2024 Swan Upping
Swan Upping is one of the English traditions that sparks bemused looks on people’s faces, this is one ancient tradition that is maintained and which has a modern day purpose. Once a year a small flotilla of boats works their way up the River Thames over five days from Sunbury to Abingdon crewed by people from the City of London.
One of the boats carries the King’s Swan Marker. Historically they determined ownership of the swans but today Swan Upping is primarily about measuring the health of the swan population.
HM Swan Marker
David Barber has been HM Swan Marker for many years. Swans on the river are owned by the crown with the exception of those bred by swans owned by Dyers and Vintners companies.
Ownership of cygnets born to swans owned by either of the two companies would then be assigned to the same company. In times past, ownership was marked by making a small nick on the bill (beak) of the swan. One nick would be made for a Dyer’s swan and two nicks for one owned by Vintners.
Rings recorded in the British Trust for Ornithology’s database have now replaced the use of nicking.
Penton Hook Lock
To make the River Thames navigable there are locks and weirs controlling the flow and depth of water.
One such is Penton Hook Lock where the flotilla crowded in to be lifted up to the next stage of their five day journey.
Lunch
After a lot of rowing the Swan Uppers were ready for lunch at the beautiful, and appropriately named Swan pub.
The pub has its own moorings, handy when you have a flotilla that needs somewhere to tie up.
Press Interest
There were a number of reporters, photographers and videographers following the progress of the Swan Upping from the press boat.
Being a quirky and little known tradition the press knew there would be a good story and images to be had.
The Boats of the Swan Uppers’
Six rowing skiffs carried the Swan Uppers along the river in search of swans. The Swan Marker is carried in a skiff rowed by members of the Company of Watermen, one of the City of London’s many institutions. Two skiffs carry members of the Worshipful Company of Dyers flying a blue pennant and the final two skiffs with a red pennant carry members of the Worshipful Company of Vintners.
The Swan Upping Flotilla
The Thames Vintage Boat Club escorted and, at times, towed the skiffs as they proceeded up the river searching for swans. The TVBC boats Firefly, Lady Evelyn II, Nydia and White Wing carried out their duties in wet and dismal weather.
Capturing The Swans
At any point swans are spotted the skiffs slowly approach the swans and cygnets, corralling them into less and less water until they can be safely lifted from the water as a family group. The health of the birds is checked and they are ringed before quickly being returned to the water. The process is over in a few minutes. The family of swans was captured just upstream from Staines Bridge. Currently (2024) swan numbers are considerably down due to Avian Flu.
