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

Abingdon

We had a nice quiet night by the Abbey, no sign of any Monks wandering about.

While we were having breakfast a boat went down to the lock, a little while later he cam back again. We left about 10, Diana dropping the stern line for me and walked down to the lock, the stern was about 6 foot from the bank so she walked to set the lock. At the lock the top sluices wouldn’t lift which is probably why the other boat turned back. I cycled the down stream end and hey presto, we were good to go. We passed this sentry as we left.

The river is very wide here but it is also very shallow to the sides, I only met one boat, an EA launch with a couple of passengers in the back.

They turned before they got to Godstow and followed us back down stream. There is another sunk boat just above Sheepwash Junction, you can just see it below the yellow buoys.

To get to Osney lock you have to pass under Osney Bridge, this is a low bridge which effectively stops the big gin palaces cruisers going further upstream.

At the lock the EA boat pulled in behind us on the lock layby and the EA chap leaped off to go set the lock, but there was already a Narrowboat in there coming up, returning from the London Campaign cruise. I entered the lock first and then they came in alongside. I used two ropes and switched the engine off, they kept the engine running and attempted to hold the boat of the centre line. There were some interesting boats moored below the lock, a few free fall lifeboats, Dutch barges and even one old metal ships lifeboat conversion. They were very popular at one time.

We passed the Dutch rowing trio who had stopped for lunch at one of the rowing clubs, they are rowing all the way to London. Their boats are just things of beauty, I bet they just slid through the water.

The Narrowboat and Cruiser ahead of us saw us approaching Abingdon lock so refilled it to allow us to join them, but of course the sluices have to go through their sequence of opening in small increment's, even if the lock is still almost full. The lock has two interesting notices, one looks quite official and the other less so, but makes the point.

   The cruiser left the lock first, then we went followed by the shorter Narrowboat, well he had to stop and pick the wife up. Below the lock, looking over the red floaty things is the weir, looking splendid in the sunshine, the water under the red floaty things is only a few inches deep. You can see the goose standing up it’s so shallow.

 

               

The three of us have since moored for the night on the 3 day free moorings in Abingdon and Diana has already donated some hard earned cash to the towns income. Tomorrow its back to Oxford and the canals.

Today’s Journey 11¾ miles with 5 locks in 4½ hours

Godstow Abbey

Another good meal and quiet night at The Trout, no where near as busy as Saturday afternoon/evening.
We were off just after 10 am, not quite as quiet as yesterday with 5 Narrowboats, 1 Cruiser and 1 SUP we also saw several lock keepers, one checked the licence and one mentioned switching off engines in locks.
I rather look forward to seeing this sign as we approach a lock, we don’t find locks hard work and its quite a bit faster doing it ourselves, especially down hill.

On our way down stream we passed two families of geese with 14 goslings between them. I wonder if they still know who’s are who’s?

We passed another sad sight, you can still see the Internet aerial standing on the bank so was being used and not abandoned when it sank.

We carried on down to the ruins of Godstow Abbey, just between Godstow skew bridge and the lock. After we had moored up I thought maybe I should take a photograph of the skew bridge from the back of the boat, the timing just happened to coincide with 4 lads going for a swim and the first one jumped just as I pressed the shutter. He looks like he is walking on the water.

 

Today’s Journey

17 miles with 4 locks in 5¼ hours

Here is all our journeys this year

Tadpole Bridge

Last night after looking very stormy when we arrived the sky’s cleared out to a nice evening to walk to the pub. As I was shutting up for the night it started to rain and overnight we had a ¼” . We were moored directly opposite the church, thankfully they turn the clock off overnight.

This morning was another fine sunny start to the day. Turning didn’t go quite as planned as again the wind had a greater effect than the flow of the river and we turned in the opposite direction to what was expected.
3 of the 5 locks we did today had keepers and one checked the date on out licence, its also been a day for Narrowboats, we have met 3 of them and that is all we have met. At Buscot lock they have trimmed the lock side bush to as high as they could reach from the ground, I expect the EA would insist on a specialist company to work above 6 feet.

Down at Bridge the land opposite the pub now houses a collection of Glamping accommodation from huts to Yurts.

We did almost have a mishap when I cut a corner to close, I knew the outside was shallow and thought I was well out, but we started heeling more and more plus slowing down. I put the tiller hard over and lots of power and thankfully we slid off sideways at the back end. If we had actually stopped I think we would have struggled.
tonight we are moored back at the bottom of The Trout Inn’s garden and I am just off for a pint of their Original.

Today’s Journey

10½ miles with 5 locks in 3½ hours

Lechlade

Lovely meal in the Trout last night, I wouldn’t ordinarily order a burger but their Lamb Burger looked nice and it was, as was the Beer, I checked that at lunch time.
It was almost 9 this morning when we woke up, best night sleep for ages and we were on on way by 10 to clear blue sky’s and warm sun.

The first lock was only a mile away and on Self service, we have seen three lock keepers today and one of them did check or visitor licence, not that he could read the date, as I had to fold it to get it in the porthole

Up at Grafton Lock a Dutch gent helped Diana open the gates and work the lock, above the lock there were three Dutch rowing skiffs waiting to come down. We bumped into the same club who come over to row the Thames some 12 years or so ago. They have some lovely skiffs.

We stopped to fill with water at the EA waterpoint, it took for ever and we didn’t need much, so glad I found the unofficial tap at Eynsham Lock.
I knew there were 24 hour visitor moorings at Buscot lock but I didn’t know they were down the weir stream until we were heading upstream so had to reverse back. its much easier on a wide river with plenty of water than a shallow canal. We had justfinished lunch when the lock keeper came back on duty and told us it was free mooring all day but a charge for overnight. As we weren’t sure we were stopping as the back end was right by the weir, I would probably been up all night weeing with the sound of running water we pushed of  to Lechlade , but not before I had photographed the National Trust/ Thames Conservators boundary marker.

There is a lot more traffic up the top of the river and again lots of canoes and SUPs, if you meet them on the bend you don’t sometimes see them until the last moment.This one was not only out in the open but had his own lookout

As we approached St Johns lock I could see the gates opening which was handy as the lock moorings are a long way back. Not only was there a cruiser coming out there was also a look keeper even if the sign did say “Self Service”. We went up through Lechlade to the Round House at Inglesham

Lock at the beginning of the Thames and Severn canal, this is being actively restored by the Cotswold Canal Trust and when completed will give a very large ring to cruise. We winded by the entrance and headed back down stream under Halfpenny Bridge to moor against the pastures, I expect someone will be round later to extract some cash from me.
If you attempted to go to the Round House and lock take great care, as its quite shallow once passed the footbridge and there is a notice telling you its impossible to wind.
After a lovely sunny, hot day there are now several black clouds up there and thunder is forecast.

Today’s Journey

 

12 miles with 5 locks in 5½ hours