Lechlade

The day began grey but not unpleasant but with a strong wind blowing. As a result it was almost as tricky to cast off from our mooring as it was to arrive! Mike found that the boat was almost blown too far from the bank to jump by the time he had pulled out the mooring spike - but he made it just in time!

Almost immediately we passed a sign warning about a narrow bridge ahead. Since at that point, the only bridge visible is the wooden one, it seemed as if it also ought to have a height warning as well! In fact, a little further around the corner it is Radcot Bridge which is the culprit!

The next stretch of the river is as bendy as much was yesterday with several near 180 degree turns. Not long after setting off we arrived at the first lock of the day: Grafton Lock. As we approached, two boats left the lock with both gates open, paddles open and no keeper in sight but with the sign on Self Service. we entered the lock and began to operate it when the lock keeper arrived. It seems that he had not seen us and so went over to the weir to check it, intending to finish off closing the gates on his return. We beat him to it!

It was three miles to the next lock. Christine was steering at the time we neared Buscot Lock - the entrance channel is a sharp turn off the main line of the river with an almost hidden lock! She was all the more pleased at getting around the sharp bends without any problems when, on our return journey, a boat coming up which we had met several times yesterday had misjudged the turn and run aground!

From Buscot Lock, the tall, slender spire of Lechlade Church starts to make an appearance. Shortly before the town we passed through St John's Lock, the highest lock on the river.

There was plenty of mooring space at Lechlade Bridge but the strong wind made mooring rather difficult. Christine was able to jump ashore with a line but could not hold the boat in against the wind, which was blowing straight against the side of the boat. Mike managed to manoeuvre the boat almost at right angles to the bank where it remained steady long enough for him to put a mooring pin into the ground to secure the bow, jump back on board and then use the engine to bring the stern alongside!

We went shopping in the town - no more exciting than when we visited here Easter last year. It seems surprising that the few small shops are able to satisfy the supermarket hunger of local residents, although we did find a butcher and a good Londis local store. We stocked up with what we were looking for anyway.

We had bought a couple of specialist loaves of bread and set about demolishing the sun dried tomato flavoured one for lunch.

Around half past two we set off once more to complete the short section up to Inglesham and the Round House where we winded began the down stream trip. As we were turning around rain started to fall quite heavily and remained with us until we arrived at St John's Lock. After descending the lock we used the disposal facilities. BY now the rain had abated although clouds and wind remained. The statue of Old Father Thames was originally made for the Christal palace Exhibition and for some time was located at the head of the Thames but is now more readily seen at this popular lock. On the opposite side are also some model cottages.

However, by the time we arrived at Buscot Lock the rain returned with a vengeance and was clearly set in for the rest of the day. We decided to look for the first available mooring but, as is always the case, it was half an hour before anything turned up, but it did have reasonable depth of water and was on the side of the river that the wind was blowing us onto so that mooring was not as difficult as last night - just wet!