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Fat boats on the North Oxford


Dr Bob

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42 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It was never an orphan, it was always under the Oxford Canal Company, hence the tolls it could extract. I think it only became known as the GU in relatively recent times. Possibly post nationalisation. I am sure I read that the Braunston Puddle Banks and cutting beyond were part of the straightening the Oxford Canal Company carried out.

 

Middle left of map.

GUOpened376.jpg

 

 

OxfordpreGJ377.jpg

 

Edited by Ray T
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1 hour ago, roland elsdon said:

Yes i think you are right. That makes the length between wigrams turn and the new braunston turn an orphan canal, until  incorporated in the grand union.

 

The section of Oxford Canal which became part of the GU route to Birmingham is from Napton Junction to what is now the entrance to Braunston Marina, as Ray's maps show.

All three arms of the junction at Braunston Turn are Oxford Canal!

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18 minutes ago, David Mack said:

The section of Oxford Canal which became part of the GU route to Birmingham is from Napton Junction to what is now the entrance to Braunston Marina, as Ray's maps show.

All three arms of the junction at Braunston Turn are Oxford Canal!

Hence the reason of the original stop lock at the toll house, aka The Stop House.

 

Stop Lock 2.jpg

Stop Lock 3.jpg

 

The stop lock was widened as part of the 1930's modernisation scheme.

 

Edited by Ray T
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19 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Is that bit considered to be the GU or the "mid Oxford"?

 

At least they are moored at wide points and don't cause an obstruction. I do wonder how long they have been moored there though, the grass is growing well around the mooring hooks/pins.

I don't know that the grass had grown but the 2 pins and bit of angle had pulled out. I boat that weight I would want something a bit longer in the ground

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Tank road crosses it and recrosses after the cutting at wolfhamcote. Fascinating bit of industrial countryside, with the railway lines going into braunston and the church.

Its between our current house and mooring, but even so we still walk a lot of it every visit to braunston, and only during lockdown discovered a new railway bridge.

If you venture as far as woodford halse you get even more  railways, and a village with terraced housing, almost back to back in nature, very like huddersfield and halifax but in the country. Built for railway repair yards.

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First time I’ve received one of these, related to complaints recently I wonder?

 

Original message:

 

There is a planned wide-beam boat journey on the North Oxford Canal from Braunston to Dunchurch Pools Marina on Friday 20th August 2021. We kindly remind boating customers to be aware of a wide-beam boat and take extra care whilst navigating through this section of the canal.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/20456/wide-beam-boat-movement-between-dunchurch-pools-marina-to-braunston-north-oxford-canal

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

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Watch out if you're going to be on the North Oxford between Braunston and Dunchurch Pools this Friday, 20/8/21! 

 

I've just seen this notice from CRT about a widebeam moving from DP to Braunston.

 

I wonder if its "Miles Away" yet again?

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices/20456-wide-beam-boat-movement-between-dunchurch-pools-marina-to-braunston-north-oxford-canal

 

 

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2 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

AND... all mooring for a cuppa in that 300m long really thin bit. 

 

I think I would be tempted to do just that if I was in the area. Unfortunately I'm now at home.

 

I'm just finishing off my email to CRT, delayed for various reasons. I have just added a comment regarding this latest notice.

 

Of course it could be a different boat but there are apparently not many wide-beams moored in DP (6?) so it must be quite likely that it is the same boat and he is using DP as a base from which to cruise up and down an unsuitable stretch of canal on a regular basis.

 

Edited by Lily Rose
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1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

First time I’ve received one of these, related to complaints recently I wonder?

 

Original message:

 

There is a planned wide-beam boat journey on the North Oxford Canal from Braunston to Dunchurch Pools Marina on Friday 20th August 2021. We kindly remind boating customers to be aware of a wide-beam boat and take extra care whilst navigating through this section of the canal.

You can view this notice and its map online here:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notice/20456/wide-beam-boat-movement-between-dunchurch-pools-marina-to-braunston-north-oxford-canal

You can find all notices at the url below:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/notices

 

Mr "Miles Away" told me in Braunston on Saturday that he had told CRT and blamed me for not reading the email.

 

I subsequently looked and could not find either an email or a notice on the CRT website.

 

Seems it wasn't only me then.

 

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1 hour ago, Lily Rose said:

 

I think I would be tempted to do just that if I was in the area. Unfortunately I'm now at home.

 

I'm just finishing off my email to CRT, delayed for various reasons. I have just added a comment regarding this latest notice.

