Swan Upping 2026

Members of The Dyers’ Company and their guests had the privilege of visiting our Swan Uppers yesterday as they rowed part of the annual 70-mile Swan Upping journey along the River Thames.

Held during the third week of July, Swan Upping is the annual census of Mute Swans on the non-tidal Thames between Sunbury and Abingdon. While steeped in centuries of tradition, the event now plays a vital role in monitoring and conserving the swan population.

The Mute Swan has been a Royal bird since around 1189, and for centuries both The Dyers’ Company and @vintnerscompany have shared the historic right to own swans on this stretch of the Thames. Traditionally, Dyers’ swans were marked with a single nick on the beak, Vintners’ with two, while Royal birds were left unmarked. Today, all birds are safely identified with leg rings as part of a conservation programme, no swans are harmed during the process.

Three teams take part in Swan Upping: the King’s team in red, the Vintners’ team in white, and the Dyers’ team in blue. Each is made up of experienced Thames Watermen, many following generations of family tradition.

We are especially proud of our own Dyers’ team, expertly led by our Bargemaster and Beadle, Jerry McCarthy. Our Renter Warden, Simon Cleaver, also joins the team today, carrying out his audit responsibilities with great professionalism. We’re also pleased for Swan Upper, Gary Anness, who hangs up his oars after 30 years of upping swans for The Dyers’ Company!

The official swan count is still to be presented to the Court, but we’re delighted to report that the population appears healthy and thriving.