5th August '15

photos from yesterday...

The top of Napton Locks, the wind is whistling around the corner and the ripples on the water don't look half as bad as they were! Honestly. We'd got to the head of the queue here and were just waiting for a boat to come through.

 

Chronologically this should have come first. AT the summit we'd spotted this on the way down, but at the time I couldn't add pictures to the blog but now in all it's glory is a boat in it's own rather large puddle. We can't work out what's happening with it. Strangely enough just before we got to it there was a sign by the field that said moorings available....not if they're like this thank you very much!

These are the water buffalo grazing about half way down the locks. They don't look at all like the ones I saw in Africa but apparently there are different types. In any case I can say unequivocally that they taste delicious! The burgers were worth every penny. There are still 2 in the freezer and I'm looking forward to having them in the not too distant future.

Staying with the animal theme, here's one of the Highland cattle that we saw on our way up to the windmill. Such lovely animals, although I wouldn't want to be in a field with them......mind you I don't want to be in a field with ANY cow. I'm a bit of a wuss.

Here's the windmill from the top of the hill. There were amazing views around the whole 360 degrees. I don't know if I mentioned yesterday that you can see 7 counties from here, I'm not sure which ones they are but it's pretty impressive all the same.

Also at the top of the hill was a plaque showing where a former WWII observation post was. In case you can't see the details it says that people were able to see the blitz on Coventry from here. It certainly was an ideal spot for it as the horizons are a long way away.

This is just one of the views from a bit further down the hill, looking roughly south I think.

Last night I couldn't sleep and so got up and did some writing (I'm trying to put a book together) and stupidly I sat on the settee with the computer on my lap. It wasn't until I went to move that I realised I'd locked my back, so I spent the rest of the night in agony.
It's not that brilliant today so we haven't done too much, just come to Braunston and are now moored on the North Oxford.

We've just had a shower of rain but are tucked up cosy inside and don't care, as long as it stops by the morning!

As we were leaving Napton I got this shot of the windmill from the canal, it doesn't look that high, but having climbed up to it, I promise you it is!

4th August '15

Three words to describe today: Windy; windy; windy.

It was really windy today! Typically we were negotiating lots of bends but managed not to hit anything or end up in the weeds - unlike other boats we saw!

I've just discovered that the internet connection here is appalling, so I'll add pictures tomorrow as long as it's better then.

We have come down the Napton Locks and are moored just above the bottom lock. We've had a good explore around the village and been up the  hill to see the Windmill up there.

We went past a Water Buffalo farm and have bought some burgers so guess what we're having tonight?

Very busy today, we were third in the queue to come down with 2 boats behind us while we were waiting to come down, most of the locks had boats coming up and there are 9 locks so in the wind we had some interesting experiences!

Braunston tomorrow and hopefully some internet.

3rd August '15

A lazy start today, there were so many boats going in both directions that we knew it was going to be a slow progress.

When we arrived at the foot of the Claydon Locks it was obviously quite busy, we had a single handed one in front and one behind us, and obviously some coming down.

When we got up a couple of locks we realised that there was a bit more to it. We'd had a boat go by us last night a bit after 9.00pm which we thought was going to moor around the corner from us, but apparently it had continued, as people coming down were complaining about the noise they were making and the latest they were reported was at 11.40pm. That's a pain in itself, but they had left one of the bottom paddles open on one set of locks which had practically drained the pound. Boaters were trying to let more water down to the pound than was going out, and things were improving when we got there, but I still had to keep to the middle as it was very shallow on the off side.

You can see how far down the water is on the towpath side here.

This is just before the lock. Naturally this meant that the summit was a bit low, but luckily there is a huge reservoir there so things should be sorted.

Bridge 141, this is the last of the lift bridges on the Oxford. They aren't a problem in any case since they are all up like this one until you get further south where they are kept down for more frequent use.

We're moored out in the middle of nowhere on a random length of pilings, just long enough for us. Paddy's having a whale of a time, he's been for a long run with no lead so he's a happy, and quite tired, little dog.

....and finally, this is the view opposite us, a field being harvested. What a contrast from 2 nights ago.....happy with both.

2nd August '15

Yesterday we moved up to the central moorings and found a spot easily, right opposite the shopping centre, which is exactly what I wanted!

This is the view opposite - heaven for a day!

We went into town to get a few bits and pieces and then found a nice place for lunch. We'd passed some nice pubs but then we went up past the cross (as in Banbury...) and I spotted the Church House bar and restaurant, and it looked interesting, the menu sounded OK so in we went.

Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me but took some nice interior shots on my phone (which I haven't downloaded onto here as yet) but if you're a friend on Facebook, you'll have seen them!

The place inside was amazing and we asked about the history of it all and they had a folder with old photos and press cuttings about it all. It had been built by public subscription to give the Church somewhere to hold meetings etc. We were in a huge room that had a barrel roof and housed the most enormous old wooden bar that was far to tall for anyone to reach the higher shelves without a stepladder. It wouldn't have looked out of place in some of the old bars we went in whilst we were in Canada and Alaska last year.

