Good days

I moved yesterday from one side of Banbury to the other, nearer Morrisons so I could get some provisions, the canal through Banbury Town centre was very busy, boats moored either side on 2 day moorings and then at the end of the moorings a lift bridge then a lock, lift bridges are difficult for the single hander, the controls are on the wrong side of the canal but I was lucky and as I approached another boater lifted it for me

Looking back at Banbury lift bridge from the lock landing 

I had to wait for the lock as two plastic cruisers were coming up, they both fitted in

Looking forward at the lock

Once in I was able to stay on the boat as the crew from another boat locked me through, an easy 45 minute journey, it wasn’t a nice spot but it would do for one night, then shopping done, I did a bit more work on my little project.

This morning was cold, I got my sweater back on along with a fleece, and set off at 8:30, there are a lot of lift bridges on the Oxford but fortunately most of them are nearly permanently open.

Pretty Bridge 172

Through the first three

 and under the M40 again.

At Grants Lock (30) another boat was just moving in so I helped him through, two more lift bridges both open, then a view of Kings Sutton Church spire.

I arrived at Kings Sutton lock (31) to find a boat taking a while, I walked up to see if I could help and it was a family on their first lock, between me, them and the crew of a boat coming up it all got sorted but boats began to appear from behind me in quick succession and by the time it was my turn there were 7 of us queuing to go down the lock, school holidays I guess.

Queue building

Finally in.

Amazing the boats you see.

Under the M40 again with a view of lift bridge 183 beyond.

Past Pig Place.

A small holding with pigs, poultry and sheep and selling various produce including their own reared. It makes for another very busy little canal section, moored boats and tight bends and a former bridge narrowing, a boat coming towards me took over-enthusiastic evasive action, to avoid colliding with me, moving into a gap between moored boats and belted the piling with some force, he blamed a moored boat, but he was going a ‘little’ too fast on a sharp bend (with moored boats), I was going slowly and never deviated my path or flinched J

Aynho Wier lock (33) is diamond shaped, interesting.

My first one of these, at only 8.5 inches deep the shape is to enable more water to be passed through, as the next lock is Somerton Deep lock and is 12 feet deep, it would drain the pound between locks without something to prevent that, hence the extra capacity of the diamond shaped lock.

The moorings at Aynho Wharf looked busy but luck was again with me as a boat left its mooring just as I arrived, so I am right opposite the Wharf shop and close to the pub, I have visitors tomorrow so it’s perfect.

A lovely cruise, despite the chill, full of differing sights, sounds, locks and people, what a lovely way to spend a Thursday.

Tonight’s mooring.

Totals today and yesterday:  9.5 miles : 5 Locks : 11 Lift bridges

Is it summer ??

I left Cropedy at 9am, the weather was cold, a body warmer and fleece, and quite windy especially as I passed the quite open area formed by Cropedy Marina.

It’s quite narrow through Cropedy and lots of moored boats both before and after Cropedy lock (25), as I approached there was a boat ahead just going through in the same direction as me so a little wait before I could prepare the lock and move through.

The service point is just after bridge 153 and I wasn’t in desperate need but thought it might be an idea to empty the rubbish and cassette, it’s a funny layout here, the elsan point is at the back of the winding hole and a very short section to moor on for it or the water point, probably about 40ft long, I wasn’t going to bother but as I passed a boat came into view ahead so I thought I’d stop and get out of his way, I reversed back and tied up, as I was doing so he moored opposite as he wanted the water point, I was sticking about 15ft across the winding hole because of the short space when another shorter boat appeared and moved into the winding point and moored in there, it was a bit chaotic but I was soon done and moved away quickly.

Slow progress until I cleared all the moored boats both visitors and permanent, I had two canoists following me and they were hesitant to pass but did so on a wide bend, I was glad to get them past because the wind was making things a little more difficult than normal, then the canal widened a bit and progress was good.

Reaching Slat Mill Lock (26) I could see a boat tied up but he was quite a bit short of the lock and there were volunteers milling around painting the lock furniture, I had just made the decision that he must be moored and started to head for the lock when he moved away, nearly a little faux pas on my part, anyway they got through the lock with a bit of help and then I had help from the volunteers and the crew of a boat behind me, time to take a picture.

I love a bit of help.

Even time to take one of the top gate behind me.

Traffic was thundering past on the M40 oblivious to my 3mph progress through beautiful countryside.

It didn’t take long to get through the last two locks and I was soon pulling into a mooring in Banbury just after bridge 163, who should be in front of me just about to move off but Sue (N.b. Kes) again, she stopped what she was doing and walked back and chatted while I was tying up and just as I was finishing Dusty the fuel boat came into view, perfect, I was going to ring him to see where he was now I didn’t need to, Sue said goodbye and moved off and shortly after 96 litres were making their way into my tank, what a result and 79p a litre compared to £1.05 at a boatyard I passed further back.

