Ansty

We had almost 7mm of rain last night according to my rain gauge but it was all fun and sunny before we set off, a few dark clouds and even three spits of rain, but that’s all.
Our first stop was Rugby to visit Tesco. no moorings towpath side but only one boat moored on the park. Tesco was heaving as expected on a Saturday morning. Anyway just over an hour later we were on our way again meeting boats in all the wrong places.

I don’t think I have ever passed this cottage before without a boat moored outside.

There doesn’t look to be any change at the site of the two landslides in the cutting, the fence and gate are still across the towpath with people just walking round the end of them.

We nosed into the cutting at Rose Narrowboats and Diana hopped off and swung the bridge. It looks as if they have several boats out this week. As we made our way along the long term moorings there were only about half a dozen boat there, surly they haven’t all gone to Crick this weekend, or is there something else going on?

Yesterday I posted that the Braunston level was down but the back pumps were not running at Hillmorton, I don’t know why, because down on this pound the water is at its maximum level.

We carried on past the golf course to Ansty passing the demolished accommodation bridge that was handy to get to the pub. The deck was removed several years ago but the walls are on the move again.We only did another 50 yards and moored for the night almost opposite the pub. The mooring rings are not the best spacing and boats have been passing ever since we have been here

Today’s Journey

10½ miles with no locks in 3¾ hours

Clifton upon Dunsmore

Lots of boats on the move this morning as we set off at our normal time. Coming into Braunston we passed under a bridge with large wooden fendering on the off side, Below the fendering is nice rounded brickwork.

We would be turning up the North Oxford at Braunston Turn but as we are not a wide beam this notice does not effect us. As we came in the opposite direction 3 weeks ago we passed two moored wide beams.

We stopped to fill with water at the services at Braunston Junction, its a big improvement with the mooring restrictions opposite the services. Well done CRT.
On the North Oxford now and the weather was getting much warmer.  There were loads of ducklings about as well as a pair of swans with there cygnets.

We weren't returning to our moorings but we were passing our marina and we were a bit undecided as to whether to stop for a toilet tank pump out. We could probably go another week without a pump-out but in the end decided it wasn’t worth the risk and called it to sort it out, about 15 minutes later we were on our way again heading for Hillmorton Locks. When we got there there were two boats ahead of us, both single handing and then two Volockies appeared, They are normally only on the bottom lock so they assisted one of the single handers who appeared to be new to boating. I suspect they were actually up there to check the water levels above the flight. CRT have issued a warning saying its dangerously low, but that was not our experience.
Once clear of the flight we carried on for a bit to get well away from both the railway and the new road way.

 

Today’s Journey

 

11 miles with three locks in 5½ hours.

Flecknoe

We were just about ready to set off, Dian was about to wash the mugs and there is no water coming out of the taps and the pump is silent. Check obvious and out with the meter. 24 Volts to pump but not running, removed and in the bin, it was fitted in July 2021 and it showed signs of starting to leak. It had been very noisy for sometime and I suspect although I run it dry in the winter it had suffered frost damage  Luckily I had a spare which I fitted.
We were in a constant queue going down the flight, we did meet a few boats but it didn’t help much and some of the pounds were quite low. I haven’t quite worked out the use of having a volockie on just one lock of a flight. While we waited for the bottom lock Diana took the recycling and put it all in one big, over full yellow skip. A short run saw us arrive at Wigram’s turn where the S Oxford merges with the Grand Union and becomes a wide waterway. As we made our way along the Grand Union four very large tepees were being erected in a field on the offside as well as a couple of bell tents.

About a year ago CRT pilled this section of Towpath and for half the length they hung seeded coir sausages along the piling, its quite surprising how fast the plants are growing.

We only went a short way further before mooring for the night, today has not only needed a jumper but also a fleece and as soon as we had moored up I refitted the chimney and lit the stove.

Today’s Journey

5½ miles with 7 locks in 3¾ hours

Napton Engine Arm

We actually had a little rain overnight, very little as it didn’t record on the rain gauge but I heard it pattering on the roof.
Several boats on the move before we set off this morning, I thought the level had come up a bit but in retrospect I think it was just the silt had moved from under us with the passing boats. We were away just after 10 AM and met lots of boats along the summit. The irises are well out in bloom along the canal and some are a very pale yellow.

Not only the irises but also the buttercups, this photo would have been much better two minutes earlier before the cloud covered the sun.

