Swan Upping, Abingdon
Upriver to count them –
their adult drift and cygnet babble,
their mirror solitude and beak
to beak pairing, their wing-wide strength
and silent song. We dress in red,
are deft-fingered and amorous,
circle their feet with rings of silver.
Royal Swan Upping Along The Thames
For more than 900 years, Swan Upping has been an historic census of swans on the River Thames between Sunbury and Abingdon, and now plays an important role in the conservation of mute swans, the largest waterbirds on the river.
Swan Upping is led by the King’s Swan Marker on behalf of the Crown, accompanied by Swan Uppers from the Vintners and Dyers Livery Companies, which also have rights of ownership over some of the swans. It occurs annually in the third week of July, when the Marker of the Swans in his distinctive red uniform, is rowed in a skiff up river, catching and tagging swans with a lightweight ring.
Swan Upping week will commence on Monday 13th July at 9.00am from Sunbury Lock cut and finish on Friday 17th July at approximately 5.00pm at Abingdon Bridge
ABINGDON
Located six miles south-west of Oxford, Abingdon, the former county town of Berkshire had a slight name change in 2012 to become Abingdon-on-Thames. Best known for MG Car manufacturing, Abingdon is recognised for special architectural merit with some thirty-four 17th century buildings while twenty-two are even older.
Take a look at the Thames Path Blog - Swan Upping On The River Thames
If you enjoyed this poem, take a look at the other Thames Path 30th Anniversary poems.