No mooring pictures, I forgot.

Totals today: 5 miles : 4 Locks

A chat before moving on.

I had a nice chat with some holiday makers last night, they were on a borrowed boat moored in front of me and knew very little about the ‘workings’, the lady told me they could only use the loo in emergencies because they didn’t want to have to use a pumpout facility (emptying the tank) and they had no electricity because they didn’t know how to get it working, I offered to assist but they declined, she said they were coping with candles, oh dear, never mind they were in good spirits.

Before I left Fenny Compton today I had a chat with Sue (N.b. Kes) who was moored behind me, a nice lady who was about to set off for Cropedy or Banbury she was just going with the flow, so to speak, I set off about 9:30 and first stopped at the water point to top up, the weather was decidedly uncertain, it was long sleeved shirt, then fleece on, then waterproofs on, then waterproofs off, then fleece off, then fleece on, and so on.

Leaving Fenny Compton once you have passed the Marina you go through a section that used to be a tunnel (1000 yards) it is no longer covered but is narrow, I had to wait for an oncoming boat to pass through before I could go ahead.

Shears would come in handy, just room for one.

 A very rural run which seems to be typical of the Oxford, passing through liftbridge (141) which could be left open

Approaching

Leaving

and then down the Claydon Locks five in all (17-21) with no problems, I met a couple of boats coming the other way and had to turn a few locks (refill them to allow me to enter as I was going down on this occasion), a bit of a run to Elkington’s lock (22) with quite a few long term moorers around then down Varney’s Lock (23) where I waited for a boat coming up, I asked if Cropedy was busy and the answer was yes, his advice was to moor up after the next lock, Broadmoor Lock (24), so I was pleased to see a long space with pilings as I came out of the lock and I took the advice and moored up, it's just before the 'new' Cropedy Marina which opened in 2013.

I then took a quick walk down towards Cropedy (about half a mile) to get milk, he was correct it was busy but there were a couple of spaces I could have got in, as I walked back I again saw Sue (N.b. Kes) moored up and we had another quick chat, she was contemplating going further towards Banbury but just as I said cheerio it began to rain so she may have stayed put.

I will decide tomorrow whether to stay and look around or move on if the weather is ok.

Tonights mooring

Todays travel: 6 miles : 8 Locks : 1 Liftbridge

The continued cruise to Fenny Compton

Last night was very peaceful, it was also very dark with no other lighting of any sort around, with a huge choice of TV I scanned the guide and decided to read my kindle J, bed at 10:30 and slept through until 6:30 I think if I had blackout blinds in the bedroom it would have been later.

I wanted to moor at Fenny Compton today and looking at my Pearson’s companion guide book it looked as though there was a small amount of visitor moorings both before and after bridges 136a and 136, the distance from my current mooring being about 6 miles I estimated 2 to 3 hours depending on how many moored boats I found (which would mean going slower), my thinking was to arrive around 12ish in the hope the movers would have gone and the new settlers would not have yet arrived, so at 9:30 I cast off on the twisty lock free cruise across the summit, mostly farmland

Back in sheep territory

Along with Crops (Wheat I think but I'm no farmer)

But not always with clear open views

Narrow and tree lined in places

 A lovely cruise although chilly at times, the fleece jacket was on and off three or four times.

This bridge (un-numbered) is inscribed ‘The Wedding Bridge MMIX’, but I could not find out why, obviously the MMIX refers to 2009 in roman numerals, perhaps a rich husband/couple/father paid for it to commemorate a wedding.

It seems to be a rule of narrowboating that at least 30% of boats you meet will be at the worst possible place, bridge holes, blind bends, sections where the width is reduced by vegetation or moored boats and today again as I was passing moored boats another one came around a bend ahead, it was tight but there was just enough room for both of us, however, he decided to reverse back, no problem but that meant he was now blocking the canal until he got it under control (reversing these beasts is tricky as you cannot steer in reverse), I had virtually stopped but as the gap opened I started forward again, he then began waving frantically at me to pass him on his right, no way, I was too close to the moored boats to swing over to my left and why would I need to? he had reversed out of my way and I had plenty of room, but as I carried on slowly forward he moved forward again over to my right and shut the gap, so into reverse lots of revs and we kissed bow fenders very gently, both now reversing until the gap reopened and I went ahead through it, as I passed him he shouted “sorry about that, the wind caught me”, “all adds to the fun” I replied.

I reached Fenny Compton about 11:45 and it was busy, I was passing a gap dithering about whether I would fit or whether to look further ahead and then once I could see further ahead was full I decided to reverse back and parallel 'park' into the gap, good job it wasn’t windy and although it didn’t look elegant (I wasn’t reversing a Vauxhual Corsa! ) I got in quite nicely; walking further along later I found that it was the last designated space.

