Swan Upping

Wednesday 21st July 2021

Start: 11:30 am | Finish: 3.30 pm

This event has passed

The River Thames played a significant part of the Master’s childhood, whether walking alongside it, feeding the varied birdlife or enjoying sailing, canoeing and rowing. What better way to enjoy the Thames than to attend the annual Swan Upping event from the decks of The Waterman, based in Henley-on-Thames, one of the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel on the Upper Thames.

The mute swan appears to have been given Royal status in the 12th century and by 1378 there was a ‘Keeper of the King’s Swans".

The swans in the River Thames all belong either to the Sovereign or to the Worshipful Companies of Vintners or Dyers, who were granted the privilege of ownership by the Crown in the Fifteenth Century. Every year the beaks of cygnets used to be marked to show who they belonged to – if a bird had two nicks it belonged to the Vintners, if one to the Dyers and if none at all to the Queen.

We will enjoy a buffet lunch with wine while we follow the flotilla of rowing skiffs as they mark the new cygnets.

This event will go to ballot

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