Rugby

It got quite foggy over night but was just dank and still when we set off this morning, the sun never quite making it. The North Oxford canal was first built it was a contour canal, long and windy following the level ground, later it was shortened and straightened, this meant digging cuttings and building long embankments. Because later they were worried about leaks from these embankments the put the facility to put stop planks across the canal to make a wooden dam and stop the water flow. Beside the canal where these stop planks were fitted they set a length of angle iron in the ground so they could put a barrier or chain across the canal, so that boaters could see the planks were in. I am very surprised that the angle irons are still there and not even painted white, I bet they are responsible for many a scuffed shin.

CRT or maybe volunteers have been hard at work cutting back overhanging trees along this canal, last time we came this way there was a large branch just at heat height over half way across the canal.

There weren't so many boats as I expected moored by All Oak Wood but there were some nice autumn colours as we passed under the trees.

We had planned to moor somewhere near Clifton Cruisers but as Diana needed a couple of thing in Rugby we managed to duck into a gap there as a boat left, once stopped we decided to call it a day.

Todays Journey 11 miles in 4 hours with no locks