The weather forecast tomorrow is decidedly poor, I have a TV signal, Formula 1 is on, I am not moving until Monday at the earliest J ooooh and there is a pub 500 yards ahead.

Tonights mooring

Totals Today: about 6 miles

To the Oxford Canal summit

The weather forecast for today was for rain in the afternoon, so I thought I’d get a reasonably early start and then see how far I got before deciding to stop, the next real place of interest being Fenny Compton, 9 locks and roughly 9 miles away.

I needed water and rubbish clearing along with ‘the emptying of the cassette’ first, so at 8am I prepared everything and then as often happens two boats came along, I waited 10 minutes then walked the couple of hundred yards until I could see if they had stopped on the water point, they hadn’t so I walked back and cast off, stopped and filled with water, moved across and emptied rubbish and loo, just as I was finishing someone was leaving the first lock (8), so I waved and they left the gates open for me, a good start

Leaving Lock 8 and Napton on the Hill

all the locks were in my favour with just two little waits for people coming the other way through them, at Lock 14 you can see how black the sky was, you can also see the boats moored in the Engine House Arm, which was dug to allow boats to bring coal to a stationary steam engine which pumped water back up to the summit, now it is just used for residential moorings.

Lock 14

Entrance to the Engine House Arm

At the last lock for today (16) there was a volunteer lockie so no work for me again, a good easy run of nine locks but as I was leaving this lock it began to rain, just a shower but quite heavy, waterproof jacket on.

After the lock there were a lot of boats moored on the right and not much room and as I came around a blind bend I was faced with a boat heading towards me, neither of us had sounded our horns, not many people do and although I did when I first started I have mostly dropped the habit (you do feel foolish sometimes when no-one else bothers) but in future I will again consider it more often, there was a gap in the moored boats so with some very careful slow maneuvering I was able to move into the boat sized gap and as the other boater passed me, move off again, carefully!

I now had a lock-free  run of about 7 miles to Fenny Compton so I thought now would be a good time for tea, before I could stop though there was another heavy shower. Having stopped I thought I might call it a day, but it brightened, so off I went again passing Paul on N.b. James who runs the information packed Living on a Narrowboat site.

I then passed this interesting little mooring, he’s dug himself a boat size hole and made good the canal bank after, I hope he’s sorted out some type of water filtering or that ‘pond’ is going to get stagnant and very unpleasant especially if his sink discharges into it as most boats do, but I guess he doesn’t need to pay C&RT for a licence J

That looks odd.

Self contained ?

The sky was now looking very black and as I came through bridge 123 I saw a nice section of piling and thought ‘that will do me’, so I am moored there, not another boat in sight, no walkers or cyclists as this is the summit of the Oxford and very remote although HS2 is due to pass through virtually the middle of this lock-free section (if it ever gets built) which would be a shame but we do need good transport links (just not in my backyard eh). Oddly though I have 173 TV channels here.

Tonights mooring

Totals today: 4 miles : 9 Locks

Napton.....eventually.

Yesterday I left Braunston along the short hop to the junction and then off down the Oxford canal, it was a little bit chaotic at the junction, there was one boat I could see in the distance reversing towards me, so I sounded 2 short blasts on the horn to inform him I intended to go left, that also sounded a warning to anyone coming out of the junction, not the correct warning which should be a long single blast, but I couldn’t really do both and not many people understand the sound signals anyway, the reversing boat paused and I turned into the junction as I got about a third of the way in I was met with a boat coming out, it’s too tight for two long-ish boats to pass so he stopped and reversed, I stopped and once it was clear enough I got around ok.

Rolling hillside

The Oxford is a much narrower and more twisty canal than the GU, it’s more rural but quite busy so care must be taken approaching bridges and tight bends and moored boats, there were a number of ‘breathe in and squeeze through’ situations but everyone seemed to be behaving well (including myself), sometimes when there isn’t enough room you just have to wait and let the boat with priority through, sometimes it’s you, it makes it all the more interesting and there is beautiful scenery, the cruise was a delight.

Napton Junction also known as Wigrams Turn is where the GU and The Oxford actually part company, the initial part from Braunston to this turn is actually a joint canal (Grand Union and Oxford) and it is here that the GU heads off towards Birmingham.

Wigrams Turn....Birmingham through here.

Continuing on down the canal I passed Les (N.b. Valerie) stood on the back of his moored boat, a cheery “hello again, where are you off too” was about all we had time for but that’s how it is, you see people time and time again but only ‘meet’ them if you are both moored in the same area.