Its been quite heavy going along the summit today, this canal desperately needs dredging, after 5 miles we caught up with a boat that passed a whole hour before we left and we never topped 3MPH all the way, I think he was doing about 2¼ MPH. When we got to Marston Doles the back pumps were running

but its a very long pound to fill, about 11 miles and no doubt they would have been drawing water at Claydon to refill the slat mill that was drained the other day.
We locked down through the two Marston Doles locks and moored for the nigh by the Engine Arm, almost opposite where we moored for ten years.

Today’s Journey

8¼ miles with 2 locks in 4 hours

Fenny Compton

A good nights kip but we were away a little bit early for us this morning for some reason. We stopped at the Cropredy Services to fill with water and dispose of the recycling.
We met a few boats at the lock, there was even a queue waiting to come down at one lock.Even of the Claydon flight  we met a few boats and of course the Volockie at the middle lock, unfortunately he didn’t see us coming and I had to turn the lock, but he did let Diana out so I could walk ahead. I was quite pleased to see the hire boat we were following on the lock moorings eating lunch as it gave us a free run to Fenny Compton.

This is not the best way to moor up with your stern line right across the towpath and your generator sat right in the middle of it.

Thankfully we didn’t meet any boats Fenny Tunnel, we had met plenty prior to it and after. The summit has been very slow so far, the level is down a bit, but the real problem is the mud is too high. We managed a full 2 MPH through the old tunnel. We stopped at Fenny Marina to top up with diesel, the price looked right at 85p domestic rate. We  were surprised how much space there was to moor in Fenny Compton, but we decided to go just through the village and moor at the north end of the long term moorings

Today’s Journey

6½ miles with 9 locks in 4¾ hour

Cropredy

Last nights mooring was almost the perfect spot on this stretch of canal, we didn’t hear anything of the M40 as it runs the other side of the hill.
Just after 10am. a boat came down Kings Sutton, also known Tarver’s Lock, so we set off to take advantage of it being ready for us. We were not so lucky at Grants as that was full, so I had to empty it before we could use it. Mike commented on the blog yesterday that there had been issues with the lock but we went through with no problem. I do wonder what will happen to the old lock cottage. Its been in this state for several years now.

We stopped in Banbury to visit Morrison to stock up on essentials and also eat lunch before heading on up through Banbury lock and a quite crowded town. I have never noticed this roller on the mouth of the lock, from the wear on it, it was obviously poorly maintained when in use for many years.

Just past Tooley’s boatyard the ex working boat Hardy is moored while awaiting restoration when enough money has been raised.

 Hardy Restoration - Tooley's Boatyard Trust

I think there was one paddle out at Hardwick lock when we came down, but today there are two out.

We did have luck with the locks really today, the only one we turned was Grants and all the rest we met boats who had just left and often another arriving as we left.
In the afternoon the weather was better than the morning so rather than stopping just above Slat Mill lock as planned we carried on into Cropredy.

Today’s Journey

8 miles with 6 locks 4¼ hours

Kings Sutton Lock

Last night the air was completely still and this was the view from out front door.

For some reason nether of us slept well and awake early so we left much earlier than usual, but we still had three boats go by before we were up. This temporary repair to the towpath on an embankment doesn’t look to be doing much good, maybe a couple of signs asking boater to pass at tickover would have helped before you were onto it.

The canal is much busier than when we came down, 9 boats moored at Somerton common, not one when we came down. Like was at Aynho weir lock, one boat coming out, two coming down the river and a third leaving Nells Bridge just as we got there. Then at Somerton Deep lock, a hen party coming down and three above the lock.
At Somerton something I have not seen elsewhere is gates across the towpath, understandable by the common but they run someway north.

As I probably said earlier these lift bridges are much easier now they can be operated from the towpath side with a windlass.

We stopped briefly in Aynho to visit the food waggon that everyone was raving about, but the wait for food was just too long, so we bought a couple of ice creams from the shop and set off on our way again. Just above Nell’s Bridge CRT still have a work boat part way across the winding hole so anything over 60 foot may struggle if they want to wind.

Between Nell’s Bridge and the M40 there are a couple of properties on the off side, both which look like they have had a lot of work done to them, the first has no fishing opposite its frontage and has done for many years, the second has a rather interesting adornment on top of a wall.

