150. Boulters Lock

During Victorian times, Boulter's Lock won fame - and notoriety - across the country as thousands of people flocked to the river here to mess about and watch the wealthier classes indulge themselves.

This was especially so on warm summer weekends, and particularly on the Sunday of Ascot Week, when there were pageants, carnivals and regattas. Holidays were spent on houseboats and the favourite pastime of the wealthy was to enjoy a leisurely punt along the meandering and slow-moving river.

Boulter's Lock was formerly called Ray Mill Lock, after the adjacent mill owned by the Ray family who produced flour. The first-ever lock keeper was the miller's son, John. The mills became Boulter's Inn in 1950. The word 'bolter' is old English word for miller, hence the name Boulter's lock.

The Cabin Boy and First Mate went into Maidenhead for a sniff about when we moored close to Boulter’s Lock and the Captain, having changed into some clean, dry gear went for a drink in the pub that they had just passed. The pub is no longer a pub but is now called Boulter’s Restaurant  and Bar and so the Captain went onto the outside terrace for a drink. As soon as he sat down a waitress called Abi asked him”   Would  you like a cocktail  sir “to which he replied” No thanks I’d like a beer please but I bet you know a tale about a  cock or two”. Abi just smiled and said to her colleague “He thinks he’s funny, he’s about as funny as a fart in a space suit” ’After having downed a pint of very expensive pint of lager, the Captain left this pretentious place and wandered off back to the  boat. When passing the lock, he had a quick chat with the lock keeper .Ralph told the Captain that he had worked on the river for almost thirty years and  the  lock is very spectator-friendly, because people can drive there and park for free and once here there’s plenty of seating to be had. The Captain said to Ralph “You should open up a bit of a tea garden a bit like the ones at  Sonning and Mapledurham locks “. Ralph replied, “I’ve thought about it a bit, but I enjoy my free time too much, and I already live over there in the lock house and besides that, I’m already married and am not going to get a divorce so that I can be married to the job.”And the Captain just laughed and said “Ever thought about becoming a bigamist?