Marc West takes to the river in pursuit of the Queen's waterfowl, as he joins in the historic tradition of swan upping

As the mercury hit the highs and summer finally blooms, what better way to spend a balmy day than cruising the Thames in a beautiful wooden skiff?

However, my trip was far from messing about on the river. The crew I was joining aboard Ariadne had a very important task at hand – upholding the 800-year-old tradition of maintaining Her Majesty’s population of majestic winged subjects.

Historically, the reigning monarch was entitled to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swans swimming in open water and anyone caught stealing birds was severely punished. The young cygnets were highly valued and often served as a delicacy at feasts. Today, the emphasis of this labour intensive operation is firmly on welfare and conservation.

As The Queen’s Swan Marker, David Barber probably has one of the most unusual job titles in the country, but it’s an incredibly important role. Taking place in the third week of July every year, he and his colourfully uniformed Uppers take five days to row the 79 miles from Sunbury to Abingdon, in a scene straight from the pages of Three Men In A Boat …and me.

With a cool breeze drifting off the water, the gentle rustle of the wind in the over-hanging willows and The Queen's royal cypher fluttering proudly behind us, the six purpose-built boats raced off upstream to Henley at a rate of knots – with only the many locks en route and the symbolic cry of “All Up” stalling the flotilla’s impressive progress.

At times, it must feel like a wild goose chase for the oarsmen, but on locating a family of swans there’s a full-on flurry of activity and it’s a miracle nobody falls in. Converging on the brood, these wild animals are lifted safely from the water for examination and marking - leaving downy feathers fluttering everywhere.

Scores of onlookers line the banks of this otherwise calm waterway trying to get a peek of this oh-so British endeavour. It’s a fascinating spectacle for all ages and an ideal opportunity for the crews to educate the public on the importance of a healthy river - a place not only for relaxation and enjoyment, but an important habitat for sustaining our unique (and endangered) wildlife.

As we emerge from the Chiltern landscape of wooded hills and green fields into the historic market town on the edge of our county, I feel informed, educated and highly entertained by my watery adventure – and we all observe the slightly more common tradition of a lunchtime drink at a local watering hole. I’m not sure I'll ever be qualified to wear a white feather in my cap, but what I do know is it was an utter privilege to be a small part of such a perfect day.

royalswan.co.uk