Mooring near Cropredy tomorrow, 4th August

[Kendorr]

I'm currently on the South Oxford, moored up just to the south of Banbury. My aim for tomorrow is to go through Banbury and Cropredy and moor somewhere close to Clattercote Wharf. I've heard people saying that it's already very busy around Cropredy with the Fairport Cropredy festival the coming weekend.

 

Is there anyone moored up in the area, or who knows the area better than I do, who can suggest a good place to moor up for the night? I want to leave the Claydon locks 'till Monday.

 

Thanks folks - Kevin

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Kendorr said:

I'm currently on the South Oxford, moored up just to the south of Banbury. My aim for tomorrow is to go through Banbury and Cropredy and moor somewhere close to Clattercote Wharf. I've heard people saying that it's already very busy around Cropredy with the Fairport Cropredy festival the coming weekend.

 

Is there anyone moored up in the area, or who knows the area better than I do, who can suggest a good place to moor up for the night? I want to leave the Claydon locks 'till Monday.

 

Thanks folks - Kevin

 

 

Well firstly there is deffly space at Clattercote Wharf and I'm sure Greg will be happy to relief you of a tenner to moor there overnight!

 

But more seriously there is piled edging bang opposite on the towpath that is rarely full. Or go past Clattercote Wharf and there is about 1/4 mile of VMs on the right immediately before Claydon bottom lock that I've never seen full. One or two spaces on the right before you get there too.

 

 

P.S. the Claydon locks are a trial at the moment as the water levels in the pounds are 12" to 18" low. Or were last time I did them two weeks ago and I can't imagine it having improved since then.

 

 

[OldGoat]

I can only offer some 'mitigation'  - on the basis of having mistakenly cruised through Cropredy in previous years and tha is -

 

Too late MTB got there first...

 

Well away from the festival in either direction it is possible to find a mooring, provided that you're not too fussy, that is not having convenient piling or don't mind being in the trees with no TV picture!  Otherwise they can be very pleasant!

 

[Athy]

Sound advice, and it's a pretty stretch too.

 

Just in case you don't know the area: do use the Cropredy sanny station facilities (left-hand side immediately before the road bridge) as there's no water until Fenny Compton, and no CART elsan disposal until Napton. (You can empty your cassette at Fenny Marina but there is a charge). Also, the Bridge Store at Cropredy (literally just across the bridge from the sanny station) is the last proper shop for many a mile. (There's a rather rudimentary shop in the Wharf pub at Fenny)

 

If you are familiar with the area of course, you'll know this already, so do excuse me if it's a granny-suck-egg situation.

[MtB]

20 minutes ago, Athy said:

(There's a rather rudimentary shop in the Wharf pub at Fenny)

 

Conservative to the point of being plain wrong. If you go in there to buy basic provisions (as I did the other day) of milk, bacon, butter, potatoes and bread, you will be probably be as I was, disappointed on every count. 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by Mike the Boilerman
Add a bit

[Kendorr]

28 minutes ago, Athy said:

If you are familiar with the area of course, you'll know this already, so do excuse me if it's a granny-suck-egg situation.

All advice gratefully received, I don't know this stretch, first time cruising this far south!!

 

38 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

But more seriously there is piled edging bang opposite on the towpath that is rarely full. Or go past Clattercote Wharf and there is about 1/4 mile of VMs on the right immediately before Claydon bottom lock that I've never seen full. One or two spaces on the right before you get there too.

Thanks Mike, just what I was hoping, there's been several stretches along this canal where any suitable mooring spot is given over to long term, although this has improved as I've come further north.

 

Kevin

[MtB]

2 minutes ago, Kendorr said:

Thanks Mike, just what I was hoping, there's been several stretches along this canal where any suitable mooring spot is given over to long term,

 

Really? There are new long term moorings on the southern oxford? 

 

Can you describe where please, out of interest? Many thanks. 

[Athy]

36 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Conservative to the point of being plain wrong. 

 

36 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

 

 

Conservative yes, plain wrong, no. "Rudimentary", a step or two below "basic", sums it up accurately. From memory, if you want a packet of crisps and a tin of peas for supper, it's ideal!

 

On the other hand, the Co-Op in Fenny village is well stocked (they even had bottles of Ubu when we called earlier this year!) Moor at the marina, walk down the path on the right-hand side of same, turn left and it's about a mile. We took our folding trolley with us to carry our beer groceries back to the boat.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

Conservative yes, plain wrong, no. "Rudimentary", a step or two below "basic", sums it up accurately. From memory, if you want a packet of crisps and a tin of peas for supper, it's ideal!

 

Oh they sell crisps now do they? There's progress for you....

 

I second your comments about the village shop in Fenny Compton. Excellent iteration of a Co-Op shop. About a mile from the cut IIRC. 

 

Only thing wrong there is they don't give out those pink Co-Op gift stamps. 

 

[Kendorr]

54 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Really? There are new long term moorings on the southern oxford? 

