A quiet corner of England

I've never come across a river like this Thames. Moor up on every other one I've boated on and you can bet that within minutes some landowner will rush up either telling you to p**s off or demanding to have his palm crossed with notes for a night's stay.
Yes, here on the Upper Thames one can apparently nudge into the bank almost anywhere, bang in a couple of pins and break out the deck chairs and the beer. FoC. It's remarkable really and quite delightful. We're presently nestled into the edge of a cow meadow and here and there other boats are snuggled in for the night as well.
(It's certainly not like that on the Lower Thames where you get pounced on before you've even got your boat stopped in some spots.)
It's proving to be a delightful river and not just because it's so easy and cheap to moor (though cheap always appeals to us boaters). It winds and twists its way through almost empty countryside; here and there a house or a bankside chalet or an occasional bridge but that's about it.
You have to keep reminding yourself that this docile little country waterway is England's glorious royal river that sixty odd miles east will flow broad and fast through the centre of London, lending its notable presence to so many famous riverside landmarks - Traitor's Gate in the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Houses of Parliament and more and more.