One of the old disused lift bridges as toy approach Kings Sutton lock is looking a lot the worse for wear and I expect the bricks are slowly falling into the cut

on the towpath side, we have moored for the night between the remains of the bridge and the lock. Since we have been here there has been a steady flow of traffic in both directions .

Todays Journey

8½ miles with 5 locks in 4 hours

Lower Hayford

Yesterday afternoon we noticed the amber lights were flashing down at Aubrey’s Lift Bridge and a definite lack of boats coming through, early evening I could see a chap in high vis and a lifejacket down there, a little later a couple of boats came by and the lights were no longer flashing.
We set off at our normal time and stopped just through the bridge to top up with water and dump rubbish. There were a few canoes about which made it interesting at times, especially the two that were tied together with a short line at the bows and a long one at the stern going along like a snowplough. We met a couple of boats before Shipton Weir Lock and another was just entering the lock when we arrived. The flow on the river was virtually undetectable as we made our way upstream. There was a good discharge coming from the old cement works site, bit its a drop in the ocean for the size of the river.

Needless to say we met a boat coming down on the next bend. Up at Bakers lock there was a CRT chap working on the paddle gear of the bottom gate.Diana discussed with him all the oil or diesel we had come through on the river, he knew about it as was looking for more information.

Above the lock there were two boats waiting to come down so we met quite a bit of traffic. Pigeons Lock was half full but it took an absolute age to fill with just the one top paddle in operation. Then Dashwood lock was completely against us, full. I guessed it was when I saw the water spray out of the holes in the bottom gate. It could do with a bit of plywood nailing on the inside.

  There were a lot less hire boats sitting at Oxford Narrowboats when we passed today and one was having their briefing before setting off. We carried on under the aluminium lift bridge and about another half mile before mooring for the night.

Today’s Journey

8¼ miles with 5 locks in 4½ hours

Thrupp

We had planned that when we returned to Oxford we would eat at The Old Bookbinders Ale House, but I couldn’t book a table until after we had moored up, still it was Thursday, so not a problem I though and rang them. Table for two, will 5-30 be OK or would you prefer 8-15. We went for the 8-15 and the place was packed and diners coming in even later. It was actually less than a 5 minute walk from our moorings, directly behind Collage Cruisers.
This morning was much warmer than yesterday and we set off at our normal 10 am. Oxford has some very nice professional art work under some of their bridges .

At one of the locks I spotted this little sign, The QR code actually takes you a web page that has a menu of audio guides.

         Please click the photo for full details

We met quite a few boats, 5 of them between  Wolvercote Lock and Wolvercote Lift Bridge, The last one which was still near the bridge kindly lifted the bridge for us to pass through.
We saw our first family of Cygnets of the year this afternoon, all 7 of them.

Almost back at Thrupp for the night and we passed The Highwayman at Kidlington looking much smarter than the last time we visited there .

We were lucky enough to find a spot on the visitor moorings where there are ring just passed the cottages at Thrupp.

 

Today’s Journey

6½ miles with 4 locks in 3½ hours

Oxford

Last night we heard the church clock strike midnight, thankfully I think it was the last time it chimed, well we didn’t hear it any more.
This morning we set off about ten but only did a ¼mile upstream above the bridge and moored against the park to visit Waitrose for a while. Once we had parted with lots of cash we set off upstream to Abingdon lock which was against us, we had just started locking up and a cruiser came up the river behind us. We met a couple of boats before Sandford Lock but even so the boat ahead of us was still going up so a bit more hanging about, the cruiser that locked up behind us caught up but turned round before the lock moorings. Yesterday I mention converted ship lifeboats, both big orange fibreglass ones and old metal ones like this.

One of the bridges coming into Oxford has a very nice bit of graffiti if it can be nice?

We have only seen 2 rowing boats out this week and they were together today in Oxford, behind the you can see a couple of the sunken boats, I lost count how many we have seen on the river but it tops a dozen.

Above Osney lock there were some very popular moorings, sorry to say no more with this hand written notice on the lock gate and the “No Mooring” signs on site #.

  They are renovating the building opposite the closed moorings, I don’t know if that has anything to do with them being closed, or what the building will be when work is complete.

At Sheepwash Junction we turned off the river and back onto the canal. the first time we have used a windlass for a week. Once on the N Oxford canal we stopped at the first mooring spot we came to, opposite the newish flats that use to be a factory.

Today’s Journey

10 miles with 5 locks in 4¼ hours