Back at Dunchurch Pools Marina near Rugby

Lots of boats moored and on the move today

A short cutting on the Oxford Canal.

The final day of our journey was bright and sunny.  We left Napton at 9:50 after listening to The Life Scientific on Radio 4 and arrived back at our marina at 13:45, filled up with diesel (170 litres!), and returned to our berth.  The final step was achieved with some difficulty thanks to the cross wind in the marina which pushed the boat sideways as I tried to slot the 7 foot wide,15 tons  vessel itro a gap of about 9 feet.

After mooring we washed the roof and one side of the boat and retired below as black clouds arrived.

9.81 miles 0 locks 4.5 hours cruising

Total for trip:

131.99 miles, 87 locks,8 lift bridges, 81.25 hours cruising in 20 day on the move

Napton

 

Mist at our moorings this morning

View from a Marston Doles Lock

When we awoke this morning it was cold and misty which always looks appropriate on the canals.  We set off at 9:15 and travelled the 3-4 miles to Marston Doles at the start of the final set of locks for this trip.  After an hour or so the mist cleared and the rest of the day was sunny. As at Wormleighton Hill yesterday, travelling in the opposite direction gives a very different impression of the area. Going down, from most of the canals you you can see the village of Napton across the hillside.

Black cows?

One came to have a look at us

One of the sights of this area are the black long horned cows in the canalside fields.  But they aren't  cows. When we were here several years ago we spoke to the farmer who explained they were water buffalo.  He said they were ideal animals, good for eating, lived on poor quality grass, and mainly looked after themselves being happy outdoors over the winter.

The 9 locks were easy to operate and as there were several boats travelling in the opposite direction so we had a lot of help working the paddles and the gates .After completing the flight we moored early at 13:15 a short distance further on.

6.6 miles 9 locks 4 hours c ruising

Wormleighton Hill

 The stay at Cropredy Marina worked out well and the batteries seem to have enjoyed their 19 hours of steady charging.  I will be checking the voltage carefully.

Our journey restarted at 10am with the weather cloudy but this was replaced by blue skies and warm sunshine by mid morning..  Today's trip can be split into two sections.  Much of the morning was spent ascending the 3 locks above Cropredy followed by the 5 locks of the Claydon flight which take the canal to the summit level at 120 metres=390 feet above sea level.   Although we needed to empty some of the locks before entering at others the work was done by boats coming down. We arrived at the top about lunch time which was convenient as one of us could prepare the meal whilst the other drove the boat.

Fenny Compton Tunnel

Oxford Canal near Wormleighton Hill

Another view on the Wormleighton section

The trip along the summit pound was very enjoyable, more so than I remember when we were going the other way  two weeks ago.  After passing through the Fenny Compton "Tunnel" the canal goes around Wormleighton Hill turning through 180 degrees taking 2 miles to travel about 1/3 mile as the crow flies.  Cruising north ensured that the fields and woods of the hillside dominated our view for much of the journey far more obviously than when we were facing the other way.

We arrived at attractive moorings out in the countryside soon after 15:00 where we were pleased to find that the internet connectivity was very good.

8.31 miles 8 locks 5 hours 20 minutes.

Cropredy Marina

 Our travelling today was limited by our concerns about the voltage of domestic batteries. We have arranged to spend the night in Cropredy Marina to get access to an electicity supply to charge the batteries for as long as possible.

Entering Hardwick Lock

Typical Oxford Canal scene showing the canalside vegetation in urgent need of pruning

The weather was sunny with a cold wind as we set off at 9:35. After ascending 4 locks, all of which we had to empty first as there was a boat ahead of us, we reached Cropredy village. There we stopped for lunch, the first time on this journey when we haven't eaten on the move.   In the early afternoon we turned into Cropredy Marina, paid for the mooring and moved in.

4.58 miles 4 locks, 4hours 5 minutes

Banbury and Waitrose

Waiting for a boat to clear the lift bridge

River Cherwell at AYno crossing the canal from left to right

 We started early just before 9:00 today as we had some jobs to do in Banbury.  The weather is still sunny but colder and more windy.  We ascended through the octagonal Ayno Weir lock, crossed the River Cherwell, and continued upwards through 3 more locks arriving at Banbury soon after lunch.

