The Oxford Canal
After 412 miles, 396 locks and 12 tunnels we have arrived! The morning started out OK, but then we got into a queue at Bourton lock. One boat in the lock and four waiting. In the last 6 weeks or so we have hardly had to queue at all, and here we are only a
The awful weather predicted didn`t arrive. It has been very windy, but mostly sunny with occasional short showers. The canal has been quite busy, we have seen more boats today than any day in the last week or so. Tomorrow we should be at our new mooring in the marina at Cropredy. A new experience
The weather forecast for today was dire. It spoke of high winds and heavy rain from 11 o’clock onwards. So we decided to make an early start and were on the way by 6:45. The river was cloaked in mist, giving a magical, ethereal quality to everything. It was difficult at times to see where
A superb day’s boating on the Thames from Oxford to Wallingford. Isis lock from the Oxford Canal out onto the Thames: We were waiting at Osney lock at 9:00 for the lock keepeer to come on duty. He relieved us of £36 for our Thames licence and we were on our way.Just above Osney lock
At last we now feel that we are on the journey proper. We set out from Kinver about two weeks ago, but it just felt like moving the boat to Cropredy, not like we were on the summer trip itself. We arrived in Cropredy around 11:45, brought the boat down to near the lock, so
Queues, queues and more queues! Last night’s sunset. We started off at just before 7:30. It was a bit chilly but very pleasant climbing the Napton flight. We haven’t been this way for 11 years. The top pound below Marston Doles was almost empty, with only just enough water to bump along the bottom. Water buffalo
A great day’s boating today, though it started off a little odd. We did the first lock on our own, then spotted a boat just in front of us. We caught them up at the second of the Fosse locks. We almost wish we hadn’t. It was a scruffy old boat with loads of junk