Oxford to Lechlade

Sun 17th Sep  Oxford Christ Church Meadows

Morning light by the boat houses.

We had déjà vu as we walked down the footpath to the bus stop and caught a bus to St Aldates.  It was getting to be a habit.

This time it was to visit St Aldates Church, a large lively Anglican church where we have attended on several previous occasions.  The worship was ably led by Jamie Thomson, with some well established songs, and two we didn’t know.  Charlie Cleverly preached, introducing a series based on the Sermon on the Mount.  We shared communion. Charlie Cleverly prayed with us personally afterwards.

We had lunch in a nearby pub before visiting Sainsbury’s with our shopping trolley to stock up. We didn’t buy the Christmas food on display – it’s still September!

Christmas food in the shops

Then another bus back to the boat.  There was another light rain shower just as we arrived, so we waited for it to pass before moving off upstream through Folly Bridge once more.

We found Salaga moored in an out of the way spot, as usual.

Salaga

Osney Lock was manned and went through on our own.  There are some interesting autumn colours around now.

Osney Lock

 Autumn Colours

We passed the entrance to the Sheepwash Channel, where the Oxford Canal joins the Thames, before travelling past the ancient Port Meadow to Godstow Lock.

Sheepwash Channel

Oxford College Barge

Port Meadow cows

Port Meadow geese

 Godstow Lock

Above Godstow Lock there is an awkward low bridge, skewed at an angle, with willow trees partly obstructing the channel. We got through OK.

The awkward Godstow Bridge

 A floating oddity

King’s Lock was unmanned so we had the joy of turning wheels to operate the lock.  All the locks above here are operated in the same way, like Blakes Lock in Reading. If the white rod is up, the paddle is closed, and if the red rod is up, the paddle is open.

There are some useful looking moorings around here, but we never stop because of the noise from the A34 and the A40 which run nearby.  We saw Hakuna Matata moored up.

We continued on enjoying a pleasant warm and sunny cruise past Wytham Great Wood towards Eynsham. 

 Wytham Great Wood

We were pleased to find visitor moorings available below Eynsham Lock, where we also emptied a cassette and disposed of rubbish.  We had the sound of the weir – almost like the A34!  And cows in the meadow opposite.

Moored at Eynsham

 Cows through the window

3 locks, 7 miles

Mon 18th Sep  Eynsham to Rushey Lock

We changed a further two cassettes in the morning, and we were not hurrying to set off.  Then another boat, Sceptre, appeared, so we shared the lock with them.  They stopped to fill their water tank so we decided to continue upstream through Swinford Bridge, and fill ours further up stream later on.

Eynsham Lock, with Sceptre on the water point.

Swinford Bridge

As we cruised we saw lots of birdlife.  Kingfishers – at least three.  Swallows – a large group flying low over the meadows, and skimming the water.  Long tailed tits – about twenty of them in a flock flying from one bush to another across the river in front of us.   Red Kites – several during the day, but three at once in one place, very low overhead.

Red Kites

Pinkhill and Northmoor locks were both manned.

Pinkhill Lock

Northmoor Lock

 Harts Footbridge

Newbridge (well, it was new in the 13^th C)

  

Shifford Lock was the first of the day that was unmanned. There was a wider boat emerging, so we had to open both gates, using one of the long aluminium boot hooks they provide. As we left the lock a heavily loaded canoe arrived so we left the gate open for them. We used the water hose here as it was handy.

The wider boat leaving Shifford Lock

 Shifford Lock

One of the many WWII pill boxes guarding the river up to Lechlade

We were looking for moorings near Ten Foot Bridge, which we had marked as possible on our Nicholson Guide. They were all overgrown, so we continued on.

Tenfoot Bridge

We considered mooring at Tadpole Bridge, where the moorings were available, but we didn’t fancy eating in the pub (although it was excellent last time), so we moved on through Rushey Lock, which was also unmanned.  

Tadpole Bridge

The lock was taking a while to fill, and then James noticed he had done a silly trick with the paddles, leaving a red one up on the bottom gates. We had had a longer than planned day! In the garden there was an amusing bush made into a frog. Perhaps because we are near Tadpole Bridge?

Rushey Lock

In the garden

We finally moored just above the lock on a pleasant grassy bank alongside a meadow. Usually there are several boats here, but this time we had the place to ourselves. It is very remote, with no traffic noise, or trains.  In the past we have seen curlews in the fields here. Not this time. Hugo was off in the grass in hunting mode.

