N Oxford Bridge 75

First thing this morning CRT turned up to work a Calcutt hire boat and a boat offering training down the locked Calcutt flight. I guess the hire company has an arrangement to keep operating. Daisy’s Bakin Butty was doing quite a trade by the top lock.

We set off at 10-30am in weak sunshine and slight mist. Down to Wigrams Turn and sharp left towards Braunston. Quite a few boats around at first but then tapered off, although the sun was out it was not as warm as yesterday. This large house at Wolfhamcote was shining in the sunlight.

Another left turn at Braunston Junction saw us on the North Oxford canal. A brief stop at the serviced to deposit recycling, its not waste any more and check the pound water level, its come up slightly in two days.

We carried on passed our home mooring to bridge 75 where there is a short length of piling, just room for two boats, but thankfully no one there today. This was our mooring for the night.

Today’s Journey

10¾ miles with no locks in 4¼ hours

Calcutt top lock

Well today did not go to plan. Last night was a lovely moonlight night with the Tawny Owls out calling to each other.
The sun was out this morning and we set off at 1030 all the other boats were long gone

The towpath along the Grand Union canal is quite bad in places where is fallen right into the canal.

Unlike a little further on where its all concrete pilled, its just a pity they don’t stick to the dredging measurements.

 

Water levels on the Braunston pound are only down by about 30-40mm. so the doing was easy, this is the weir at Lower Shuckburgh. We met several boats as we continued on to Napton on the South oxford. They have done a lot of piling prior to the winding hole giving much more room to moor. You can’t come along here without taking a photo of the windmill.

We hadn’t filled with water since last time out so we stopped at the waterpoint by the Folly Pub. Its so slow we were able to have dinner while it filled up. That done we set off to the locks and that folks, is where it went wrong. Napton flight is still closed due to lack of water until Monday. How I missed it checking the stoppages I don’t know. Nothing for it but to reverse back to the winding hole and do something else.
Something else was to retrace our steps, back passed Napton Narrowboats with most of their fleet in to Wigrams Turn. Here we turned left and head to Calcutt Locks, not with a plan to go down them, but wind above them and moor for the night. The flight is still closed and the back pumping going full bore, however the flow of water over the bottom lock bywash is quite substantial, I am not sure where its coming from. We walked around the reservoir, its not as low now as when we visited last September see this photo 

I have never seen one of these before beside the water, stops the vandals throwing them in or walking off with them.

 

   

After returning to Harnser we were treated to a splendid sunset over the reservoir before closing up for the night.  

 

 

  

Today’s Journey

8½ miles with no locks in 4¼ hours

S Oxford Canal Bridge 100 - 101

No a bad drive to the boat, a bit of mist early on but that soon cleared, We did have a couple of holdups, a accident on the A146 had closed the road, but the old road, now only a lane runs parallel to it, if you know its there. The next stumbling block was at the far end with the lane to the maria out of Barby village closed. It said open to businesses so off we went until we hit the second road block, right across the road. As we arrived so did a digger coming the other way. No chance in getting through, so turn round and follow the diversions to Hillmorton and come in from the other end. Same thing, road closed, access to businesses so we carried on, and hit a full , manned roadblock just over the canal bridge. A chat with the man and he let us through to get up beside the works and into the marina.
We unloaded onto the boat and started making ready to leave, firing up both the engine and the stove. By 1-30 we were on our way. I don’t think I have ever left the mooring with no wind. A gentle cruise round the marina and south on the Oxford Canal.
By Dunchurch Pools some of the sheep have bright blue bums, but I couldn’t spot the Tupp anywhere.

At Braunston Junction we turned  right on the S Oxford/GU canal chugging on passed the moored boats to tie up just after bridge 100.

Today’s Journey 6¼ miles in 2¼ hours with no locks