Staying in Oxford

 As we are finding the hot weather difficult we are not moving until tomorrow when the temperature is forecast to fall below 30degC. 

In the morning we walked the 10 minutes to the local Sainsbury's mini-supermarket in Jericho  for a few provisions.  Apart from that we spent most of the day reading on the boat keeping doors and windows open to capture any light breeze that may have arisen. If conditions had been more comfortable we would have enjoyed a day exploring the city but that will have to wait until we cruise in the area again.

Daily travel details

Distance: 0
Locks: 0
Duration: 0

Back on the Oxford Canal

 

Waiting for the gates to be opened at Iffley Lock

Entering Iffley Lock

Folly Bridge in Oxford

Today we cruised up the Thames through Oxford and returned to the Oxford Canal.  Again an early morning setting off at 8am pasing through Iffley Lock, Folly Bridge  and Osney Locks before the Lock Keepers came on duty.  The pictures show the amazing differences in width of different sections of the Thames. 

Back on the canals - Isis Lock

Moored in the Jericho area of Oxford

After Osney Lock we turned right off the Thames through the Sheepwash Channel and Isis Lock onto the Canal. At 10:25 we found a mooring spot in the shade about a quarter of a mile further up the canal where we plan to spend 2 days until the temperature drops making cruising more comfortable.

Daily Travel Details

Distance: 4.05 miles
Locks: 3
Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes

Chores and a very hot cruise towards Oxford

 This morning we really needed to fill our water tank and empty the waste tank, both tasks becoming increasingly urgent and possibly problematical because of the limited facilities on the Thames.

Fortunately both matters coud be attended to at Abingdon Lock, about quarter of a mile upstream from our mooring.  The weather forecast showed further very hot weather so we set off early at 8:15.  As the lock keeper was not yet on duty we had to operate the lock ourselves.

Once we had left the lock we had to turn the boat around so the waste tank could easily be emptied from the facilities wharf and filled up with water.  The tap was slow and our tank nearly empty so this took about 1 hour to complete.  Pumping out the waste was achieved much more quickly and so after a total delay of about 1 hour 30 minutes we were able to turn the boat around again to face up the Thames and continue our journey.

In Sandford Lock

Moored near Kenington

After 3.5 miles (during which I saw my first kingfisher of the holiday) we reached Sandford Lock where I was surprised and pleased to find that we could fit in with a large cruiser and another narrowboat longer than Densie.   By this time we were wilting under the uncomfortably hot sun and moored up at 12:10 at the first opportunity near the village of Kennington just outside Oxford.

Three extra details:

Timothy Spall's Dutch barge was moored opposite us at Abingdon.
The fixes made by the RCR engineer yesterday appear to have worked well with the engine running smoothly all journey.
Temperature in boat now at 35, down from 38 earlier in the day.

Daily trip details

Distance: 5.89 miles
Locks: 2
Duration(including water and pumpout): 3 hours 55 minutes

Back to Abingdon

 Today we really did start early to avoid travelling in serious hot forecast weather.  At 8am we set sail, turned the boat around and set off back upstream to Abingdon.

typical view of Thames

Burcot House 

Clifton Hampden Bridge

Appleford Railway Bridge

I had expected travelling against the flow of the river would slow us down significantly but it made no dfference since there was barely any flow at all.  At the one weir we saw, the river water was just dribbling over the edge.  Both locks were ascended quickly as there were lock keepers on duty who had the gates open ready for us when we arrived.

We arrived back in Abingdon at 10:55  and moored on the town side of the river.  The journey had taken 2 hours 55 minutes, a slightly shorter duration  than our cruise downstream.

Whire fronted geese wait at the side hatch

The birds have been of particular interest.  During much of our stay at Dorchester I heard frequent cuckoo calls.  There have been good views of kites with their white and brown plumage showing clearly.  Also buzzards, and I think a pair of ravens. Outside the boat at the moment there is a family of what I think are white fronted geese, a change from the more common greylag.

On the down side we may be having problems with the boat.  Several times on this journey the engine has given nasty grinding noises when the gear lever was moved from neutral into forward.  So we called out RCR again in Abingdon as losing control of the boat on the river could be dangerous.  Unfortunately the problem could not be reproduced so it is something we need to watch.  On the plus side the engineer did diagnose a failing fanbelt and replaced it for us.

The temperature in the boat cabin at 18:45 is 36degC, down from a maximum of 38.

Daily Travel Data

Distance: 7.68 miles
Locks: 2

Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes

A morning walk around Dorchester

One of the footpaths to Dorchester

 We left the boat to walk into Dorchester early at 8:30 to avoid the heat expected later in the day.  It took about 20 minutes along footpaths and farm tracks, the route being far from direct due to the need to bypass fenced-off areas.

First stop  the Abbey Church which, prior to Henry VIII, was part of an Abbey originally founded in the 7th century by Bishop Birinius, a missionary to the West Saxons sent by the Pope.  The town was initially the cathedral city of Wessex, the honour quickly moving to Winchester, and later its See covered much of the Midlands, but this moved to Lincoln in the 11th century.  After the dissolution of the monastories the 12th century building became simply the parish church of what is now little more than a village.

The nave of Dorchester Abbey where the monks prayed

The adjacent People's Chapel for the laity

The church is now an impressive historic building with ancient stained glass, remains of medieval wall paintings, tombs of knights in armour, and a carving of a Green Man, and a powerfully serene atmosphere.

Dorchester High Street

Row of thatched cottages by the footpath

We then walked down the peaceful high street past two attractive coaching inns and the only shop, a small Coop.  Then back to the boat stopping off at a cafe which seemed to be part of a comunity-run farm which also owned the river bank where we moored.

As I write this the thermometer is showing 35 degC.

Daily travel details

Distance:0
Locks: 0
Duration:0

Down the river to Dorchester on Thames

 After a day's rest we were ready to move on to the next interesting town/village, Dorchester on Thames (not to be confused with the one in Dorset). 

In Culham Cut

We left Abingdon at 9:45 and two miles later we reached Culham Lock which is approached through Culham Cut,  a narrow channel off the main river, the latter drops over a weir. When we arived at the lock the gates had already been  opened by the lock-keeper ready for us to enter.  There we were joined by a small launch. 

Waiting to enter Clifton Lock

After we left Culham Lock Denise saw a kingfisher, her third one of this holiday.  I missed on all of them.  3 miles further on came Clifton Lock, also manned.  We had to wait while a large cruiser exited the lock. We then entered joined by a small cruiser along side and  larger one behind us both. When the lock had emptied and the gates opened the small cruiser left first and we followed. The lock keepers take great care to ensure that heavy narrow boats don't bang into the more fragile glass fibre boats.

Moored near Dorchester

Another 3 miles further on at 12:45 we found a mooring in a small gap in the tree-lined riverside not too far from Dorchester, about half a mile inland from the river.  It looked at first that there would be insufficient room but it turned out that some of the rough shrubbery and long grass was actually hiding a solid bank which could securely hold our mooring spikes.  The land-owner charges moorers, but given the lack of moorings on the Thames we were happy to pay the £15 for two nights.

Daily travel details

Distance: 7.92 miles
Locks: 2
Duration: 3 hours

A day off in Abingdon

 

The local goose family

After nearly 2 weeks continually cruising we are staying in Abingdon for a day or two's rest.  This afternoon we walked to the local large Waitrose to stock up on our groceries for the next few days.

The photo shows some of the geese that have been grazing near the moored boats.  They dont seem much bothered by the boats and their crew coming and going.  You can just see Densie's stern at the left of the picture.

Daily Travel Detail

Distance: 0
Locks: 0
Duration: all day