Napton to Cropredy

We moored in Wigram's Turn Marina on Sunday initially for a day to get a Tesco's delivery, this turned into three days as the stormy weather continued. We hired a car for a day and hit B&Q and Waitrose now FL's shed is fully stocked as well as her fridge. We filled the fuel tank before we left, Kevin has now retired and Steve has taken over his responsibility's.

We moved a couple of miles to moor in Napton, the promised fine weather has arrived. You can't stop in Napton without admiring the windmill on the hill or visiting the Folly Inn, we did both, the bowler-hatted, waxed moustachioed landlord Mark Roden was his usual jocular self. I noticed the pub is now a Saturday meeting place for the Utter Folly Motorcycle club.

We were preparing to leave Thursday morning when two nubile young ladies commentated on my physique Manly Beach T-Shirt, they were from Sydney, they have borrowed their Aunts boat which had broken down and were bow hauling it to Wigrams for repair. I would have towed them if I wasn't going in the opposite direction (they had some young fit men aboard to do the hauling).

A three-boat wait at the bottom lock of the Napton flight but once through it was one up one down the rest of the locks, so no problem there. The shorts suncream and hats were on show for the first time since last year. The top lock at Marston Doles has an awkward right turn at the exit, glad FL isn't a 70 footer. 

The canal really gets a wriggle on through rolling open farmland, we have cruised 7 miles to moor at Knotts bridge and can see Napton hill and the windmill about 2 miles away as the crow flies. 

Those Water Buffalo always make us smile.

The special views that we enjoy are not here by accident they are mostly here because of the hard graft of the farmers who maintain the land we enjoy cruising through.

A Linseed oil crop makes a change from the yellow Rapeseed.

The bankside chairs came out for a bit of relaxation in the sun, suddenly we heard a distant hum and soon a swarming black cloud of bees was passing over our heads, there must have been thousands of the buzzing bees swarming at an incredible speed, glad they kept going. Later we were also very were lucky to see a large white barn owl successfully hunting in the fields below our mooring spot.

Barn Owl hunting grounds, you can just see the windmill on Napton hill.

Friday just before we moved off we had a bib from NB Ploddin, a quick hello and wave to Louise & John. We had a quick stop at Fenny Compton as Sue wanted to visit the Wharf pub who as well as beer, sell odds and sods for boaters, of special interest to Sue was the large counter of spices sold in the bar area. Sue came back to the boat disappointed as the spice/herb stall is no longer there. 

The herbless Wharf Inn

Why would you dig a hole in a field and put a boat in it, get a bloody caravan.

We filled the water tank and continued through the narrow open-topped Fenny Compton tunnel (the roof has been removed but it's still narrow). Then it was on to the Claydon Flight, unfortunately, we followed a boat up so all locks were against us, but never mind the sun was shining and we are never in a hurry these days. We have moored in Cropredy and will treat ourselves to dinner out at the Brasenose Arms.

I  suggest this is a considerate dickhead!