Banbury Lock is in the ddle of a shopping precinct

First stop was the services block where we filled up with water and dumped rubbish and glass recycle.  Then up Banbury Lock, beneath Banbury Lift Bridge, and into the wooded area beyond the town centre where we have moored for the night. 

Earlier in the trip a boater told us that there was an easy walk to Waitrose from here so we were able to stock up with all the provisions we need for the rest of our journey.  Fortunately there was also a B&Q in the area where we were able to buy some bits and pieces for the boat.

8.41 miles 5 locks 1 lift bridge 5 hours 15 minutes cruising time

Somerton Deep Lock again

 Another day of blue skies and sun with a cool wind somewhat stronger than yesterday.  And another day of  the very attractive Oxford Canal with the view ahead enhanced by being in full sunlight as we travel north.

We left our moorings just below Northbrook Lack at 9:10 and were delighted to see that a boat waiting to come down (A) had opened the gate ready for us t enter.  As I drove Densie into the lock Denise looked down the canal and saw that a boat (B) moored further back had come adrift at one end and was blocking the waterway.  So she rushed back to rescue it whilst the people from boat A worked the lock for us.  After some effort Denise was able to get boat B back against the canalside and reattach it.  After that excitement we were able to get on our way.

Waiting to pass through a narrow bridge

Another bridge

Densie in Somerton Deep Lock

Moored 1/4 mile above Somerton Deep Lock

Then up through 3 more isolated locks and an electric lift bridge to arrive at Somerton Deep Lock where we had the delay on our way down to the Thames.  This time there were no problems and we moored shortly afterwards out in the countryside again.

6.70 miles, 5 locks, 1 lift bridge, 4 hours 35 minutes cruising

Thrupp and further north

 Yet another lovely days boating.  Under our shorter days strategy we set off at about 10 am in warm sunshine with a slight cooling breeze.

An attractive tree lined section of the Oxford Canal

We travelled through Thrupp where a boat was coming beneath the lift bridge as we arrived and the crew member operating the bridge kindly let us go through as well.  Then on to the octagonal Shipton Weir Lock at the junction with the River Cherwell.  There were 2 boats in front of us waiting to ascend and a  boat comng down so there was some delay until we had our turn.  The same thing happened when we left the Cherwell at Bakers Lock and only one boat ahead of us at the final lock of the day, Pigeon Lock.  So we did not make as much progress as we had hoped.

Moored at Northbrook Lock

As the time had passed 2pm we started lookng for somewhere to moor.  The first place we tried looked pretty good  except for thr absence of any internet signal.  So we carried for another 3/4 mile where we found the perfect location, with internet, just below Northbrook Lock.

6.58 miles 3 locks 1 lift bridge 4 hours 40 minutes

Off the Thames and back on the Oxford Canal.

 Another warm and sunny day.  We left our moorings at Osney just after 10am, starting late as wew ant to reduce our daily travelling time.  Stopping earlier in the afternoon results in colder water the following morning.

Thames above Osney passing Port Meadow

We need to go through the low right hand arch of Godstow Bridge

In King's Lock - the wheel on the beam raises and lowers the sluices

After Osney the Thames markedly changes character.  Narrower, shallower and more meandering with some very sharp hairpin bends.  The locks are smaller and simpler, the second one we passed through, King's Lock, was manually operated without any power assist.  After King's Lock our route took us off the Thames onto the very narrow and winding Duke's Cut.  At the end of Duke's Cut there is a 7 foot wide canal lock which is followed by the junction with the Oxford Canal.  As we were entering the lock another boat arrived from off the Thames that was clearly at least 8 foot wide! Fortunately it was just able to turn around to head back onto more suitable waters.

On the first Oxford Canal lock, Dukes Lock, we were held up for a while as the bottom gate would not open far enough for the boat inside to leave.   One of the boaters waiting to descend used the boat pole to investigate the obstruction and was able to clear away gravel and assorted debris permitting the gate to be fully opened.

