Dorney Travel Guide

  Sir Steve's crew after the race
by easyoar
 
  • Sir Steve's crew after the race
      Sir Steve's crew after the race
    by easyoar
  • One oar rowing, two oars sculling
      One oar rowing, two oars sculling
    by easyoar
  • A Blade from Switzerland
      A Blade from Switzerland
    by easyoar
  • Long exposure of rowers
      Long exposure of rowers
    by easyoar
  • Trying to climb into the winning boat
      Trying to climb into the winning boat
    by easyoar
 

Explore Dorney

Things to Do  

Cheer on the Swedes!

Cheer on the Swedes!, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  The Swedish Women's Lightweight Double (or to put it another way, the Karlsson twins - Lena and Sara) needs no introduction to most male rowers! Sometimes there is more to life than rowing (or sculling!). The British stereotype of Swedish women is that they are blonde,... 

Gold Medal winners

Gold Medal winners, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  This was the swansong for the British 4 that won at Sydney in the 2000 Olympics. The stroke man (nearest my camera) is Matt Pinsent (won gold medals in 4 consecutive olympics), then it's Tim Foster who retired with back trouble after Sydney. Then it's one of Britain's... 

Watch it all from the finish

Watch it all from the finish, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  I spent my time wandering up and down the course, but if you just felt like sitting down all day, there was a great big screen to watch all the action on. The camera followed the boat and you got a commentary too, so this is the best option for the armchair... 

How a race starts

How a race starts, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  Starting a race is a tense and nervous time, especially when it is very windy or the current is strong. The boat has to be manoeuvered backwards into its starting position (and made to point forwards). If you are late in, tough, you miss the race. This is the traditional way... 

Vote Britain 2012

Vote Britain 2012, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  With the decision for who will host the Olympic games in 2012 imminent, the organisers were selling Britains bid quite hard. Here you can see a archway you were supposed to walk under to count your vote of approval for Britain to get them (I went through several... 

Chinese Pair

Chinese Pair, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  This picture of the Chinese men's pair shows how you should 'lean into your work'. You can see that they are both a mirror image of eachother and both are leaning towards the part of their oar that is in the water. A classic mistake of less experienced rowers is to lean... 

Smile, you're on VT

Smile, you're on VT, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  I took this picture as the British Womens Double were turning, rather kindly they stopped and smiled at me when I waved my camera at them! I Thought I had to put their picture up here after that...If you see me around, don't forget to smile too (especially if you are the... 

Chinese 8

Chinese 8, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  This is the Chinese Ladies 8. The person sat nearest my camera is the cox, who steers the boat and calls stroke rate (i.e. how many strokes a mniute the crew should take), and motivates the crew. The rest of the crew is numbered 1 to 8, but one starts at the other end of the... 

Swap boats!

Swap boats!, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  If you aren't in the winning boat, don't do what James Cracknell can be seen doing here and try and climb into the winning boat when it draws alongside! In actual fact this picture is slightly deceptive. Boats can't get that close together because of the oars and the riggers... 

When World means World!

When World means World!, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  These pictures were taken at the Rowing World Cup held at Dorney lake in May 2005. In this case, World did mean World. Teams from China, Hong Kong, Romania, Hungary (and all over Europe), Egypt, Cuba, Canada and the USA. Contrast this to the "World" Series for baseball that... 

The Blades (Oars)

The Blades (Oars), Dorney

 easyoar Says:  The oars in rowing terminology are frequently referred to as "blades". These are made up of the handles, the shafts and the blades themselves (the bit that goes into the water). There is also the attachment that helps fit the oar to the boat, but I'll ignore that here...When... 

Transportation  

Getting to Dorney

Getting to Dorney, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  Dorney is a little out in the sticks. You can either drive your car in (and pay extortionate car parking charges (around £20 if I remember correctly!), or you can park and ride using this bus to take you in. I think the bus also went from the Train Station in Windsor.It was... 

Moving boats around

Moving boats around, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  If you have ever wondered how your average rowing boat moves about when it is out of the water, this is how it works. You have to remove all of the rigging (the metal work that holds the oars in place - this is a pain in the butt to do). On a larger boat such as an 8, you... 

Warnings and Dangers  

Swans

Swans, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  Swans are a bit of a liability to rowers (and to themselves when they are around boats). Being big heavy birds, they need a long 'run-up' on the water to get airborne, and so don't get out of the way very quickly. Obviously a boat hitting a swan is quite disruptive to a... 

Water is dangerous

Water is dangerous, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  Lakes are not the safest place for young children, and this lake has been built for easy spectating. It is very easy for a kid just to wander on in.If you have children, make sure you keep a good eye on them. Even if they can swim well, boats are heavy and oars can split a... 

Don't pay for the Grandstand

Don't pay for the Grandstand, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  It's not really worth spending the extra money of an grandstand seat. The grandstand is inside the enclosure and costs a fair bit more (£10 if I remember). You can see the grandstand and the enclosure here. Most people who had purchased tickets for the grandstand seemed to... 

Don't eat all the pies

Don't eat all the pies, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  This is Matt Pinsent. In September 2004 (Athens), he was an athlete at the peak of his powers winning gold again in a fourth consecutive Olympic Games. Fast Forward to May 2005, and it looks like he's been eating a few too many pies. It is not a good idea to go from a hard... 

Harsh winds

Harsh winds, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  If you are a rower, the distinct lack of features such as trees has a nastier side effect. Dorney seems to attract wind, and with nothing to block it, (it typically blows hard from the side), it makes it difficult to balance the boat well, and makes it harder to row.This... 

Not the best place to row or watch

Not the best place to row or watch, Dorney

 easyoar Says:  Dorney Lake whilst being an impressive new facility is a very souless place to row. It is totally featureless as you row down the course, the only thing of any note being the boards up every 250 metres telling you how far you have rowed. Personally I far prefer rowing on a... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Dogs not welcome at Dorney!
twistybird7 profile photo
twistybird7 1 reviews

I have walked my dogs in Dorney for the last 20 years and have now been advised that although poo bins have been installed, signs put up and people encouraged to walk at Dorney, dogs are not welcome! As I walk more than one dog I am a public nusciance! I never walk round the Rowing Lake as the scenery is boring and I don't wish to offend rowers, cyclist or skaters so I stick to the ponds on the opposite side of the road. I keep away from other walkers unless I know them and have never so much as had a cross word with anyone there. I think its absolutely ludicrous that time, money and effort has been used to create something for everyone to enjoy if the local people can't walk there as they own dogs!

Written Apr 15, 2008

Phone: 01628 604000

Related to:
 Cycling
 Hiking and Walking
 Travel with Pets

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