The Royal Traditions of Swan Upping
We are delighted to be sharing a very special event with you – Swan Upping, the annual census of the population of swans in the United Kingdom. The origin of Swan Upping was a primarily ceremonial event from the 12th century, but its purpose has now changed from ceremonial to an important element of wildlife conservation.
A ceremonial element is beautifully retained – a flotilla of traditional Thames rowing skiffs, manned by Swan Uppers in scarlet rowing shirts and headed by The Queen’s Swan Marker, wearing a hat with a white swan’s feather, row their way steadily up the Thames. ‘All up!’ they cry as a family of swans and cygnets is spotted, and the Swan Uppers carefully position their boats around the swans, lift them from the water and check their health.
What happens during Swan Upping?
The Swan Marker’s iconic five-day journey upriver has been an annual ceremony for hundreds of years, and today it has two clear goals; conservation and education.
Swan Upping takes place in July each year and the designated stretch of the river Thames is analysed over a 5-day period during which the swans are counted and checked for good health. The Swan Uppers weigh and measure the cygnets and check them for any signs of injury, which may have been caused by unnatural items such as fishing hooks and line.
Swan Upping plays an important role in the conservation of the mute swan and involves The King’s Swan Warden collecting data, assessing the health of young cygnets and examining them for any injuries.
Cygnets are extremely vulnerable at this early stage in their development and Swan Upping affords an opportunity to help both adults and cygnets that might otherwise go untreated which is why the the young cygnets are ringed with individual identification numbers that denote their ownership if they belong to the Vintners or the Dyers livery companies; they cygnets’ ownership is determined by their parentage. However, all Crown birds are left unmarked.
From as far back as the 12th century, The King (or Queen) retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan that swim in open waters, but this right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames. Historically, valuable rights of ownership were subsequently granted by the monarch to many people and organisations as swans were a prized food, served at banquets and feasts. Today, of course, we no longer eat swans, they are a protected species and a much-loved feature of our rivers.
There will be many schools visiting Swan Upping once again this year as they continue to encourage the education of children about swan welfare, the river, the traditional boats they use and the impact of human activity on our wildlife.
The Humphreys team walk by the river most days here in Henley-on-Thames, and we all love watching the graceful elegance of these magnificent creatures as they glide down the river and fly above us. There is genuine excitement from people of all ages when the cygnets hatch and the small grey fluffy babies join their parents on the river in the spring months.
Since Swan Upping began, there have been very few cancellations. In 2012, the exceptional high river flows for summer prompted a partial cancellation: between Sunbury-on-Thames and Windsor the first definitively known cancellation (albeit partial) in its 900-year history. Apart from 2012, the only and first known full cancellation of Swan Upping took place in 2020 due to COVID-19 social distancing measures.
If you would like to find out more information about this wonderfully British tradition, watch our Humphreys TV on Swan Upping