Cropredy circa 1960

[NB Alnwick]

I found a old photograph in the Francis Frith collection and wondered if anyone could identify the boat and possible dates that it was moored at Cropredy - it looks like a permanent mooring:

https://www.francisfrith.com/themes/canals-and-waterways/cropredy-the-oxford-canal-c1960_c291006?page=3

The dating of Francis Frith photographs is not always spot-on but this does look very 1960 . . .

[Ray T]

Graham, can't help with the photo but welcome back, long time no "see."

[Athy]

Yes, welcome back Graham (and Jane!)

The boat appears to be called 'Saunders', unless that's the name of the owner.

I see the same link shows a view of the lock cottage, with absolutely no boats moored above it. 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Athy

[Tracy D'arth]

9 minutes ago, NB Alnwick said:

I found a old photograph in the Francis Frith collection and wondered if anyone could identify the boat and possible dates that it was moored at Cropredy - it looks like a permanent mooring:

https://www.francisfrith.com/themes/canals-and-waterways/cropredy-the-oxford-canal-c1960_c291006?page=3

The dating of Francis Frith photographs is not always spot-on but this does look very 1960 . . .

Hi Graham, good to see you here, all well with you?

 

Is this moored across the winding hole?

[Dav and Pen]

The place is just below the road bridge on the offside where the water point etc now is. Below is now called the coal wharf but the original coal wharf was above the bridge where the canoe club is now. Hard to tell what the boat is but as it’s a conversation guess it’s a wooden hull.

[J R ALSOP]

It's worth a look through the rest of the old postcards, particularly the last one of Rickmansworth in 1921.

[Chris Lowe]

Only date date I tend to think of for Cropredy is 1644

[ditchcrawler]

31 minutes ago, J R ALSOP said:

It's worth a look through the rest of the old postcards, particularly the last one of Rickmansworth in 1921.

Yes I got caught flicking through as well

[NB Alnwick]

It is quite interesting - the dustbin indicates a long term mooring. This is now the site of Cropredy’s excuse for facilities. I agree with Athy that the boat appears to be named ‘Saunders’ but I would love to know more about the boat and it’s owner?

‘

[Richard T]

2 minutes ago, NB Alnwick said:

It is quite interesting - the dustbin indicates a long term mooring. This is now the site of Cropredy’s excuse for facilities. I agree with Athy that the boat appears to be named ‘Saunders’ but I would love to know more about the boat and it’s owner?

‘

Great to see you and Jane back- you have been missed.

[Athy]

10 hours ago, NB Alnwick said:

It is quite interesting - the dustbin indicates a long term mooring. This is now the site of Cropredy’s excuse for facilities.

That's rather unkind. O.K., it's an odd shape, but the Elsan disposal and the toilet are always very clean (kept so by CART or by good-hearted local people?)

What I wonder is, as 'Saunders' was obviously moored across the winding hole, where did boats turn round? Perhaps they used the inlet a couple of hundred yards further down, which is now silted up. Or perhaps they had to go down to Banbury?

[Tracy D'arth]

37 minutes ago, Athy said:

That's rather unkind. O.K., it's an odd shape, but the Elsan disposal and the toilet are always very clean (kept so by CART or by good-hearted local people?)

What I wonder is, as 'Saunders' was obviously moored across the winding hole, where did boats turn round? Perhaps they used the inlet a couple of hundred yards further down, which is now silted up. Or perhaps they had to go down to Banbury?

Hasn't the inlet further down been torn apart by the land owner now?

[Athy]

16 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Hasn't the inlet further down been torn apart by the land owner now?

As far as I know, he's the new owner of the manor house. In (I think) 2019 he had extensive work carried out to the offside bank at the end of his land, and it looked as if he was preparing it for moorings. But only one boat (his own, I assume, with a French name which I can't remember) has moored there so far. I think he had the inlet dredged at the same time. Local information says that this stream used to be navigable right up to the manor house, perhaps a couple of hundred yards away from the canal. N.B. Alnwick will know more about this than I do.

[Tracy D'arth]

5 minutes ago, Athy said:

As far as I know, he's the new owner of the manor house. In (I think) 2019 he had extensive work carried out to the offside bank at the end of his land, and it looked as if he was preparing it for moorings. But only one boat (his own, I assume, with a French name which I can't remember) has moored there so far. I think he had the inlet dredged at the same time. Local information says that this stream used to be navigable right up to the manor house, perhaps a couple of hundred yards away from the canal. N.B. Alnwick will know more about this than I do.

Thanks Athy.

[Ray T]

@NB Alnwick You have a pm.

[NB Alnwick]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

As far as I know, he's the new owner of the manor house. In (I think) 2019 he had extensive work carried out to the offside bank at the end of his land, and it looked as if he was preparing it for moorings. But only one boat (his own, I assume, with a French name which I can't remember) has moored there so far. I think he had the inlet dredged at the same time. Local information says that this stream used to be navigable right up to the manor house, perhaps a couple of hundred yards away from the canal. N.B. Alnwick will know more about this than I do.

The inlet did indeed go right up to what is now known as 'The Old Manor House' although on old ordnance survey maps the property is described as 'Manor Farm' as shown on this extract from a OS 1:2500 map of 1892. This inlet may have connected with what is believed to have been a medieval moat - part of which still exists. Also of interest is the extensive wharf complex which was on both sides of the road - both north and south of the bridge - with two weighbridges. What is now the winding hole appears to have been part of this wharf complex.

 

[Athy]

Excellent - early 20th century?

   I'm guessing that the principal trade would have been coal in, farm produce out, and that what is now the canoe club building would have been a warehouse for keeping said farm produce dry while it awaited shipment. I suppose that, with its position on the canal, Cropredy would have been a hub to which farmers from villages in a several-mile radius would have brought their produce.

   \or are these guesses some way from the truth?

[NB Alnwick]

12 minutes ago, Athy said:

Excellent - early 20th century?

   I'm guessing that the principal trade would have been coal in, farm produce out, and that what is now the canoe club building would have been a warehouse for keeping said farm produce dry while it awaited shipment. I suppose that, with its position on the canal, Cropredy would have been a hub to which farmers from villages in a several-mile radius would have brought their produce.

   \or are these guesses some way from the truth?

I think you are guessing correctly - the wharves at Cropredy may have thrived before the canal was properly established in Banbury. Although later, Banbury's numerous and extensive wharves (together with the tramway that linked the canal to the extensive 'Britannia Works') would have dominated local trade.

[mark99]

Overlay ghost.

 

 

[David Schweizer]

20 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Hi Graham, good to see you here, all well with you?

 

Is this moored across the winding hole?

You will have to tell Graham who you really are for him to remember you. ?

[mark99]

Vegetation stripped out via LiDAR.

 

 

[Dav and Pen]

In the 70s when we were up and down the Oxford with coal the house and barn above the bridge were all part of the coal merchants operation. I don’t know if they ever had coal by canal but I would guess so at some time as obviously the wharf was used for other things. A big regret is not buying it when it was sold.

[Ray T]

There is a little about Croperdy in Tom Foxon's book Following the trade.

[ditchcrawler]

3 hours ago, David Schweizer said:

You will have to tell Graham who you really are for him to remember you. ?

Is that allowed?

[TheBiscuits]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Is that allowed?

 

I think you are allowed to have a different forum username than your legal name.

 

There's quite a few of us in trouble if not ...