We got back and had a lazy hour or so and then I decided that it would be a good idea to go back to the market to see if I could get any fruit and veg cheap while they were packing up. Somehow I ended up in BHS and Debenhams as well but it's an easy mistake to make.

I got back to the boat to find Darren and Michelle had come over for a surprise visit! It was SO lovely to see them, we hadn't seen them since we were on the Grand Union 2 years ago, so we had quite a bit of catching up to do. As well as that we've started to make plans to go over to France and hire a boat to cruise on the Midi canal next summer. It promises to be great fun and I think we'll make a good foursome.

Today we decided that we'd had enough of town and so set off again just to put a few miles under us.

This was Banbury moorings on Saturday afternoon, having been told by several people that on Wed and Thursday it was impossible to moor not only here but also in the moorings further out from the centre. Strange.

Its hard to get the perspective on this, but it's a field where the grass has bleached to white and there are islands of pink flowers, we think campions, and John especially was really taken with it. The M40 is in the background. I took this at the top of one of the locks.

We went into Cropredy Marina for a pumpout and to get a new bottle of gas. It's amazingly spacious but although the position is great they don't do residential moorings so can't tempt us, plus they have no bridge over to the towpath so the only way to get to the village is down the road, which isn't very pedestrian friendly and is quite a distance.

Here's Cropredy from the inside!

It's the annual folk festival in a fortnight and the canal is already full to the brim of moored boats all the way through and below and above the village. Apparently they totally ignore the 48 hour mooring signs and those that are moored there will stay until after the festival. Great for those of us passing through.

We have moored above Varney's lock, about a mile north of the village and it's been manic here since we moored at about 4.00 this afternoon, about 6 boats down for every one going up. Heaven knows where they're going to moor!

I managed to totally forget that I'd done some washing on the way up here and finally remembered and got it out after the Archers. I'd best get it in when I've finished this, but I don't hold much hope for it being dry. Tumble drier on tomorrow I think.

I also decided that I wanted to cook meat pies with a roast today, and it was hot. Why can't I do a roast on cold days?

It's also been the day that the flying ants have emerged and the canal is full of dead ants....so is the boat actually. Still presumably enough survive to make it all worthwhile.

Tomorrow the summit and mooring out in the depths - that's the plan.

31st July '15

We're in Banbury and I'm trying to come to terms with the new computer. Putting yesterdays post on would have been quicker if I'd re-written it from scratch and I've decided to add photos to this one before I shot myself!

This is the Jolly Boatman as we are cruising past - we moored the other side of the bridge which was quite good, you can see some of the empty moorings - amazing.

This is one of the two lozenge shaped locks on this stretch. They are both really shallow, under 3' deep so they made them this shape to take more water down from the river apparently. They can be really interesting to get out of because the wind takes you at funny angles.

We've got no idea what these dishes are all about, but we hadn't noticed them going down either time as the hill sort of gets in the way, however they are obvious from the south. Maybe someone can tell us what they are for?

We spotted this newly built house with a stone roof - very unusual. There are a lot of old stone roofs about but we've never seen a new one. Some serious roof joists one imagines.

This beautiful old Tithe Barn at Upper Heyford. Next to it is a matching manor house and Church, so lovely to see them all still in one piece. It's up quite a slope from the canal, hence the angle. Where we moored that night we could actually see the manor house just peeping over the hill in the distance.

Today we left early, before 9.00am and travelled slowly because there was a boat just in front of us, so we had to wait at most of the locks for them to be emptied. In some cases there was a boat coming out, which is always lovely to see.

 

 

This one is coming out of Somerton Deep Lock. it looks a bit foreshortened here, I'm not really that close to the opening!

At one of the locks we found a queue of boats waiting to go down, which we thought was positive since they were likely to have come from Banbury, meaning more chance of a mooring.

Twice today we have gone under the M40, both motorway and canal sort of loop in opposite directions. It does nothing to make us want to be anywhere other than on a canal! In front of it is one of the lift bridges that abound on this stretch. Luckily today they were all of the sort that are designed to stay open and there's a chain which walkers can pull to bring it down for them to cross, then it lifts again. Thank heavens, I lost count of how many we went under today and it would have added hours to the trip to stop, let John off, go through, pull in and pick him up again. Tiring to think about it.

CRT are doing quite a bit of work in improving the tow paths and banks on the Oxford. It's looking good, shame they don't do some on the K&A!

 

 



this telegraph pole, covered in ivy is at the side of Grants Lock, the last before Banbury from the south. You can see it for ages as it's quite high. From a distance it looks like a stylised Christmas Tree!

We stopped and I did some shopping at the Morrison's just before the town and we have moored just before the lock as mooring is a bit tight in town. There are spaces but we've decided to move up tomorrow to be nearer the centre, this is fine for tonight.

30th July '15

Yesterday we had a short day, leaving Oxford early (about 9.00am) and we just cruised up to Thrupp. We found plenty of moorings there but in the end we moored just before the Jolly Boatman, mainly so that I could hang out the washing. I didn’t feel that the public sitting outside the pub needed to see our smalls, waving in the breeze, even if they were clean!

