On Saturday 29th August we left Banbury on the last part of our journey to Oxford, 27 miles away. This sounds like a short journey, but if we do 6 miles in a day, that seems a fair distance especially if locks are involved.
Obviously, like us, Van Morrison fans
The sad sight of a burnt out cottage at Grant's Lock south of Banbury. Jan was helping another boat coming up, when it jammed entering the lock - another example of the dangers of leaving side fenders down. The owner eventually freed them by, rather precariously, balancing on the cabin roof to pull the fenders up with his boat hook
Leaving Grant's Lock, showing how very narrow these locks are
Twyford Wharf, from where many of the hireboats set out
Tarvers Lock and pretty stone cottage near the village of King's Sutton (inaccessible due to the River Cherwell running in between)
The Pig Place, where rare breeds roam and all kinds of pork products are for sale, including a whole pig (if your freezer is a bit bigger than a shoebox)
Picturesque scene at Haddon's Lift Bridge
Sunshine and blue sky today
Concentraing on the twists and turns of the canal
Aynho Weir lock, looking back to the weir bridge. For this section, the River Cherwell and the canal merge - an 18th century money saving ruse
Approaching Aynho - looking for mooring for the night
The countryside here is rolling farmland and the canal is open to the elements. We hear that windy conditions can make handling boats a little tricky
This is what you do in order to cross an open lift bridge: just pull on the chain and it gently comes down!
Waiting for the lock at Somerton - the deepest on the Oxford at 12'. By chance while we waited, a fellow participant on the diesel engine course we did in Leicestershire arrived in his boat
The boat name on the sign is 'Corona 2020' - surely grim local humour
Fantastic boating weather and delightful scenery
The character on the right was going on about someone chopping off half of a lock gate further on and using it for firewood - difficult to know sometimes
A lock bridge that looks just TOO small!
A tithe barn at Upper Heyford from the 1400s, built to collect tithes from local farmers for New College, Oxford
Very narrow, banks of reeds and probably shallow too!
Though wonderful open views and skies, too
At Lower Heyford our first automated lift bridge, operated for us by a kindly fellow boater
Spot the kingfisher, honest!
More reeds brushing our sides
Luxuriant woodland here at Gibraltar, so called we think after the local pub The Rock of Gibraltar built for the navvies who constructed the canal
Boats moored at Gibraltar
...some with woodland sitting areas
George's Bar and Bistro, moored at Enslow between two bridges - lovely idea though it is, causing a bit of an obstruction!
CRT staff on the left with grease bucket, giving all the paddles their regular maintenance. She says that she loves the work, so much better than an office job
Leaving Baker's Lock. The bridge is over the unnavigable River Cherwell which joins the canal here until the next lock...
...waiting at Shipton Weir Lock, which is six-sided
Nothing to hold on to, so we just float in the middle!
Coming into Thrupp Wide, home of Thrupp Canal Cruising Club who manage the moorings and the wharf
Once we'd used the services, a resident operates the lift bridge for us
Evening light at Thrupp at our mooring. We plan to spend a couple of nights here, then set off for Oxford on Friday (4 September)
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