Tuesday 9th August - Cropredy Marina to The Summit of the Oxford Canal
A beautiful sunny morning with light winds and we set off from the Marina for our return journey to Worcester. We turned left out of the Marina passed all the boats moored up for the Cropredy Festival next weekend and on to the first lock. During the 1970s, Daves Pegg and Swarbrick lived in the village of Cropredy. In 1979 Fairport decided to call it a day and, having opened up for Led Zeppelin at Knebworth in the early afternoon, tore across the country in their van to do an outdoor Farewell concert at Peewit Farm on Station Road in Cropredy. A year later, they decided to reconvene with some friends for what would become their annual reunion. Although they had performed in Cropredy before, 1980 is the year Fairport recognise as the first Cropredy Festival.
Water, or lack of it, is a constant problem above and below Cropredy. By the time we had passed through the pound had been filled and boats were passing through with no problems.
Richie and Ally are Canal and River Trust employees and they are on hand each day to sort out the water shortage and pass water down to where it is needed. Having sorted this problem they were heading up to a reservoir where there were reports of blue green algae!
As we approached Claydon Locks we realised there was a long queue of boats, we joined the end of the queue and gradually moved forward until it was our turn to ascend the locks. A nice shady spot to wait in though!
Passing back through Fenny Compton Tunnel, the tunnel that’s not a tunnel, a beautiful wrought iron bridge spanning the waterway, this cast iron roving bridge still carries the towpath across the canal.
We made our way up onto the summit and moored before Bridge 130 for the night. Marinated lamb in the barbecue, delicious!
10 miles, 8 locks, 5 hrs 18mins.
Wednesday 10th August - Bridge 130 to Napton between Lock 8 & 9
We set off from the summit and headed along the top passing a little arm called The Engine Arm, where there are many boats moored. The Old Engine House Arm once went to the pumping house that used to pump water up to this summit level from Napton Bottom Lock. Today it is foreshortened to about 300 metres beyond this entrance and is used for leisure boat moorings.
At the top of the Napton Locks I found the water buffalo that I couldn’t see on the way up, they are very sensibly sitting in the shade!
The locks going down into Napton were very busy with boats passing each other in all of the pounds. It all flowed really well and there was always someone on hand to help.
Dave had some wonderful helpers at this lock, not sure how good they were!
We managed to get a delightful mooring above the last lock and in the shade of a huge tree! We were grateful for the shade as it had been a hot trip! A walk up into the village, a drink at the Folly Inn and then barbecued chicken and sausages and a calming sunset across the fields.
6 miles, 8 locks, 4hrs 48mins
Thursday 11th August - Napton to The Blue Lias Inn
We decided to make an early start to make sure that we had completed our cruising before the heat got unbearable. We went down the last of the Napton Locks, used the facilities and then continued. We passed once again, nbHeart of Oak, we seem to be passing them a lot at the moment!
Dave did the left turn on to the Grand Union at Wigrams Turn and we carried on to the top of Calcutt Locks. Still quite cool and no one else around so we went down the locks quietly on our own, all very pleasant.
This is the Napton Reservoir and I was trying to show the level of the water, which must have been a good two foot down from where it normally is, you will just have to take my word for it!
We were fortunate to collect a boat heading our way at the top of the Stockton Locks and we shared the locks coming down in good time. They had the help of their 11 year old grandson who was magnificent working the paddles and lock gates. A boater in the making! We moored for the night at the bottom of the locks at the Blue Lias Inn, you can use their canalside mooring so long as you have a meal. So we had our lunch there and spent the rest of the afternoon in the relative cool of the boat.
At about 7.30, this car transporter tried to get over the bridge, there was a loud crunch and he had got his back wheels stuck against the bridge! It caused a huge amount of interest from everyone around, and the road both sides of the bridge was closed off. Gradually the driver removed the cars on the back trailer and eventually he was able to move the lorry off the bridge, took him over 3 hours to clear the bridge and then he had to reload the cars back onto the trailer. I was more concerned about the bridge which had notices all over it saying Caution, Weak Bridge!
