Retracing my route back up the South Oxford Canal

A chilly but bright start to the day was enough to encourage me to get moving, so at 9am I cast off on the way to Banbury.

Not an eventful trip, but a few snaps as I passed along.

Leaving Aynho Weir lock (33) the diamond shaped one is just visible through the bridge, the weir to the right is where the river Cherwell makes its way across the canal and has warning signs if the current is to strong to proceed.

A couple of canal side houses, there aren’t many to be seen.

 An interesting moment at lift bridge 182, it was open as I approached so I passed beneath and a short distance afterwards I glanced back at it and it was closed, now there was no-one around to be seen and it made me think it had closed of its own accord, very worrying, if it came down as you were going through it would do a lot of damage to the roof and solar panel etc.,  I tried to put it out of my mind but was very wary at the next few.

This weeping willow restricted passage slightly; the canal is overgrown in a number of places and could do with a bit of cutting back although this posed no real problem.

Grants lock (30) was in my favour, although the couple who had just left it didn’t see me approach and had closed the gate, as I entered the lock a boat was waiting for me to go up before they could come down and the chap told me to stay aboard while he locked me through, he also told me Banbury was busy where I wanted to moor, near Morrison’s so when I arrived at my intended spot I was happy to see a space right at the end of the moorings, I was as close as I could get to the bridge across the canal with Morrisons just over the road, unfortunately this is my view from the side hatch

Sometimes you have to put convenience ahead of scenery.

Two trips to the store as I was getting very low on everything, then nearby I found an auto-parts store and purchased a couple of spare fanbelts, I have twin alternators, one charges the starter battery and the other the domestic battery bank, so one belt was to replace the spare one used recently and the other because I didn’t have a spare one.

The weather held until I was leaving the store for the first time and then rained steadily all afternoon but its dry again now.

Now I am if nothing else a creature of habit, and since I began this life afloat breakfast on Monday to Saturday has been two weetabix, whole milk (when available) and honey, on Sunday, provisions allowing, it’s a fry-up, but, I have purchased some porridge and I am actually looking forward to it already, I know, I lead a wild and exciting life J

Totals today: 6miles : 4Locks : 10 lift bridges