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On the Grand Union Canal (1)

Grand Union Canal (2)

Meeting an oncoming boat on the North Oxford

North Oxford Canal (1)

North Oxford (2)

We set off before the sun had become really hot at 8:45.There followed an unremarkable but speedy cruise along the Grand Union Canal to Braunston Junction where we turned left up the North Oxford Canal, a journey we have made many times.

Back at our home mooring

We arrived at our marina at 11:10  and moored up at our berth.  First job was to check the car was OK since it had been standing out in the extreme heat plugged into a solar battery charger for the past 5 weeks.  Fortunately no damage.

Daily Travel Details

Distance: 6.19 miles
Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes

Total Journey Statistics
Distance: 154.05 miles
Locks: 91

Moveable Bridges: 15
Total Duration: 32 days
Total time cruising: 92.33 hours

Average times: 2.89 hours/day

Average Locks+miles:  2.82/hour

Down the Napton flight and onto the Grand Union Canal

 We set off in warm sunny weather at 8:40, starting early as we wanted to get within easy reach of our marina for the journey home tomorrow.

About to leave Lock 10

Looking back at Lock 10 from Lock 9

Looking back at Lock 9 from Lock 8 (bottom Lock)

About a mile after leaving our mooring we reached the top lock (lock 14) of the 7-lock Napton flight the bottom one being lock 8. Although the locks were easy to operate our descent was slow as we were travelling close behind another boat and each time they went down a lock we had to refill it so we could also descend.  Sadly there were no boats coming up who could do the extra work for us until the bottom of the flight.

Moored between Flecknoe and Lower Shuckburgh

At the bottom lock we dumped our rubbish at the adjacent waste facilities and continued the 2 mile journey to Napton Junction where the Oxford Canal joins the Grand Union.  The weather was becoming increasingly hot so we stopped for the day at 12:35 on an isolated mooring only a few feet longer than the boat, so no danger of noisy neighbours, unfortunately there is no shade.

PS the temperature in the boat is now 37C!

Daily travel details

Distance: 5.85 miles
Locks: 7
Duration: 3 hours 55 minutes

HS2 and Marston Doles

 Bright sunny weather again this morning as we set off at 9:00.  The impressive part of the journey was to see the progress which has been made on HS2 since we were last in the area in April 2025.

Railway viaduct crossing the canal

A detailed view of the structure

One can now see a large railway viaductcrossing the canal and a very high embankment dominating the attractive,  gently hilly and very quiet countryside. The next couple of photos shows what has been done in the past year:

A photo from April 2025 - what on earth is this?

Now we know- an underpass through the embankment!

Back to our journey....

The first Marston Doles Lock

Moored below Marston Doles Locks

After leaving the HS2 construction site a further 4.5 miles took us to Marston Doles where 2 locks lower the canal off the summit level.

Daily travel details

Distance: 6.76 miles
Locks: 2
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

Through Fenny Compton, no locks today

 

Site of Fenny Compton Tunnel

Taking on water at Fenny Compton Wharf

We set off at 8:45 in bright sunny weather along the top level pound. The tree lined canal took us to the Fenny Compton "tunnel" which had been converted to a cutting in the 1860s to the water point next to the Wharf Inn not far from the village of Fenny Compton where we stopped for 20 minutes to fill up with water.

Bridge 134 near Wormleighton

The canal continued past the site of the medieval village of Wormleighton about a quarter of a mile from the current one.  It then followed  an extravagantly meandering path travelling west for a mile, and then passing through a hair-pin bend to continue eastwards. There is a bridge on the corner preventing any visibility of boats travelling in the opposite direction.  Needless to say we did meet another boat there but managed to avoid a collision

Moored  near Bridge 130

We moored about half a mile later in quiet empty countryside shortly before lunchtime. 

Daily travel details

Distance: 5.97 miles
Locks:0
Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes

Cropredy to Claydon - a day of locks

 We started early at 8:45 today in fairly cool and cloudy weather as we wanted to ascend 9 locks by lunchtime when we normally stop for the day. But the first stop was at the services wharf at Cropredy to dispose of several bags of recyclable, kitchen, and general waste which had been cluttering up our kitchen area for a few days.

In Claydon Top Lock

Moored at Claydon Top Bridge

Then onwards up Cropredy lock to the sound of the nearby church bells, a set of 3 individual locks and finally the flight of 5 Claydon locks. Fortunately 7 of the locks were set in our favour so we could enter almost immediately. 

When we reached the moorings above Claydon top lock close to lunchtime there were only two unoccupied spaces. one of which we were happy to take, the next opportunity to moor being the best part of an hour's cruising away.

Daily Travel Details

Distance: 3.57 miles
Locks: 9

Duration: 3 hours 5 minutes

Cropredy again, nearly

 We are now in the final few days of our holiday.  But beyond Banbury there are very few shops and we still have 5 evening meals to arrange.  So we walked the short distance from our mooring to  Waitrose and bought 3 bags of provisions. 

Near Bourton Bridge

Ascending Slat Mill Lock

By 11:15 we were back on the boat and ready to leave. We left Banbury, yet again in sunny warm weather, ascended 3 locks and passed under the M40 ending up about half a mile short of Cropredy.

We were getting hungry as our morning shopping limited the time available for cruising prior to lunch.  The alternatives were to stop where we were as there was a usable mooring or to carry on to Cropredy which would have taken another half hour at least.  We chose the former option and moored up at 13:30.

