Friday 30 April 2010

Thursday 28 and Friday 29 April 2010



From Bablock Hythe, River Thames, to Pigeon Lock, Oxford canal


Our picture today was taken on the Thames as we passed under the traffic queuing on the Swinford Toll Bridge, built in 1767. This bridge was recently sold for about £1.5m. The car toll is 5p, but the bridge owner does not have to pay income tax on profits due to ancient law! he should make about £190,000pa! This was the last bridge before branching left down Duke's Cut and then onto the Oxford Canal again. Time to put away the anchor and life jackets.
Boating on a narrow canal again after the wide expanse of a river is such a very different experience. There are moving boats again, and some very narrow stretches lined with moored boats AND you have to start thinking and doing the locks again, AND it has started raining!
We have moored just above pigeon lock, ready to pick up some VIP's for the weekend! So we will be off air for a few days.

Wednesday 28 April 2010

Tuesday 27 - Thurs 29 April 2010

From Lechlade downstream to Bablock Hythe, River Thames



We turned at the limit of navigation in Lechlade and are now going with the flow, downstream. We enjoyed the meadow mooring in Lechlade, perfectly placed for visiting the town, but such a great shame so many dog walkers haven't cleaned up and others have just left their doggy bags on the footpaths. There are some very interesting antique places in Lechlade, good entertainment factor!

We have realised that the number of swans and particularly last years cygnets along the Thames is quite sizeable. The birds are tending to congregate in large colonies, in the low lying fields adjacent to the River, and occasionally we see fisty cuffs breaking out among them! There are several nesting pairs along the way too.

Our Thursday mooring is at Bablock Hythe - we recall this spot from last year. A disused ferry crossing, which is going to be reinstated we gather, and it also has a large caravan site and has one of the few recycling facilities along the river, which is surprising considering the Thames is administered by the Environment Agency!

Monday 26 April 2010

Sunday 25 and Monday 26 April 2010



Above Eynsham Lock to Lechlade, River Thames


On Sunday morning we awoke to a grey dismal, blanket of dreary sky - not used to this at all! We continued on upstream to Newbridge and because there are so few boats about we were able to easily moor outside the pretty Rose Revived Inn. We trialed the beer in both the Rose Revived and across the bridge, in the Maybush, before lunch on board, followed by a heavy downpour. We spent a happy evening in the Rose Revived with the crew from Worthy Fox who arrived by car!
En route, we passed a caravan site, and noticed on the rear of a caravan the words in red "hate Clarkson" and in blue "love caravans"! Bet this won't feature on Top Gear.


We left Newbridge on Monday and continued upstream to Lechlade, the head of navigation. We must have passed at most, 6 moving boats and apart from each other only spoke to lock keepers on the way. This is a particularly pretty, very windy stretch we remembered from last year, but many colonies of last years swans, just hanging around.
Todays picture shows a mother duck with the remaining 6 of her original clutch of 17, following the lock keeper around as he carried out his duties.


(It is very surprising to see how many war time pill boxes there are remaining intact, dotted all the way up the Thames right up to Lechlade.)






Sunday 25 April 2010

Thursday 22, to Saturday 24 April 2010







Abingdon to Eynsham Lock, River Thames








We have decided to stay on the Thames a little longer as it is just so perfect, and very little boat traffic. Having said that, yesterday we found ourselves mixed up with a rowing regatta in Oxford. Towpath marshals with loud hailers gave us instructions, and it was a little crowded at times with 8 man crews rowing around us. Correction, most of the crews were all female!

It was a relief to get through Oxford away from the thrashing waters around the boat houses. Then we are faced with a hire boat blocking the whole width of a narrow stretch, stuck in the trees and a group of ladies on board, not really knowing how to get themselves sorted out. Fortunately Bob was able to get close to them and give advice! and a couple of burly fishermen assisted. How they would cope with the regatta, we shuddered!

Further on we find we are approaching a sail boat tacking across the river in front of us. It was a relief to moor for lunch! We were above Kings Lock, where the lady lockeeper has installed a camera for passers by to see inside a blue tit nest, with 8 eggs with the parents popping in and out!

Thursday 22 April 2010

Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 April 2010









Abingdon to Wallingford, and back to Abingdon, River Thames












Another absolutely perfect two days for boating, but much more activity overhead, including red kites circling apparently after rats along the river!





We have the river to ourselves pretty well, and there are some fabulous properties along the way, with manicured rolling lawns down to weeping willows at the watersedge - most have boathouses, including one that was thatched!As you can see. The owners of these places wouldn't lower themselves and be featured on Escape to the Country!






We did encounter Robinson Crusoe, rowing a coracle!

We decided not to moor overnight in Wallingford since the local town council applied a £5 overnight charge , to be opposite a working pile driving site! A attractive town, well worth a visit and look around. Afterwhich we mooved off back upstream, and found our earlier lunch spot at Shillingford Bridge, absolutely perfect and no people!


We are now back in Abingdon, and moored again alongside Abbey Meadow, a lovely, quiet, grassy area, close to the town, so we have boosted this local economy twice, at the expense of Wallingford!






























Tuesday 20 April 2010

Tuesday 20 April 2010







Osney Lock down the River Thames to Abingdon








Another bright spring day, lovely blue sky, but very cold blast of wind as we moved down the Thames.


Below Osney Lock we encountered several fast moving rowing skiffs, and they gave us some nervous moments as we threaded our way through Oxford, the river twisting and turning everywhich way. Fortunately, we were following another narrow boat, and he seemed to know his way, and selected the right route and bridge arches to go under! We passed many college boathouses along the way.

We have moored in Abingdon alongside a lovely grassy meadow. A walk into the town revealed an attractive town, with lots of old buildings. We shall revisit tomorrow.

Note - is it a bird or is it a plane, in the sky of one of todays photos?




Monday 19 April 2010

Monday 19 April 2010




From Grand Union down Oxford Canal to above
Osney Lock, river Thames, Oxford

Here we go again!

We left our winter moorings on the Grand Union Canal in Warwickshire a week ago, and have travelled south down the pretty Oxford Canal.

This included time spent in Banbury, taking in Marks and Spencer of course, a birthday supper at Frankie and Bennies, a short trip with new crew Alison and Melissa, and we have now arrived down in Oxford and left our comfort zone of the canal, onto the fast flowing Thames. Another blue, vapour trail free sky, day.

As soon as we turned onto the river, memories of last year and the unnerving swift river current returned and so we decided to moor at the first opportunity, just above Osney lock. Initially we were the only boat moored here, but others have joined us with some spectacular mooring manouvres due to the current.

Several skiff crews have been racing by us this evening, so plenty of eye candy afloat! 8 chaps in one boat!
Look forward to another warm spring day tomorrow,