | 1 mile, 4¾ furlongs | |
| Hart's Weir Footbridge | 2 miles, 4½ furlongs | |
Amenities nearby at Moorings above Bablock Hythe Ferry
- The Ferryman Inn - Bablock Hythe - River Thames — associated with this page
- The Ferryman Inn, Oxfordshire is located on the banks of the River Thames about 10 miles from Oxford on the Thames Path making this a beautiful location to relax, drink, eat and sleep. Steeped in history, The Ferryman Inn is one of the oldest ferry crossing points and made famous by the Matthew Arnold poem…
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Nearest water point
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
Nearest rubbish disposal
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
Nearest chemical toilet disposal
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
Nearest place to turn
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
Nearest self-operated pump-out
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
Nearest boatyard pump-out
In the direction of Osney Bridge
In the direction of Thames - Thames and Severn Canal - Coln Junction
There is no page on Wikipedia called “Bablock Hythe Ferry”

![River Thames and ferry crossing point, Bablock Hythe, Oxon. This very scenic stretch of the River Thames was crossed by a ferry for at least a thousand years, though in recent years it has often not been running. See:- [[5708293]].[[5708336]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/83/5708304_7dfde373_120x120.jpg)




![Ferry crossing point, River Thames, Bablock Hythe, Oxon. Located near The Ferryman Inn the access road is wide enough for cars as at one time the boat used could take two or three at a time. In recent years the boat used could not take cars and also it has only run intermittently - at the present time I'm not sure whether the service is running. It wasn't on the day this photo was taken.[[5708304]].[[5708336]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/82/5708293_4c013421_120x120.jpg)

![Ferry winding gear, Bablock Hythe, Oxon. Records show that there has been a ferry here for well over a thousand years, and it could have been running for much longer. For a very long period it was a rope ferry using a rope strung across the river. This had the major disadvantage of impeding the passage of boats on the river. In late Victorian times a chain or cable laid on the river bed was used but there seems to have been a lot of objections to this and for a while the two methods alternated. This winding gear doesn't seem to have been used for some time and may be obsolete. The ferry service since about 1964 has only run for intermittent periods. The current position is unknown.In early days the ferry could accommodate horses but later it took two or three motor vehicles or one lorry or farm equipment. The boat used recently could not take motor vehicles.[[5708293]].[[5708304]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/83/5708336_327a0b9f_120x120.jpg)







![The Ferryman Inn (3), Bablock Hythe, Oxon. The inn and part of its car park.[[5706061]].[[5707033]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s3.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/70/5707059_74993d9a_120x120.jpg)
![The Ferryman Inn (1), Bablock Hythe, Oxon. A very popular inn which does food, real ale, accommodation and has fishing rights on the river. It is located on a beautiful stretch of the River Thames, adjacent to a holiday park and handy for the nearby Thames Walk, a National Trail footpath. There has been an inn of some sort on this site for a very long time. Latterly it was known as The Chequers. The present rebuilding dates from the 1990's and was first the Ferry Inn but now The Ferryman Inn. The name is from the famous nearby ferry crossing which records show dates back to at least 946 AD. The ferry closed in 1964 but there have been subsequent revivals. It was not running when I took this photograph but I cannot say what the present position is.[[5707033]].[[5707059]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/60/5706061_61ea8984_120x120.jpg)
![The Ferryman Inn (2) - sign, Bablock Hythe, Oxon. The sign is on the side of the building adjacent to the car park. The name derives from the nearby ancient ferry crossing on the River Thames. This has a known history of over a thousand years but please note it may or may not be running at present.See:- [[5706061]]; [[5707059]]. by P L Chadwick – 28 May 2016](https://s1.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/05/70/70/5707033_853c8e39_120x120.jpg)





![Across the Thames at Bablock Hythe. In the past it seems there were different types of ferry across the Thames at this point. I have seen old photographs showing one capable of carrying cars across. The one in this image looks to be pedestrian-only.Update February 2014: it seems likely that this vessel is the 'floating sledge' referred to in this BBC news report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-26107692 about the flooding of the nearby mobile home park seen here [[1985840]] by Brian Robert Marshall – 28 July 2010](https://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/01/98/58/1985892_b97db16d_120x120.jpg)