5.75 miles, 12 locks, 4 hours and 6 mins.
Friday 12th August - Blue Lias Inn to Radford Semele
Another hot day forecast so an early start heading for Bascote Staircase Locks. When we got there a boat was going in to the lock and we used the horn to indicate we were on our way. They ignored us until we had arrived, then said that there was a boat coming up so we couldn’t share. Sure enough, they had arrived and gone into the top lock with out checking if there was a boat on the staircase, the other boat was a solo boater who was understandably a little annoyed! We eventually completed the staircase on our own and then did the next few locks with them until we stopped at the services on the Fosse Locks. I have to say it was the most stressful time of the whole of our journey so far, I wish them well but there were so many mistakes and mishaps, I was pleased to see them go on their way!
We found ourselves a lovely mooring above Radford Bottom Lock, a big tree for shade and open views across the fields on the other side. We spent the afternoon and evening sitting outside enjoying a barbecue and late evening drinks.
We spotted the moon rising over the fields and throughout the night it shone through our bedroom window, creating an amazing light.
There was so much solar, the boat was lit up beautifully and I love the crystal ball on the back of the boat!
4.5 miles, 11 locks, 4 hrs 30 mins
Saturday 13th August - Radford Semele to Cape of Good Hope Pub
The view from our window this morning, in the distance is an unusual structure which we can’t decide what it would be used for!
First lock of the day, very quiet and peaceful, no boats around yet. We carried onto Morrisons and moored up so Dave could do the shopping and I cleared the roof of the boat. Having moored under trees for the past few nights the roof is strewn with under developed acorns, twigs and leaves.
We have a few of these this trip, they are mannequins dressed up as drivers, possibly to make on coming boats slow down. They are quite creepy though! We continued up the two Cape Locks and managed to squeeze into a mooring just up from the pub. The boat ahead of us moved back a couple of feet and we gently slid in!
Behind them is moored NbDulwich 3, this boat is owned by friends of ours and is currently being driven by David. Jenny won’t be joining him until Monday so we shall miss her which is a shame! However we enjoyed a long chat and a couple of drinks with David at the pub.
5.5 miles, 3 locks, 2hrs 54mins
Sunday 14th August - Cape of Good Hope to Tom o’ the Wood
Up very early this morning as we were meeting two volunteer lock keepers at the bottom of the Hatton Locks at 8am so we were ready to leave our mooring at 7.30am. Dave and Graham worked the boat through the locks whilst Frank went ahead to set the next lock. All very efficient, and quite enjoyable as it wasn’t too hot at this moment.
My favourite view of the Hatton Locks as they appear in the distance. The paddles are raised by winding the tall white object, turning the windlass 23 times, I counted them! Times that by 21 locks, that’s an awful lot of winding!
This is Asylum Wharf, at the top of the flight of locks there used to be a building called Hatton County Lunatic Asylum, much of the building has been destroyed and it is now used as residential properties. But during the times of occupation the staff and inmates of the asylum used to walk down to the Wharf and collect their goods from boats that would call into the wharf.
Two boats emerging together from a lock as I waited on the side, they were doing so well until the one on the right lost momentum and ended up hitting me instead, c’est La vie!
A cavalcade of scooters heading down from the Hatton Cafe, there must have been about 20 of them altogether, a regular outing for a local scooter club. I wonder where they were going?
Approaching the final lock of the day, Dave had gone ahead to the cafe to buy cake. We had completed the flight in just on 3 hours, not bad considering the heat, and we must say a huge thank you to Graham and Frank for their stirling work getting us up in such good time.
Unfortunately, Graham sustained an injury at the top lock, whilst winding down the mechanism, the windlass slipped and hit his arm three times, he had to go to A&E to have the wound seen to. A pure accident, but it can so easily happen, even to the most experienced lock keepers. Many thanks to Kevin at the Hatton Cafe for prompt first aid and I pleased to report that all is well and Graham will be back on his next shift on the locks.
7 miles, 21 locks, 5hrs 42mins
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