Private mooring at Rushey

 Hugo chasing the wildlife

5 locks, 13 miles

Tue 19th Sep  Rushey to Kelmscott

We woke up to a lovely misty autumn morning today

Autumn

 The view from the boat

We were planning to move off and James took in the mooring pins. Just at that moment a hire boat came round the corner, with a guy in the front holding out his arms to show which way the river turned. The boat was called Broughton and we followed them for a short way, until they got stuck on a sharp bend, and they signalled us to pass.

A little further on we met a guy on a bicycle, pedalling down the river on floats. We see all sorts of things on the rivers and canals!

Cycling on the Thames

There seemed to be a lot of military training flights happening, which was quite interesting, but it rather spoilt the peace and quiet.

Military training

What aircraft is this?

Radcot Lock was unmanned, and we shared with Broughton, as they had managed to get going again.

We passed under the “new” Radcot Bridge, built in 1787. The old one is still there, and is the oldest on the Thames, dating to 13^th C, but the main channel avoids it.

Radcot Bridge

 Old Radcot Bridge

Broughton had fallen way behind, and we thought they may have stopped for water at Radcot Lock.  We went into Grafton Lock and had just started to fill without them, when they  came in sight round the corner. We reversed the lock to share with them once again.

Just above the lock it was our turn to take on water.  Broughton carried on.

Water Hose at Grafton Lock

We moored at Kelmscott on the meadow. Broughton’s crew went to the Plough for lunch and returned later with good reports.  They carried on to Lechlade, intending to visit the Manor House the next day, as it is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Kelmscott mooring

Hugo was keen to go ashore, but when it was dark he came rushing back. We thought there might be a fox about, but it turned out to be two large tabby cats. James chased them off and there was no more trouble.

We had set the time lapse camera to record, but the batteries ran out halfway, and there was dust on the lens, so the footage we did take all looked indistinct.

2 locks, 5 miles

Wed 20thSep  Kelmscott to Lechlade

Dawn at Kelmscott

We left fairly early – 9am, and were therefore surprised to see Broughton coming back down the river, having been to Lechlade overnight. They must have left there around 7.30am. The man at the front still had his arms stuck out to show which way to go.

 Broughton returning downstream

The upper Thames is full of zig zag sections, and steering round the bends, the wake moves over to the side, and it looks as though we have been cruising along through the trees and bushes at the edge.

 

The wake on the zig zags

We were on our own in both Buscot Lock and the final lock, St John’s, where we emptied cassettes before the last section into Lechlade.

Buscot Lock

St John’s Lock and Bridge

Old Father Thames statue at St John’s Lock.

 The mellow look of the pill box conceals its purpose

We had hoped to moor on the pub mooring for the New Inn, but as we arrived, we saw a large cat there, so we thought it might be more peaceful on the opposite side, where most boats moor. So we crossed over and moored on the farmer’s cow field.  There was just short cropped grass, with an even distribution of cow pats. No cover for Hugo.

Lechlade mooring

We had lunch on board, before walking into the village. We took our gas pipe, hoping to replace it, but there is no chandlery, despite what the Nicholson Guide says.

Halfpenny Bridge and Tollhouse

We went to the Christmas shop. Well, you have to, don’t you?  We bought a tiny glass angel, and a string of bells, canal boat sized.

James intended to visit the barbers, which was open when we passed on the way to the butchers, but it had a sign on the way back – closed until 4pm.

The butcher was excellent. A pasty, bacon, ham, sausages, and an open pie made up our haul.  We called in at the Landis for a few other items, and checked out the bus times at the stop.  The timetables online were different.

We went back to the boat and had a rest before catching the last bus to Highworth.  We had a very nice meal in the Saracen's Head, before making our way to the White Horse Folk Club, which meets in the Church Rooms.

We had a warm reception. There were lots of people there, although we were told it was a quiet night, with people away.  We sang four songs, and won the raffle prize, a bottle of red wine. That’s two raffles won in under a week!

Takamine Guitars at the White Horse Folk Club

We asked if anyone was going back to Lechlade as we could do with a lift.  No-one was, but a kind couple took us back anyway. We gave them our raffle prize as a thank you.

We were pleased we had brought our torches as the field was very dark and the cowpats would not have shown up without them!

2 locks, 3 miles.

Next: Starting back downstream to Oxford before turning into the Oxford Canal. Hopefully meeting James’s cousin Priscilla and Gerard, as well as Tim and Tracey (and Oakley) on Sola Gratia.