Now at this point I was following a boat that was going very slowly, I had caught them up and was going just about at tickover even in the clear areas, it was not a problem but I am going to blame them for my next error, I knew where I wanted to stop, after  Bridge 112 and before the Napton Locks, as we came through Bridge 110 he slowed even more and began to moor up on a section of piling and I thought ‘oh it must be busy’ because it wasn’t the ideal spot, so as I rounded the next bend and saw a mooring I took it, once I had finished mooring and went for a walk I realised my error, I had not engaged my brain when I woke up, I was two bridges and about a mile short of my intended location, oh well, never mind.

This morning at 10:30 I made the effort and moved up to the visitor moorings I should have stopped at yesterday passing the windmill on the back of Napton on the Hill, it can be seen from the canal as you approach Napton but is on private land with no admittance.

I don't think this new build will do much to enhance the view of it,

I went for a walk lunchtime, it’s another wonderful little village, about a half mile from the canal and again up a very steep hill, the parish church of St. Lawrence has a Norman chancel

and is at the very top maybe in an effort to deter half hearted worshippers from bothering, there is virtually no vehicular access, just a dirt track, no car park.

View from about half way up the Hill

It wouldn't be a village 'post' without one of these.

A village store and post office, the village pub “The Crown” looked closed but I wasn’t sure, it did not look very inviting and there is “The Folly” down by the canal at the locks, a much busier looking family friendly pub.

Canal wise it’s a busy little spot, with the water points one side of the canal just after a tight bend, the services point the other side of the canal immediately through bridge 113 and adjacent to the first lock (8) of the Napton locks, entertaining for the Gongoozlers and sometimes by the look of things, testing for the boaters, I will see how I get on tomorrow if I move on.

Tonights Mooring

Totals Yesterday and Today: about 7 Miles : 0 locks

There are no mileage indictors on Pearson’s guide for the Oxford, so I’m guessing a bit.

A little look at Braunston

Late yesterday afternoon I took the bike out and went on a whirlwind tour of Braunston village, although Braunston is probably one of the most famous places on the canal network, linking the Grand Union canal with the Oxford canal both southern and northern sections, you wouldn’t know it from the village, I didn’t bother taking any pictures it had a couple of pubs, a convenience store which was quite well stocked and a butchers where I purchased some real bacon, sausages and chicken fillets.

This morning being Sunday it was a full English breakfast to start the day off and for a change the bacon didn’t shrink to half its size or expel a litre of water and whatever else into the frying pan, it also strangely tasted of bacon, minor rant at the pre-packed garbage we are sold as bacon over.

I went on a walkabout along the towpath back to the first lock where I visited the Chandlers and rid my wallet of another £50 on two wheel type fenders and hooks to attach them to my roof rail, they will be utilised when the normal fenders aren’t able to prevent the boat banging on the edge for whatever reason when moored, something I suffered at Weedon Bec because of the concrete sloping away towards the boat below the waterline, and also at Kings Langley where large section steel pilings were used and the fenders did not line up with the projecting part of the section, although it doesn’t really harm the boat it is incredibly jarring, I also purchased an anti-vandal key which I will need on some of the locks and bridges around Birmingham.

Next door to the Chandlers was a boatyard and I went in to see if they could supply me with a piece of steel I need for a little project, I wanted a piece of 3 or 4mm thick by about 200mm square, after a quick look around his off-cuts I was offered a piece of 5mm about 500mm square, it would do, no charge, another nice man, I had to cut it with an hacksaw though and at 5mm thick it was not easy and it took a fair time to do, I then drilled some holes in it and this is the resulting piece, more on that later if it gets finished.

On the way back to the boat I passed Braunston Marina, theres a few workshops in there as well, including one for upholstery, I should imagine they keep busy. 

This is the bridge over the entrance to the marina viewed from the marina with a passing narrowboat out on the canal, I can be so arty sometimes J

The ‘Gongoozlers Rest’is a boat cafe moored adjacent to the entrance to the marina where tea etc. is taken on board.

Gongoozler is a term used to describe people who go along to canals just to watch the narrowboat activity, according to 'Wiki' it's possibly from words in the Lincolnshire dialect 'gawn' and 'gooze' both meaning to stare or gape.

And this is the steeple of Braunston Church viewed from the canal towpath.

Braunston Junction is just a little way ahead of me and is where the Oxford canal goes off north or south and has twin bridges and a sort of unusual traffic island arrangement, quite difficult to get them both in the frame; this is taken from Midland Chandlers car park.

So previously I mentioned it would be decision time soon, I decided at Norton Junction that I wouldn’t be heading up towards Leicester at this time, so that leaves the decision now to either head towards Rugby, north on the Oxford or towards Banbury, south on the Oxford and that is what I have decided on, I am going to head back south which will put me nearer my family for the naming/thanksgiving of my granddaughter in August.