 

Can you describe where please, out of interest? Many thanks. 

First I remember is just as you get to the top of Dukes lock, these set the tone, because all I wanted to do was stop and moor up.

I think I'm right in saying there's some at Kiddlington.

Then there's Thrupp!!

Just above Bakers lock, I was a bit naughty and stopped under the tree at the end of the lock landing!! The mooring above Bakers lock appears to go on for a long time!

 

Since then, it has got easier and there are more places with arm-co which aren't reserved moorings. 

[OldGoat]

I think Mike was referring to Official LTMs - not boats which are moored long term.....

[Slim]

Came down from Napton to Cropredy Marina 48 hours ago. Space below Claydon flight. One space above Varneys lock. Nothing between Varneys and Broadmoor. Nothing between Broadmoor and entrance to Cropredy Marina. There was bank but as I recall very shallow and you would be on mooring pins

 

 

Frank 

 

As for the shop at Fenny I bought some narn bread there several years ago. It was DISGUSTING. Mind you the beer there earlier this week wasn't much better and the attitude of the staff, well...………………………...  

[Boater Sam]

Fenny Wharf pub restaurant known for flies, shop not the best.

 

Co-op in town is not too far providing the front has not been ripped out again by the cash machine raiders.

[Nightwatch]

Immediately below Elkington  Lock is worth a shufty.

[mrsmelly]

7 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Immediately below Elkington  Lock is worth a shufty.

Sensible boaters are mooring above nell bridge at the moment for the pre cropredy bash with live bands on this coming wednesday night,  bar and outside cafe open. Also Mikron theatre on the weekend 

[Nightwatch]

5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Sensible boaters are mooring above nell bridge at the moment for the pre cropredy bash with live bands on this coming wednesday night,  bar and outside cafe open. Also Mikron theatre on the weekend 

That would make sense also.

[Farey]

Here's a few photos showing the situation this morning: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LwzCz7XRQQCGySPs8

[OldGoat]

Super pics - thanks!!

I see the moorings are filling up nicely. Foks avoiding the long bend - lest their pins get dragged....

[Simon Pooley]

Thanks, Farey, for posting those aerial pics.

It looks like the glamping has really increased this year.

(I'll be in my nice canvas tent, as usual. Casting a  envious eye at the narrow boats moored on the way into the village.)

[Athy]

10 hours ago, Simon Pooley said:

 

It looks like the glamping has really increased this year.

 

This year, for the first time, the festival has a "glamping" field. I have no idea what it entails - perhaps you arrive and your tent is already erected for you?

 

Kendorr, where did you moor in the end? If you go "hard" you can reach Napton in a day from the Cropredy area, though we have found that, for some reason, it's easier to go from Napton to Cropredy in one day than vice versa.

[Kendorr]

Good morning all

 

I got through Banbury and Cropredy, unfortunately following another boat, so most of the locks were set against me. In Cropredy lock a very nice gentleman took my windlass and locked me through. I got through Varneys lock and saw some armco just before Varneys bridge, 149. It was just before 2-00 and I'd not had any lunch so moored right at the end, along with 3 other boats. I'm in no rush and intend taking another 3 days to get to Braunston, got a friend coming to help me back to Thorne, so will be aiming for Barrow on Soar for Friday 16th August.

 

Kevin

[Kendorr]

and, I've just got through Claydon locks in just over an hour!! 

 

Always nice as a single handed boater when there's a queue waiting to go down and you're going up ?

 

Kevin

[Nightwatch]

1 minute ago, Kendorr said:

and, I've just got through Claydon locks in just over an hour!! 

 

Always nice as a single handed boater when there's a queue waiting to go down and you're going up ?

 

Kevin

I have never singlehanded, but I can see how much easier it is. Even with my Lock wheeler in attendance passage is far easier and quicker if the locks are in favour.  Nice steady passage now for, what is it? eleven miles to the next lock.

[Slim]

8 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I have never singlehanded, but I can see how much easier it is. Even with my Lock wheeler in attendance passage is far easier and quicker if the locks are in favour.  Nice steady passage now for, what is it? eleven miles to the next lock.

I normally single hand so appreciate fully the pleasure of finding locks in one's favour. Even more pleasant is the sight, at about 200 yards, of gates gently gliding open and the bows of a boat appearing. For some inexplicable they always seem to take an absolute age to exit.

Kendorr may face 11 ? lock free miles but the stretch between Fenny Compton to Marsdon Doles is really slow, really shallow. I came the other way a few days ago and felt like a farmer ploughing his field rather than a boater. Managed to average about 2.1 mph between Marsdon and Fenny.  

[Nightwatch]

I hear, often, of the summit being shallow. We have a draft of just 1'10" so rarely scrape the bottom. We have travelled this section many many times but apart from one transit the levels have been okay. I'm not saying you or anyone else suffers the top and bottom being too close, but we haven't.