 

Of course it could be a different boat but there are apparently not many wide-beams moored in DP (6?) so it must be quite likely that it is the same boat and he is using DP as a base from which to cruise up and down an unsuitable stretch of canal on a regular basis.

 

I’ve never really counted the WBs at Dunchurch, i’m usually too busy being blown all over the place whilst trying to remember which way to steer on the way out or whilst trying to get on the services upon return. The few i remember never seem to move and i don’t recall seeing “Miles Away” at all, but then thanks to lockdowns we’ve only been able to use 2 out of 6 weeks so far this year so if he’s a new addition it’s not surprising.

 

25 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Mr "Miles Away" told me in Braunston on Saturday that he had told CRT and blamed me for not reading the email.

 

I subsequently looked and could not find either an email or a notice on the CRT website.

 

Seems it wasn't only me then.

 

 

I’ve been signed up for all CRT emails for all the canals within a two week cruise of Dunchurch since we moved there at the back end of 2019 and it’s definitely the first notice of a moving WB i’ve ever received since they declared thats how they would deal with the problem. So either he’s telling pork based pastry products or CRT have not got their finger out with the notices until now. Either option sounds plausible, or perhaps a combination of the two.

Edited by Hudds Lad
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33 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Mr "Miles Away" told me in Braunston on Saturday that he had told CRT and blamed me for not reading the email.

 

I subsequently looked and could not find either an email or a notice on the CRT website.

 

Seems it wasn't only me then.

 

I'd be surprised if more than about 10% of boaters likely to encounter this vessel would have any idea there even are emails about its movements, never mind might have read one!

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2 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I get all notices from CRT. The one mentioned above is the first regarding fat boat in that area. ‘Miles Away man’ is a rude man.

As an aside, we passed your boat twice last week - it was moored in lower Banbury. You'd obviously heard we were coming, as there was no sign of life on board on either occasion.

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2 minutes ago, Athy said:

As an aside, we passed your boat twice last week - it was moored in lower Banbury. You'd obviously heard we were coming, as there was no sign of life on board on either occasion.

 I had the same thing with @cuthound the other week, nothing but a shiny boat, washing, 90% of the UK’s gnome population and a sheepdog that still hasn’t rounded up those sheep :D 

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2 minutes ago, Athy said:

As an aside, we passed your boat twice last week - it was moored in lower Banbury. You'd obviously heard we were coming, as there was no sign of life on board on either occasion.

Only flies and spiders on board last week. We have been abroad to Hampshire for a week. Back now and heading North soon. We shall wave at an equally empty Trojan when the time comes.

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I've just had a look on Applemaps (satellite view) to check if the resolution is good enough to see the widebeams in Dunchurch Pools.

 

Not only can I not see any widebeams, even the marina appears not to exist. Hopefully CRT made them fill it back in this morning.

 

 

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16 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Only flies and spiders on board last week. We have been abroad to Hampshire for a week. Back now and heading North soon. We shall wave at an equally empty Trojan when the time comes.

 

I kept my lips sealed about your absence as requested Martyn, only for someone else to let the feline out of the shopping receptacle.

 

Hopefully all was well upon your return. 

 

Watch out for fatbotes if you get beyond Napton Junction by Friday.

 

As an aside, I emailed CRT's Head of Customer Services this morning (and cc'd another Head). He had replied within a few hours to let me know that that the other Head was aware and was reviewing the situation with local team. Let's hope something comes of it.

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4 minutes ago, MtB said:

I've just had a look on Applemaps (satellite view) to check if the resolution is good enough to see the widebeams in Dunchurch Pools.

 

Not only can I not see any widebeams, even the marina appears not to exist. Hopefully CRT made them fill it back in this morning.

 

 

 

Applemaps, pah!

 

I just tried it with Google Maps and that confirms it still existed at the time the image was taken. Or perhaps it has been filled in and Apple are more up to date.

 

Good resolution too. I counted 9, I think. Some were more obvious than others but I think that was about right. They are scattered all around the place.

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Lily Rose said:

 

Applemaps, pah!

 

I just tried it with Google Maps and that confirms it still existed at the time the image was taken. Or perhaps it has been filled in and Apple are more up to date.

 

Good resolution too. I counted 9, I think. Some were more obvious than others but I think that was about right. They are scattered all around the place.

 

 

 

Excellent! 

 

Could you see a pale blue/grey one about 50ft x 12ft with "Miles Away" written on the bow? 

 

 

 

 

Or even, cruising the stretch down to Braunston??!

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