Lechlade to Pinkhill

 

Mon 16^th August  Lechlade to Kelmscott

We had to do battle with the cows again this morning, as they crowded in towards the boats. One had the number 64 on its rump, and was reluctant to move. The guy on Concorde was cross because they had scratched his boat. Lee Swift also had problems, as well as the wide beam behind us. Another wide beam further back had come prepared with his own portable electric fence to give himself space around the boat!

Cow no 64 interested in Lee Swift

We stayed until the cows had moved on, and then went for a walk, hoping to visit the first lock on the Cotswold Canals at Inglesham.  It was a pleasant stroll along the Thames Path, and over a footbridge near the Roundhouse. Sadly, there was no access to see the restoration work that has been done on the lock, so an aerial view from Google Earth, and a pic from the Cotswold Canals Trust will have to do.

The Roundhouse at Inglesham

The Lock at Inglesham   Inglesham Lock (cotswoldcanals.net)

Roundhouse (red arrow) and Lock (yellow arrow) (Google Earth)

We walked back along a different path into the village, where we visited the Christmas Shop, which has moved across the road to smaller premises. We also went to the pharmacy and Londis before having breakfast in the Sourdough shop.

We crossed back over Halfpenny Bridge, so called because they used to collect a toll. The tollhouse is still there, and appears to be a private dwelling. Built in 1792.

Tollhouse

Halfpenny Bridge

Back on the boat, we set off at the same time as Lee Swift, and we shared St John’s Lock with them.

WWII pillbox

An unusual duck

Sharing St John’s Lock with Lee Swift

We emptied two cassettes at the facilities. We had the next lock at Buscot to ourselves, on self-service. A group of ladies with towels appeared, asking where the best place for a swim might be. They crossed over the weir hoping the National Trust tearoom might be open, but we think it is closed on Mondays.

We wanted to moor near Kelmscott, and visit the Plough Inn, but the moorings were very overgrown, and the best places had been taken. The William Morris Manor House is closed for refurbishment, and they probably aren’t bothered about the moorings at the moment. We moored further on near a sharp bend and another WWII pillbox.

There are a lot of pink flowers at this time of year, including Purple Loosestrife, Himalayan Balsam, and Great Willowherb. The Rosebay Willowherb comes a bit later.

Purple Loosestrife

Himalayan Balsam

Great Willowherb

A beautiful white flower

Our own private garden for this evening

2 locks, 4 miles. Dep 1200, arr 1400

Tue 17^th August  Kelmscott to Rushey

As we were about to leave, narrowboat Kathleen Rose went past, and we suggested sharing the lock. However, they said they were going to fill up with water first, and we know what that means! When we arrived at the lock, they said they would be some time, so we went in first.

Grafton Lock and Kathleen Rose

Radcot Bridge

Radcot Lock

We arrived at Rushey, and we were the only boat there. Eventually two other narrowboats arrived, including Kathleen Rose.

On our own at Rushey

Joined by two others

James went to explore, and found that the Thames Path crosses the weir and lock here. There is also a fish pass, going in a big loop like a log flume. Apparently, the house by the weir used to belong to David Niven.

The fish pass

Rushey Weir

He didn’t spot deer again, or swimming cows, but he did see a hare, too far away to get a photo.

Evening sky at Rushey

2 locks, 5 miles. Dep 1030, arr 1225

Wed 18^th August  Rushey to Newbridge +

Morning reflections

As we left, we asked the guy on Kathleen Rose if he was leaving, but he said not yet. We disposed of rubbish at Rushey Lock, and were locked through by the lady lock keeper.

We went under Tadpole bridge, and through some sharp zigzags, where we had to take swift avoiding action as we met another narrowboat on a corner.

Tadpole Bridge

Owls to keep birds off moored cruisers

Tenfoot Bridge is neither ten foot hight or ten foot wide, so the name is a mystery. Perhaps the maximum load was five people?

Tenfoot Bridge

It would be good to visit Chimney Meadows nature Reserve, but mooring is almost impossible. There was a notice about it at Shifford Lock, showing a footbridge that isn’t marked in the Nicholson Guide. It connects two parts of the Thames Path. The lock was on self-service.

Chimney Meadows notice

Shifford Lock

We had wanted to stop at Newbridge to visit the Maybush for lunch, but there were “no mooring (wedding)” signs all over the meadow where we usually stop. The signs looked very old, and this was mid-week. The pub is losing business. Email sent to pub.

Newbridge

We needed an alternative mooring, and we found a good spot on a low wall alongside the Thames Path, just a bit too far to walk back to the two pubs at Newbridge.

Our mooring below Newbridge

2 locks, 6 miles. Dep 1005, arr 1235

Thu 19^th August  Newbridge+ to Pinkhill

A small narrowboat called Sloe went past before we were ready to join them. We left twenty minutes later.

Leaving our mooring above Newbridge

Harts Footbridge

When we arrived at Northmoor lock, Sloe had only just arrived themselves, living up to their name. A few minutes later, Kathleen Rose arrived, and three of us shared the lock. Four cruisers arrived also, on a boat club outing to Oxford, and they decided that none of them could fit in with us.

Sloe at Northmoor Lock

The weir at Northmoor is apparently the last paddle and rymer weir on the Thames, and has been preserved for historic reasons. Sloe suggested that we leave first as they were going to be Sloe.

The unusual weir at Northmoor

The weir and lock as we left

Ancient willows

We had in mind a possible lunch stop at the Ferryman at Bablock Hythe, as we have never stopped there, but there was a fisherman on the only mooring available, and the pub didn’t open for another hour. We decided to move on, past all the caravans that line the left bank.

The Ferryman at Bablock Hythe

Caravans and cruisers

When we arrived at Pinkhill, we found that the moorings were unoccupied except for a boat that was there when we came through earlier. We chatted to him and discovered that he was the fisheries manager for Thames Water, who own the site. We mentioned the nature reserve, and James asked him how to get into the bird hide that is always locked. He gave us the combination for the lock.

Moored above Pinkhill

Kathleen Rose arrived soon after, and moored up nearest to the reservoir. Sloe came chugging past quite a bit later, followed by the boat club cruisers.

The cruising club coming past.

James went for a walk to check out the reservoir and the bird hides. While he was in the first bird hide, there was a sudden heavy rain shower. Hazel had washing out to dry, and we hadn’t put the stern cover up, so Hazel had to rush round doing the best she could.  James met a man with a long lens in one of the bird hides, and he said that one of the local adult barn owls had died, so the future was uncertain for the local barn owl population. There has been a pair breeding annually for several years. He discovered that the huge man-made nesting sites were to attract Ospreys, but none had come as yet.

There wasn’t much to see apart from an egret in the same place as last time, and a grey squirrel on the path.

Little Egret

Grey Squirrel

Back at the mooring, three more boats arrived, including Beulah May who moored behind us. He doesn’t go very far, just moving around locally.

There was a dark threatening sky, with sunshine at the same time, which looked very dramatic in the evening.

Evening light

Next: Back into Oxford, with a brief excursion by bus to Aylesbury, before starting up the Oxford Canal.