john6767

Off the river now, back on the Oxford canal at Thrupp. The canal seems very small! Had a great run down the river yesterday, and all but one lock was manned, so not much work to do at all. I have to say I have been very impressed with the upper Thames, it has been very quiet with few boats at all. Most of the moving boats were narrowboats, which I was not expecting. There are lots of nice moorings out in the country, if you want seclusion it is great. The locks, are well maintained and easy to operate, and the lock keepers friendly and helpful, one even gave us some apples. We decided to come back via Dukes Cut, the same way as we went on to the river, so the centre of Oxford will have to wait for another time. We plan to do down stream next time. Had a nice meal at thew Jolly Boatman last night, it was a refreshing change that they let dogs in, so we were able to eat inside for a change. It is raining now, so we have not moved off yet, but will do soon.

Spent a fair time in Lechlade yesterday, very pleasant. With the sun shining the river was lively with the pub garden by the bridge full, and canoes and rowing boats on the river. The Cotswold Canals Trust were doing good business running a trip boat from the park on the opposite side of the river. After a pub lunch and stocking up on supplies, late afternoon we set off upstream to the head on navigation at the roundhouse at Inglesham lock. After winding, I reversed the boat back under the trees to the entrance to the Cotstwold Canal, and felt able to proclaim we had made it! Then to start retracing our steps back to Calcutt. Down the first 2 locks which were manned as they were when we came up. The third again was unmanned. Looking around Grafton lock, it seems stangly unkempt compared to the immaculate condition of the others. Moored at Radcot, and visited the Swan for a quick drink. Like most of the pubs on the Thames they don't allow dogs inside, so we were relegated to the garden, and the whether was getting a bit threatening. We just got back to the boat when the heavens opened, lucky timing. A very atmospheric monring, with the mist over the water and fields.

Why not just get a 3G dongle then you will have access from virtually everywhere (posted from beside a field in the middle of nowhere on the Thames).

Not dismissing the town, although they did not offer my daughter a place, their loss, Durham is better anyway (for English at least). I just get the feeling that they turn their back on the canal, but if you can tell me otherwise and that there are copious moorings and a pleasant run up out of the town then perhaps I will give it a go on the way back. In fact I think you are really saying what I think of the place, inward looking. is a very good way of describing it

So Tuesday morning, and what a change in the whether. From baking (too) hot sunshine of the last few days, to heavy rain to dark grey skies. At about 9:30 walked back to the lock, and sorted out the licence. As has been mention on here before they are generous on the sizing used for the area of the boat, 50ft narrowboat, equals 2m x 15m, which actually puts you a band lower on the licence (based on area) than if the accurate values were used. By the time we pushed off, the rain had just about stopped, and the day was not really too bad, a couple of showers but is was actually quite pleasant not to be too hot. I had promised my wife then the locks were all manned and so there was no work to do, and Eynsham had "proved" that. I had spoken too soon. Arrived at the next lock, not manned. So a quick learning curve, and we are operating the Thames lock ourselves, and I am in trouble, "you told me..... ". Probably just a one off, surely in August the locks would be manned, but no not true as the next one and the one after that all are unmanned. The next is a manned one, and then back to unmanned again until the last 2 locks before Lechlade which were. So I make it 9 locks, 4 manned and 5 unmanned, not what I was expecting at all, but no big deal as there are very easy. The other big shock is just how quiet it is, there are hardly any boats at all, and in most cases we were locking alone apart from the last 2 to Lechalde where we shared with a cruiser, the lock keeper saying that it was the first time today he had had 2 boats in the lock, and it was 6:00pm. Arrived at Lechlade and moored on the field opposite the church, on the lock keepers recommendation, £4 a night, but they probably will not collect it. Probably about 10 boats here, but still lots of room. Interesting most are narrowboats. Has a reasonable meal at the pub by the bridge, we have the dog with us so eat in the garden by the river. Awoke to a very pleasant sunny morning, and they did collect the mooring fee, but it well worth it for such a good convenient spot. There is an EA 24hr mooring by the pub with no one on it if you want to save £4, but nicer in the field I think. One problem with the field is it has cows in it, and the dog things it is great, "snacks" everywhere (dog owners will understand), her breath stinks! So plan for today it to look around a bit, and then go up to the head on navigation, and then back down part way to Eynsham.

From Lower Hayford down the last of the locks towards Oxford. Thrupp makes a nice setting, and provides very good services, it is the full set there, water/toilet/rubbish. The electric lift bridge at Thrupp is easy to operate, and has a control box on each side, according to the notice to make it easier for single handed. Not sure how that really works though, the towpath crosses side there and it is not as though you can raise if from one side and then lower it from the other, or can you, ie BW key in both boxes? The canal as it passes round Kidlington is not unpleasant, and down the last 2 locks to the junction with Dukes Cut. We took this route to the Thames as it basically gives a short cut when heading upstream on the Thames. Also been put off Oxford but the reported lack of mooring and the promised long lines of permanent moorings. Dukes Cut has a very "no mans land" feeling, the lock it a real mess, the channel overgrown with trees and some very dubious looking boats moored there. At the end of Dukes Cut the EA sign, which I think it telling you that you need a licence is obscured buy undergrowth, this does very much feel like the back door to the "royal" river. Once out onto the main channel things are different, nice and wide and very open views across the flood plain. Very soon we get to Eynshan lock, and it was nice to see as we aporach the lock keeper opening the bottom gates for us and waving us straight in, this is the life I thought (more on that later). So being well researched we did what we believed was expected of us and used lines front and rear and cut the engine once the ropes were secure. I announced to the lock keeper that we needed to sort out a license, to which his unexpected response was "you going on far?". That was going to be my next question I said, "anywhere to moor here?". The result being that he said we could moor above the lock, not bother with a license now (it was about 6:30pm) and get a license in the morning. A very reasonable approach I thought. So a very pleasant sunny evening above Eynsham lock.