That problem resolved we were able to continue up the canal ascending two further locks until 2pm when we found a suitable mooring near to Kidlington.  I am leaving the engine running for a while as our domestic batteries are showing too low a voltage and so are probably beginning to fail.  A long period of charging may help matters.

6.62 miles, 6 locks, 4 hours travelling

Oxford

Typical Thames vies below Oxford

Folly Bridge Oxford

Moored at Osney, Oxford

 We are on our way home  travelling under blue skies and hot sunshine. We left Abingdon just before 9am and ascended Abingdon Lock where we stopped at the services to fill up with water and dump some rubbish.  Then onwards and upwards through 3 more locks until we reached Osney, an attractive area near the centre of Oxford, were we moored just after 2pm.  A rather longer journey than we had really wanted but a very pleasant one nevertheless with good views of 5 kingfishers.

9 miles, 4 locks, 5 hours 15 mins cruising.

Another day at Abingdon

A better view of us moored at Abingdon

We have plenty of time to get back home, the weather looked wonderful, and there were a large number of boats moving on the river in the hot sun, so we decided to stay here another day.  It shoud be much easier to find a new mooring tomorrow.

We took the opportunityto polish half the boat this morning and this afternoon Denise polished and lacquered the brass roof "mushrooms" so they are gleaming now.

A quiet day

 We are staying in Abingdon today.  Visited Waitrose this morning for food for the next 5 days until we get back to Banbury.  This afternoon we washed half the boat and Denise refreshed some varnish

Abingdon

Firstly a picture from late yesterday afternoon.  Denise had looked out of the widow whilst doing the washing-up and called me to have a look at what she had seen:

Deer feeding by the riverside

 A fairly short journey today down the Thames in sunny but cold weather.

We set off earlier than usual this morning as we wanted to maximise the chances of finding mooring space at our intended destination of Abingdon where we needed to be in easy walking distance of the town centre for shopping.  

First point of interest was Iffley lock where we were able to operate the controls without any problems.  The lock keeper, who also oversees the next lock at Sandford, turned up and gave helpful advice on the operation of the locks.

Two points were very relevent to us.  Unlike the canals the standard practice is to leave the sluices (equivalent to paddles on the canals) open when leaving. The reason is that with the automated boater operation system opening the sluices starts a 5-10 minute wait for the lock to fill or empty, but the lock would already be at the required level.

Secondly, it is now the law that boats in the Thames locks must be roped up to the lock side under the control of the crew both at the bow and the stern. Which implies you need one person at the bow, a second at the stern and a third to operate the lock. What happens if you only have 2 crew, or even just one?  Apparently it is acceptable to have a very long rope at the bow going up to the bollards on the lock side and then down to a crew member at the stern.  For Densie this would require a rope perhaps 90 foot long.  Our ropes are each 30 foot long so we would need to tie three of the together!  So far we have only been descending when there is very little turbulence and  have managed with a single centre rope (illegally).  Ascending the large Thames locks is very dfferent.  We will see....

Fortunately by the time we reached Sanford Lock the guy we had met at Iffley had arrived and he operated the lock for us.  At the final lock just above Abingdon there was also a lock keper in attendance.

Cruising down the Thames below Oxford

Between the locks the journey was certainly very pleasant and we were often traveling at 3.5-4 mph compared with the 2.5 mph we normally cruised at on the canals.  The scenary was attractive but beyond that there was little of interest, though we did see our first kingfisher of the journey.

Moored at Abingdon

We arrived at Abingdon at lunchtime and were delighted to fnd an empty mooring exactly where we wanted. By early afternoon all the space we could see had been taken.

6.68 miles 3locks 2 hours 50 minutes cruising.

Now moored on the Thames

 This is a 3 day blog since we have yet again been suffering from internet problems. "No Service" on Tuesday and repeated dropouts on Wednesday. We have been using our current configuration of a wifi router with a roof aerial for some years and never had these difficulties before.

Tuesday 8th September

Liftbridge and M40

Octagonal Ayno Lock

Typical Oxford Canal scene

However life goes on....Tuesday was again a pleasant day with attractive though very isolated countryside with locks every mile or so.  Just above Ayno Lock the River Cherwell flows across the canal.  The lock is most unusual being of octagonal shape.  The reason I believe is to bring as much of the Cherwell water as possible into the canal as possible a controlled way.

