Swan Upping

England is full of quaint customs, some funny and others frankly bizarre. This annual census is both quaint and oddly bizarre.

Jul 13, 2023

The resident swans can form lifelong partnerships, nest and rear their young along the same stretch of the River Thames and seem familiar to the team. I wondered though if the birds recognised the boats and resigned themselves to this annual man-handling? When spotted, the cry ‘All up!” is heard as the skiffs move quickly to corral the swans. They are powerful birds that don’t like being separated from their cygnets. It’s can be stressful for onlookers and birds alike. -

Micro Travels with Mary Tebje

The origin of some customs have been lost or re-imagined to suit modern tastes and bank holiday dates. Swan Upping is neither. Firmly routed in the 12th century, this annual swan census is necessary for conservation of mute swans and acts as a gentle reminder of who owns them.

The Swan Marker shows the assembled school children a cygnet

A five-day ritual

The Swan Uppers wear scarlet and blue uniforms aboard their traditional rowing skiffs, flags and pennants aflutter and the King’s Swan Marker leading the procession.

I was on board the press boat so had the best views to watch a part of this five-day ritual. From the rowing club at Marlow, the flotilla headed up river towards Henley-on-Thames. It’s a festive atmosphere, with stops through the locks where more press wait to interview and onlookers to wave and enjoy the spectacle in the sunshine. Panama hats and picnics the order of the day!

We are not here for lunch, we are here to watch an ancient ritual as cygnets are ringed with individual identification that denote ownership, determined by their parentage.

The name 'mute’ is because it is a quieter swan with brilliant white plumage and an orange beak bordered with black and pronounced beak knob.

This historic ceremony dates from the twelfth century, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans – especially the cygnets, a prized dish at banquets and feasts. As with the deer from the great parks and forests, punishment for poaching Crown property was harsh - hanging in fact! No longer eaten, today the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water. The King only exercises his ownership on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries. This ownership is shared with the Worshipful Company of Vintners, one of the “Great Twelve” livery companies of London, and the Worshipful Company of Dyers, who were granted rights of ownership by the Crown in the fifteenth century.

All up!

The resident swans can form lifelong partnerships, nest and rear their young along the same stretch of the river and seem familiar to the team. I wondered though if the birds recognised the boats and resigned themselves to this annual man-handling?

When spotted, the cry ‘All up!” is heard as the skiffs move quickly to corral the swans. They are powerful birds that don’t like being separated from their cygnets. It’s can be stressful for onlookers and birds alike. With avian flu, some birds are disinfected whilst other adults aren’t in fact caught to stop the spread of this deadly disease.

I shot this video last year when it was all about the Queen’s Swan Uppers. The flags and badges have been changed to reflect the King’s insignia.

I love when ceremonies are re-purposed to chime with contemporary life because they are not only a window into another time, but they offer respite from bland Britain.

What other ceremonies would you rate and recommend?

Links you will need

This year, Swan Upping starts on Monday July 15th from Sunbury lock cut and finish at Abingdon Bridge on Friday 19th July. The official Swan Upping website

Worshipful Company of Vintners offers wedding and lashings of culinary history and the Worshipful Company of Dyers.