Time for an update. Well found Banbury "cross", in the middle of a busy roundabout. There was a market on in Banbury so bought some nice beer and cider in 2 litre "milk" cartons. Moved off and a very pleasant, but really too hot, trip as far as Lower Hayford. I found it interesting the way that the locks change bellow Banbury, all singles, ie not in flights, and typically quite deep. Also with single bottom gates. To me that seems to say they were built with no concern for water usage, it that right? For example 2 off 6ft deep locks would make better use of water than one 12ft one, and the use of single bottom gates means the lock it 3ft longer than one with double bottom gates.

I would agree that it is very nice in the areas that you mention, very much like the South Stratford in my mind., but there are many others too that equal or better it, the Llangollen perhaps, all personal preference.

We left Calcutt marina near Napton on Friday, and are now moored just above Eynsham lock on the Thames. Not too much of an issue with the queues for us, you just have to get your timing right to go up Napton one day and down Claydon the next day. Water levels good all the way, and the canal very quiet. As we were going up stream on the Thames we went via Dukes Cut and missed out Oxford. What I have read, even down to Nicholsons, Oxford its self is very poor, perhaps it we have time we will go back that way so at least we can say we have seen it.

I agree very quiet. Currently in Banbury heading south.

Not great progress yesterday, but then we are on holiday . The passage through the Claydon flight was efficient, with a one up one down policy orchestrated by BW. The queue to come up was much greater, the remnants for the festival I guess. Chatting to the BW guy while we waited. The restrictions have dropped the lock movements for the summit pound from 600 per week to 400, primarily due to there being no hire boats. It certainly is very quiet. According to the BW guy the water for the summit is mostly coming from back pumping at Napton with only trickle being taken from the reservoir. Before the restrictions the summit pound was down about a foot, now it it dropping about an inch during the 4 hours the locks are open, and the over the next 20 hours the back pumping at Napton is restoring it. On that basis the current situation is sustainable, in his opinion. Disclaimer: only passing on what the BW guy on the ground told me. On through Cropredy (wish I could pronounce it), used the services there. Just south the heavens opened, so pulled over and stopped, again we are on holiday. Decided to have lunch, and the end result being to was 3pm before we moved off again. Stopped in the centre of Banbury, just before the lift bridge which is where we still are now. Despite have lived in the midlands for 30 year I have never been to the centre of Banbury; been to the rugby club many times though. Went looking for a takeaway, one thing the rather tickled me, a new "chain type" pub in the centre on Banbury called "The Grand Union", complete with narrowrboat pub sign. I think they got a bit lost. Wife wants to go and find Banbury cross before we leave this morning, although according to Nicholsons it's a replica.

Time to move off I think, first moving boat just passed up so that would put us number 6 for the locks, although by now hopefully a few have already descended. Word is that they open the locks early usually at around 9:30.

Yes, why?

Well after much deliberation about if we should go down theSouth Oxford or not, we finally decided that we would risk it. So we are on our way from Calcutt down toOxford and then hopefully on to Lechlade. We left home at 7:30am, got to the boat at 8:15am, loaded upand went up the first 2 of the Calcutt locks and filled up with diesel. Then on to Napton to get to the top 2 locks inside the opening window of 10am to 2pm. The Napton flight was very quiet, so I guess the restriction has put lots of people off going this way. We exited the top lock at 1pm. Not really any issues with water levels so far. One observation; the bottom gates on the toplock leak very badly, which can't be helping matters. A very pleasant cruise in the baking sun to Fenny Compton, followed by a bite to eat and a couple of drinks at the Wharf Inn. Now about a mile above the Clayton flight, ready to descend in the opening window in the morning. It's just started raining..... every bit helps.

One such lock that is probably round about 7', or just a bit more, is on the Wilmcote flight. With our 6' 10" beam boat (although have to admit never measured it!) going down the lock it hard to believe that it will fit, but it does. Any boat that has fenders down will most likely get stuck in some of the locks on the lower Stratford. Edited to add: Yes, Edstone is not nice in a howling wind with the boat pinned against the non-towpath side.

6' 10" is the standard beam for a "modern" narrowboat. So that is exactly would you would expect to be using on a narrow canal like the Stratford.

Likewise, planning to set of from Calcutt down the Oxford on Friday. Intending to get an early start to hopefully get all the way up Napton before the 2pm deadline, and overnight the Fenny Compton. Thoughts on the size of the queues apprciated.

I tried to download navvygator but the link is not working.

The mild was good, enjoyed a few of those post BCN challenge.

The basin does feel a bit exposed to me. If I were on my own I think I would stop on the offside moorings on the arm instead. The other things is, and this is perhaps the bigger issue, how may boats venture on the Walsall canal in the first place. However, I can at least say that I have moored there, right by the pub. Admittedly it was after the BCN challenge and the basin was a bit fuller. Pub was noisy though.

50ft Narrowboat, Beta 35 engine. Based on a recent fill-up of 160 odd litres (ouch), 1.4 litres/hour average. That included a spell on the River Avon, and the BCN challenge where we were not hanging about!

It is also on the email. I was moored there Saturday night until Sunday afternoon, if is anything like as busy as it was then there will indeed be a lot of boats waiting.