Somerton  Deep Lock

We were making good progress until we reached Somerton Deep Lock ("deep" being 12 foot ) where there were 3 boats waiting to descend and more waiting to ascend.  The lock had been unusable for 3 hours as the bottom gate would not close, CRT had been called and their staff had just arrived.  They had brought their 20 foot long rake and were trying to find the obstruction. Fortunately they found a lump of wood pretty quickly and were able to fish it out with the rake. About an hour later we were able to follow the boats ahead of us in the queue down the lock and we moored out in the middle of nowhere at 4pm - a long day.

9.25 miles 5 locks 4 hours 45 minutes travelling.

Wednesday 9th September - Thrupp

Another Oxford Canal Scene

Octagonal Shipton Weir Lock

Densie moored at Thrupp

Wednesday 9th September

Again a similar day to the 8th.  We popped into a boatyard to empty our waste tank and then carried on down the canal.  After descending the hills for 2-3days with locks every mile or so we finally reached the Cherwell Valley where the canal is lined by tall trees which block out much of the daylight and the locks are more widely spaced and not so deep. At times the waterway is very narrow because of reeds on both sides and also because of the large numbers of moored boats.  Finally the canal actually joined the river for a mile.  After separating the canal again descends another octagonal lock before entering the canalside village of Thrupp were we moored for the night.

9.76 iles 7 locks 2 liftbridges 6 hours 20 minutes travelling

Thursday 10th Sepember

The past 3 days have all fnished well into the afternoon and we are getting tired.  SO we weplanning for somethng shorter today. However...

On the Thames below Oxford

Moored above Iffley Lock

Iffley Lock

This morning we left Thrup at 9:30 and stopped soon afterwards to fill up with water.  We reached the outskirts of Oxford about 3 miles later and from then on it was a long slow journey past large numbers of moored boats.  On this section we met our firstworking  manual liftbridges like the white ones shown in previous photos. 

Eventually we arrived at the Sheepwash Channel which connects the Oxford Canal with the Thames.    We soon reached our first large Thames lock , Osney Lock, where we dicovered that there was no lock keeper. Like many Thames locks it has been converted to boater operation with a pushbutton control panel and detailed instructions.  After some minutes studying these we think we worked out what to do.  Fortunately at that moment a cruiser turned up whose crew knew exactly how to operate the lock and we were able to stay on Densie whilst they did the work.

Leaving Osney Lock we carried on downstream and ust before the next lock we found some moorings where we have stopped for the night.

6 locks 9.17 miles 2 liftbridges 5 hours 40 minutes cruising

Banbury

Old bridge on Oxford Canal

M40 crossing the Oxford Canal

An overcast and cool morning but no rain.  Our main job today was to visit Morrisons in Banbury to stock up with groceries for the next 5 days until we get our next chance to shop.  Leaving Cropredy at 9:30 the route took us through more remote countryside descending 4 locks  each we had to wait for boats in front to pass through. Just before Banbury the canal passes beneath the M40 and down the final lock before entering the town. The canal route through Banbury is unattractive with light industry on the outskirts and a centre that is dominated by large building sites on both sides of the waterway.

In the centre a pedestrian liftbridge crosses the canal.  it was kindly operated for us by an engineer who had been fixing it after it broke down 3 hours earlier blocking the canal.  The lift bridge was followed by a lock which more took us down to more workshops and light industry on both sides.  We moored up there with Morrisons just a 5 minuts walk away.

Back on the boat we set off again but the way ahead was blocked by narrowboat which was securely grounded on the canal offside.  We tried using our boat to pull it off without success but were able to get a rope from the the grounded boat to some people on the towpath who were able to pull it back into the main channel.  After that delay we were keen to stop for the night and a mile out of Banbury were able to find some suitable moorings.

5.91 miles, 5 locks, 1 liftbridge, 4 hours 35 minutes cruising

Cropredy

 

Fenny Compton Tunnel

Another cool but fairly sunny day of pleasant boating through attractive cuntryside along the winding Oxford Canal.  Leaving our moorings at Fenny Compton we soon arrived at the Fenny Compton Tunnel.  It may not look like a tunnel but it was until the 1860s when the top was removed creating a narrow and steep sided channel. Despite the 150 years gap this section of the canal is still kown as the Fenny Compton Tunnel.

