Another glorious day with bright blue skies through until mid afternoon. Even hotter than the last couple of days. Go on like this and there will be drought conditions, lock closures and hosepipe bans in a couple of weeks!
We set our alarm early and were off just before 8 in order to make our bid for freedom. Actually, our Thames licence expired at midnight and we only had one more lock to go so we wanted to be through that before the keeper came on duty at 9 and might have been embarrassed to charge us for the extra couple of hours!
Just before reaching Christchurch Meadow we passed a long lone of college boathouses, each with their own sign - but only one wanted to give us its name. Fittingly that was New College! A few rowers were out but nothing like as many as last evening. One cox was even so polite as to ask if it was OK to pass us.
There are two routes under Folly Bridge - we opted for the right hand one (thinking that we had been through the other way before!)
After this, the river meanders almost hidden through Oxford, passing under several bridges including a disused railway.
Soon we reached Osney Lock - phew! the sign still said self Service and the office was firmly closed.
Almost immediately after the lock comes the bridge that marks the entry into Sheepwash Channel and thus to the Oxford Canal.
The short channel goes under the railway and then past the remains of the former turning bridge. Originally this rotated to let boats through before being set back to its normal position for trains. We have heard that there is a group seeking to restore it to working condition. However, houses have been built over the former track either side so it is unlikely to carry trains again any time soon.
And so we finally turned into Isis Lock the start of the Oxford Canal. negotiating narrow locks was quite a strange experience - the last time we were on a narrow canal was last |September when we came down through Hillmorton. Sadly we gathered that the group of men just below the lock were being given instructions by their local supplier of 'interesting' substances. Nevertheless, as we left the lock several of them gave us a very cheery wave.
Sadly the former Jericho Boatyard seems no nearer finding a new life for itself. Several development schemes have fallen through since it was forced into closure. At present, a community company are in the process of buying the site and yesterday unveiled plans for a public piazza open space.
Along the first part of the canal, some sections have been designated as conservation areas where no mooring is permitted whilst others have short term moorings. Enforcement on unauthorised long term mooring seems to have been effective and the Agenda 21 moorings a little further on appear to be much better kept than four years ago. Nevertheless the boats themselves are all very basic and mostly in poor condition.
Bridge 234 is the first that has to be opened by boaters - more of the original lift bridges once very frequent on the Oxford have either been removed or are left open. This one has the new type of lockable catch which allows the bridge to be better balanced and also can be operated sensibly by single handers.
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| Duke's Cut Stop Lock |
Steerers going under lift bridges always worry about it coming crashing down on top of them!
The canal skirts one side of Kidlington and marks the current development boundary. As a result, although houses can often be seen to one side, the overall feel is very rural.
We moored temporarily at Sparrowgap Bridge for lunch and so that Christine could pop to the nearby Co-Op which we have used before (when we moored just a little further up the Oxford at Lower Heyford).
Thrupp, a popular stopover destination for many boats, especially hire boats, as a classic lift bridge. Its frequent usage made it often difficult to operate (it is also a bit heavier as it carries vehicles regularly to the cafe and visitor centre) but a couple of years ago it was mechanised. It had some teething problems but worked well today for us. The bridge is immediately followed by a sharp but wide turn.
The chimney of the former cement works is all that remains but it stands close to the River Cherwell, which joins the navigation for a short distance. The canal and river make a number of sharp turns and the chimney appears on all sides!
The huge satellite dishes at Enslow Earth Station can only be seen from one part of the canal. They soon disappear behind trees when we were any closer.
Beside Pigeon Lock, a more recent house has this sign at its entrance. Still not figured it out!
Our aim was to moor overnight at Washford (or Kirtlington) Stone Quarries, a place of several memories from several years ago. The quarry has long since ceased working (in 1928) but it is now an SSSI and also a great place for youngsters to explore and work of energy. We also had a three day breakdown here when our injector block suffered a diesel bug attack.
Some more photos, including a 360 panorama. When the quary was operational, it created cement which was taken to the Midlands by canal from the wharf where we moored.
One web site says, "The quarry has interesting geological features and is where the first dinosaur to be so named was discovered. It is now in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History "
13.5 miles - 9 locks
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