Beetle and Wedge
Encyclopedia
The Beetle and Wedge Boathouse is a restaurant set on the site of the original Moulsford ferry service, on the banks of the River Thames
on Ferry Lane in Moulsford
, Oxfordshire
, England. The restaurant has a riverside setting on the very same stretch of river immortalised in The Wind in the Willows
, where Jerome K Jerome chronicled the escapades of his friends' visits in Three Men in a Boat
. The unusual name refers to a maul (or hammer) and wedge used to split wood.
In 2005 the restaurant played host to Griff Rhys Jones
, Dara Ó Briain
and Rory McGrath
, and a dog called Loli, during the filming of Three Men in a Boat – a film broadcast and commissioned by the BBC
as a modern-day reinterpretation of the travelogue by Jerome K Jerome.
The restaurant is also listed amongst Britain's 250 Best Restaurants in the Harper's Bazaar
2009 Going Out Guide.
The building that houses the restaurant was once a working boathouse and was last used in 1967, which is also when the last ferrywoman retired and the service was discontinued. The boathouse retains much of its original fittings and sits on the water's edge with the original slipway still in place. The building actually dates back to before 1860 when it was a trading inn.
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
on Ferry Lane in Moulsford
Moulsford
Moulsford is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire, and from Wallingford Rural District to the district of South Oxfordshire....
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, England. The restaurant has a riverside setting on the very same stretch of river immortalised in The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...
, where Jerome K Jerome chronicled the escapades of his friends' visits in Three Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat
Three Men in a Boat ,The Penguin edition punctuates the title differently: Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog! published in 1889, is a humorous account by Jerome K...
. The unusual name refers to a maul (or hammer) and wedge used to split wood.
In 2005 the restaurant played host to Griff Rhys Jones
Griff Rhys Jones
Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
, Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
and Rory McGrath
Rory McGrath
Patrick Rory McGrath is an English comedian and writer. He is best known for roles in Who Dares Wins, Chelmsford 123, Three Men in a Boat and its successors. He was also a regular panellist on They Think It's All Over....
, and a dog called Loli, during the filming of Three Men in a Boat – a film broadcast and commissioned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a modern-day reinterpretation of the travelogue by Jerome K Jerome.
The restaurant is also listed amongst Britain's 250 Best Restaurants in the Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
2009 Going Out Guide.
The building that houses the restaurant was once a working boathouse and was last used in 1967, which is also when the last ferrywoman retired and the service was discontinued. The boathouse retains much of its original fittings and sits on the water's edge with the original slipway still in place. The building actually dates back to before 1860 when it was a trading inn.