Views of the Claydon Locks

Beyond the Tunnel the canal continues its meandering course to the 5 Claydon locks where we start the steady descent from the top pound towards Oxofrd. Again, as with the Napron flight the locks were made easier by the steady stream of boats travelling in the opposit direction ensuring that the locks were all set for us and we could leave the lock gates open for the next boat after leaving.

Beyond the Claydon Locks 3 further more isolated locks took us to the picture postcard canalside village of Cropredy, well known for its annual music festival featuring Fairport Convention, where we have moored for the night.

5.65 miles, 8 locks, 4 hours 15 mins cruising.

Fenny Compton

 After breakfast we moved 2 miles up the canal to Priors Hardwick to get an internet link and moored up whilst I updated yesterday's blog and did last week's accounts as is traditional on Saturdays.

Boat moored in a canalside pond with no access to the waterway!

Bridge on a bend, as they often are

The work completed we set off again on our way south in dry but chilly and breezy weather.  The scenary is becoming increasingly hilly and the Oxford, as an early contour canal, wound its way around one hill after another, on a couple of occasions almost doubling back on its course.  Fast progress was also prevented by the canal being shallow and narrow with speeds of more than 2.5mph being impossible to sustain.

After lunch on the move we arrived at Fenny Compton where we stopped to fill up with water and then moored for the night a quarter mile further on.

6.85 miles, 0 locks, 3 hours 35 minutes cruising

On the Oxford Canal again

 An overcast but dry morning. We were planning to travel over lunch so did not want to start too early. This gave us the opportunity to wash the other side of the boat, the first side being washed a couple of months ago.  This completed  we set off at 9:45 travelling towards Napton Junction where the Oxford Canal leaves the Grand Union.

Napton Bottom Lock

On the Oxford canal again, it was not far to the 7 Napton locks followed by the 2 Marston Doles locks which brings the canal to its highest level before the descent to Oxford.  All the flights on the Oxford canal are 7 foot wide which makes them much easier to operate than the wide locks on the Grand Union.  It just took us 2 hours to reach the top as we were helped tby he steady stream of boats coming down ensuring that all the locks were empty and at most the gates were open.

Entering Marston Doles Bottom Lock

The Marston Doles locks are closed from 5pm to 10am to allow water to be pumped up from the bottom of the flight to the top. This is necessary as there is insufficient water supply at the top which would otherwise be too shallow for navigation.  The locks are particularly busy on Fridays as hire boats need to return to their base at the bottom of the locks on Saturday morning. People coming down the locks told us that when they opened at 10am there was a queue of 15 boats and so they had to wait 3-4 hours for passage.

We moored up at 14:45 a short distance beyond Marston Doles in remote countryside - so remote that our mobile wifi router immediately came up with "No Service", the first time this has happened.  Hence the delayed Blog posting.

8.3 miles 9 locks, 5 hours cruising.

Starting our Journey

The weather was as forecast in the morning, overcast with dark clouds and rainy periods.  However by lunch time it had begun to clear and so we decided to move

First job though was to fill the water tank and then I had to tighten our main fan belt.  This completed we moved off down to the marina service wharf to pick up a gas bottle and a bag of smokeless fuel. Then finally we left the marina at 14:40 turning south on the Oxford Canal.

Ridge and furrow near Braunston

Approaching Braunston

The first hour took us through attractive isolated undulating countryside. There was only one road bridge which took a country lane over the canal. As we approached Braunston the canalside fields showed obvious evidence of  medieval ridge and furrows.  The canal, constructed in the late 18th century, had clearly been dug across them.

The Oxford canal joined the Grand Union at Braunston Junction.  We turned west cruising for a further mile and a half where we moored up for the night against metal pilings.  As I was tidying the ropes I was surprised to see a very small grass snake in the water apparently unable to climb out up the piling.  So we dangled some cord over the bank near the creature and after a while it climbed up and went its way. 

3.79 mikes 1 hour 40 mins cruising