Daily Travel details

Distance: 3.49 miles
Locks: 3
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

In Banbury again

 

Moored in Castle Quay in Banbury

Another sunny morning though with quite a cool breeze.  We set off towards Banbury at 9:05 passing through Grant's Lock and then Banbury Lock where we stopped at the water point to fill up our water tank and also to dump all our rubbish at the nearby canalside facilities. That done we passed below the lift bridge, the last one of our current trip, into the the Banbury Castle Quay area where we were lucky to find a mooring.

We shopped for groceries at the nearby Lidl, of which we were previously unaware until it was recommended by another boater.  After lunch on board we walked into the the town centre.

We will be staying in Banbury for 2 nights and so won't publish the next blog until Saturday.

Daily Travel Details

Distance: 2.94 miles
Locks 2
Moveable Bridges:1
Duration: 2 hours

Across the Cherwell again to King's Sutton

 

Ayno Weir Lock - the canal rises 1 foot to the Cherwell

Densie entering Nell Bridge Lock after crossing the Cherwell

In King's Sutton Lock

King's Sutton Church from the canal

When we set off at 9:35 the weather was much the same as it had been since the heatwave ended. The pictures here show different views of some of the sights described on our way downstream. We moored above King's Sutton Lock at lunchtime.

Red Kite in a tree watching the haymaking

Our most memorable experience today was watching a farmer on a tractor haymaking.  Unlike the flock of seagulls that often follow the tractors, this time it was a flock of 10 red kites, one of which sat in a tree watching the activitity.

Daily travel details

Distance: 5.57 miles
Locks: 3
Moveable Bridges: 2
Duration: 3 hours 20 minutes

Upper Heyford and Somerton

Upper Heyford Tithe Barn

Allen's Lock, Upper Heyford

We left our mooring at 9:35 continuing our journey home and soon passed through the small village of Upper Heyford where the impressive tithe barn (ancient monument, c. 1400) overlooks the canal.  The rest of the journey was quiet and slow with 3 locks, 2 of which we had to empty ourselves before entering and at the third we had to wait for a boat coming down.

Moored about a mile after Somerton

We stopped in a pleasant rural area at 12:10 soon after Somerton Deep Lock about a mile beyond the small village of Somerton. 

Daily travel details

Distance: 4 miles
Locks:3
Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

Back to Lower Heyford

Rampant vegetation frequently encroaches on the waterway

Bridge 212, Old Brighton Bridge, near Tackley

Northbrook Lock

An isolated mooring just beyond Lower Heyford

It was another cool, but bright and sunny morning when we set off at 9:40.  The canal is very quiet and so we have no need to start early to secure a mooring.  The journey took us along a fairly narrow tree lined canal through isolated and very rural countryside with little visibility of any habitation.  

During much of the cruise our speed was limited by the trees and shubbery partially blocking the waterway with no indiciation of being managed in any way.  However it all looks very attractive.

We ascended 3 locks before arriving at Lower Heyford where we filled up with water, our last chance for 2-3 days. We then stopped shortly afterwards for lunch.  However the mooring was unattractive and the canal narrow, with a greater drawback of a complete lack of any internet or phone connectivity.  So after eating we started up the engine again and carried on another half mile through a lift bridge where we found a perfect mooring on our own surrounded by countryside with a good mobile signal strength.

Daily travel details

Distance: 5.07 miles
Locks: 3
Moveable bridges: 1
Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes

Back up the Cherwell

 A quiet day's cruising in perfect weather...

Entering Shipton Weir Lock

In Shipton Weir Lock

On the Cherwell - 1

On the Cherwell - 2

Leaving the Cherwell before the bridge

Baker's Lock takes us back to the Oxford Canal

Moored in the shade near Kirtlington

We set off at 9:20 in cool summery weather and cruised slowly up the Oxford Canal.  Our journey took us through Thrupp where we failed to find a mooring on our marathon 5 hour cruise towards the Thames two weeks ago.  Now of course there were plenty of free moorings but this time we had no wish to stop.

We passed through Shipton Lock onto the River Cherwell, leaving it at Baker's lock about 3/4 mile later.  It was now time to start looking for a mooring but for the first 1.5 miles the canal side looked unsuitable with a crumbling edge and quite shallow.  But we then came to a section where the bank had been reinforced with steel piling where we could easily moor.   It's an idyllic spot a long way from habitation with insufficient room for any other boat to disturb us.

Daily travel details

Distance: 4.72 miles
Locks: 2
Moveable bridges: 2
Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes

Out of Oxford and back to Kidlington

 Now that the weather has cooled a bit we can make longer journeys.Today we set off at 8:40 and travelled north up the Oxford Canal to Kidlington, close to where we moored 10 days ago.

Looking back down the Oxford canal in Oxford

 

St Edwards Bridge (left open)

Looking back from Dukes Lock at Duke's Cut Junction

Bullers Bridge in Kidlington

Travelling was slow because the canal  was narrow and there were many moored boats. But it was an enjoyable cruise as the canal is quite attractive.  We stopped for water and to dump the rubbish near St Edwards Bridge. The canal then took us past Dukes Cut Junction where we had turned off to go to the Thames on our outward journey.

Two locks further on we moored up for the night near Kidlington at 13:05.  Later in the afternon we walked 15 minutes into the town centre were we bought a few groceries.

Daily Journey Details

Distance: 5.21 miles3
Locks: 4
Moveable bridges: 
Duration: 4 hours 25 minutes.

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