Swim 53 Track: Desborough Island to Sunbury Lock

Swim 53: Desborough Island to Sunbury Lock

We met in the car park (Free parking) at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex Walton on Thames KT12 2JG:

http://goo.gl/maps/5qLl2

Got changed and shuttled up to the start at Shepperton, trying not to disrupt any weddings upon arrival:

http://goo.gl/maps/nkvoF

Swam round the rest of Desborough Island, turned left and joined the main channel, and exited at Sunbury Lock, on the right avoiding the weir that runs parallel to the river:

http://goo.gl/maps/nae2w

(You may have to exit early to avoid the lock cut but can judge that on the day, depending on traffic.)

This is mostly swim #71 from Michael Worthington's 'I ♥ the Thames' and is about 5km or half a Dart. We started part way down the swim but went the 'proper' way around Desborough Island so it was longer than the route in the book. No short cuts for us!

And walked back to the Leisure centre, not far from the weir, at the start of the lock cut.

Swim 53 Map: Desborough Island to Sunbury Lock

Swim 52 Track: Chertsey Meads to Desborough Island

Swim 52 Map: Chertsey Meads to Desborough Island

Swim 52: Chertsey Meads to Desborough Island

We met here:

http://goo.gl/maps/yGoai

This is the free Chertsey Meads car park that we used at the end of swim #51. We then shuttled 2 or 3 cars containing our dry eating togs down to a small free car park at the finish.

http://goo.gl/maps/Xzixo

Then we swam the 2.5 km to Shepperton Lock which was a good place to meet bank support for cakes. After the lock the river gave us options but we stuck to our left and took the scenic M shaped route going north of Desborough Island. The finish point is a slipway on the top of the first part of the M about 1km from the lock:

http://goo.gl/maps/uArPu

Swim 51 Track: Staines Penton Hook Lock to Chertsey Meads