We went and had lunch at the pub, which was really nice. We had a pate sharing platter, two types of pate, plenty of toasted baguette, butter, caramelised onion relish and a nice little salad, with no rocket. Perfect. I also had a prosecco, which turned up in a small bottle with 2 glasses worth of wine in it, so all in all a very pleasant interlude.

We put the pram cover up as it looked a bit dodgy, although all the washing got dried. Late evening, we suddenly heard torrential rain which didn’t last long and as far as we could tell there was no more during the night, but we were glad we’d taken the precaution of putting the cover up.

We left today a bit later and cruised up to just above Dashwood lock and moored. Paddy had a good run in the open as there were no other boats in sight and I got John his lunch (fast day for me). Then I looked at the map and realised that we hadn’t gone very far and since our plan was to get to Banbury tomorrow, we either stayed where we were and had a long day tomorrow, arriving quite late for moorings, or else we went on a bit further. We decided on the second option so got going again and we are now at Upper Heyford.  It’s a lovely open stretch of tow path WITH pilings and Paddy has had another run without a lead. He really does love to run free, it’s just such as shame he can’t be trusted if there are people about.

We have spoken to a couple of people who have told us that they couldn’t find anywhere to moor in Banbury yesterday. However there have been lots of boats going Oxford way including lots of hire boats so we’re hoping that they are leaving space for us. We shouldn’t have too long a day tomorrow and so are hopeful that there will be a mooring for us, I’d be really disappointed if we can’t stop there as I really like Banbury and I want to get some bits and pieces.

We had a bit of an incident today, as we were filling with water at Lower Heyford, a boat went past going in our direction and didn’t seem very friendly, but some aren’t. Anyway we travelled on for a while having to go slowly past moored boats and eventually came to a lift bridge, and they were just going through. He didn’t look around from the boat and went  on through the bridge and I said to John that we’d better look as if we’re pulling in to do the bridge ourselves and see what they did. Well what they did was shut the gate, and as she is jumping on board she looks around and looks embarrassed and calls that she didn’t see us, I waved them on and as John was going up to open the bridge the man looked back and apologised as well. Strangely enough they moored up soon after that which at least meant that we didn’t have to follow them through locks!

We’ve been extremely lucky with locks today, all in our favour and other boats either coming out or going in as we come out, so life has been pretty good. After a lot of wind and cloud, the sun is now shining and it’s the best bit of the day.

We have no internet here, so I’m writing this up and shall hope to post it tomorrow and add photos then.

28th July '15

What a day! totally shattered, and cultured out.

We went off to the Weston Library at first to see an exhibition on Alice in Wonderland. There wasn't a lot there but there were some first copies showing the Tenniel prints which were wonderful and some showing Dali's illustrations which weren't (to my mind in any case). The only thing I will say is that he can draw a good butterfly, but what the paintings were about and how they linked to the story was beyond me.

Then John went off to do his stuff and I joined a walking tour of the city. For 2 hours we walked around Baliol college, saw the remains of the city walls, visited the Bodleian, went in the old Divinity Hall, saw the college where the last Morse was filmed, visited the passage where CS Lewis came out of a door and got the inspiration for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, saw the Bridge of Sighs and other bits and pieces. I took loads of photos but am having to consider carefully what I can actually put on here, otherwise it will take all night!

Quad at Baliol.

Baliol Chapel window

The last remaining tower built by the Saxons to keep the Vikings out (it probably didn't have the window in it at the time).

The Divinity Hall - the first purpose built lecture theatre, there would be 6 lectures going on in here at once apparently, so not ideal conditions. Some of you may know this as the hospital in Harry Potter and also as the room where they learnt to dance for the Christmas Ball in Harry Potter.

 

The doorway that on a snowy night gave CS Lewis the inspiration for The Lion etc. he saw the green man in the middle of the door as a Lion and the two carvings either side as Mr Tumnus......

.....and then just off to the side was the lamp-post, and of such an amazing story was born.

Once the walk had finished John and I met up, had lunch and then went to Christ Church College to see the Hall and the Cathedral Church. He baulked somewhat at the queue but I put him there and bought him an ice cream and all was well. To be honest it went down quite quickly, as did the ice cream!

The Hall which was used for the Hogwarts refectory. I think it's amazing how they put it all back together after Bellatrix ruined it.....

This was the staircase leading up to the Hall, I thought the ceiling was amazing.

I had to include this as it's so rare to get one of John smiling!

Christ Church, the view down the nave. A stunning place, unfortunately there is going to be a concert there tomorrow night and our mooring is only until the morning, but maybe another time.

Finally, this is the view from our side hatch, it rings the tones every quarter and is really quite lovely.

Tomorrow we head off up the canal and hope to find a mooring at Thrupp, there's never been one there before when we've gone past but we've been so lucky with moorings recently I've got a good feeling about it. Even the weather isn't meant to be too bad so we shall have positive thoughts!