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

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