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Restriction Marston Doles & Claydon


alan_fincher

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I've been over the summit this week. The water level is the highest I've ever seen it! Levels were also high in the pounds on the Napton flight.

 

Water was being pumped up the Napton flight, and was also being pumped into Wormleighton reservoir.

Edited by Dorlan
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I'm heading through the flight first week in Apr on my to London via Oxford. As this is my first year I'm not familiar with this system As I understand it the locks will only be open between the set hours 10-2 but how busy does this flight get in spring? If I arrive early morning can I exact to get through or am I likely to have to wait overnight?

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You have to bare in mind that Easter is the first weekend in April. School holidays.

 

 

Not sure when the hols start but your first flight to contend with would be the Napton/Marston flight. A stones throw from Napton Hire Bases. Three hire companies in that area that I can think of. Prepare for a wait. Depending when in early April you leave Braunston.

 

 

 

You will get hire boats arriving at the top of the Claydon flight,say, 2 days after leaving Napton and Calcutt.I think you may have to wait at most a couple of hours at the top.

 

Without/before the holiday traffic I think you will be fine.

 

We are out and about then as well. Will look out for you.

 

Must remember, Mr Bunbury in Banbury.

 

Martyn

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The restrictions are the same as last summer, we had no problem in August.

 

The Marston Doles restriction is only on the top 2 of the Napton flight, so you can start up Napton as early as you like. You can not get up Marston Doles and down Claydon in one day so you have to plan on a night on the summit pound. We came out of Marston Doles top at about 1:00pm, and cruised on tick over (with a stop at the Wharf Innn for lunch) and moored up about a mile short of Claydon. I walked the dog to the top lock in the eventing and there were a number of boats waiting on the lock moorings to go down. We moved off just before 10:00 and were number 3 to do down when we arrived.

 

BTW, there were no hire boats at all, I think you will find the hire companies will discourage it, all too easy for people to get stuck behind the restrictions and be late back.

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I'm heading through the flight first week in Apr on my to London via Oxford. As this is my first year I'm not familiar with this system As I understand it the locks will only be open between the set hours 10-2 but how busy does this flight get in spring? If I arrive early morning can I exact to get through or am I likely to have to wait overnight?

As others have said. Cruising this year in the South East will all be about timing to optimise your place in the queue at flights.

 

Last year we went North across the Oxford Summit at the beginning of August. We timed to be at the bottom of Claydon mid morning and found no queue as such. We then spent the rest of the day going up Claydon and across the summit. We moored up that night, the fourth boat in the queue ready for Marston Doles the following morning.

 

We went down MD/Napton about 11'ish with no problems as there were loads of boats coming up.

 

Most of the South bound traffic were bound for Cropredy Festival and the queues were horrendous. I stopped counting the boats queueing at the bottom of MD to go up at 30. Certainly, not all of them would make it up that day.

 

I would have thought in early Spring, you'll get up and over no problem.

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Anyone thinking about heading for the Fairport gig at Cropredy ought to set off now ;)

Who is going? I am not able to go by boat (prob no one else either) but think we are going camping eek eek :blush:

 

At least if there is a water shortage maybe it wont rain for Cropredy !!!

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Who is going? I am not able to go by boat (prob no one else either) but think we are going camping eek eek :blush:

 

At least if there is a water shortage maybe it wont rain for Cropredy !!!

 

It looks as if we will be there - even if we cannot go anywhere else . . .

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