Before we left Braunston we helped reunite a moggy with his owner, he had been left behind at the water point, luckily the owner's boat had only got as far as Midland chandlers.
At Braunston Junction, we turned onto the South Oxford canal, the start of a leisurely two-week meander through pasture land, water meadows, crops and fields of beasts.
The M40 motorway encroaches on the idyllic ruralness in places, a reminder of the hustle & bustle of the real world, the town of Banbury's smart retail waterfront is all the better with a working boatyard.
We moored for an hour to use the nearby B&Q.
There was a terrible racket and smell coming from one of the industrial units as you leave the town, I feel sorry for the blackened faces of the workers with no protection against the din.
South of the town, Taylor/Wimpey is building a large new housing estate bankside.
Pastoral peacefulness is resumed after cruising under the straight M40 motorway two more times as the canal meanders in the contours of the landscape.
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| 16! |
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| Napton Junction |
A glass of Hookey, faggots and scampi too was had in the
Folly Inn the evening before ascending the 9 locks that make up the Napton flight. All locks were in our favour (didn't need filling) as we sped up 50 feet to the shallow summit pound of the canal at Marston Doles.
A few boats did get stuck in the shallow pound as seen by crews heaving against lengths of wooden poles, on one hairpin FL caught in the silt and ended up blocking progress for all with her nose on the opposite bank.
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| Greens lock |
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| Farm diversification |
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| With an outdoor bathroom. |
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| Looks like the narrowboat is going downhill to the bridge |
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| Moored below Claydon bottom lock |
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| Camera shy bovine. |
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| Damaged cill protector at Hardwick lock. (reported to C&RT) |
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| We got waves from commuters on this stationary train. |
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| King's Sutton lock & Travers bridge. |
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| Nell Bridge lock. |
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| Muscovy ducks. |
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| Leaving Somerton Deep Lock. |
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| A herd of horses at Heyford Common lock. |
We filled the diesel tank and exchanged a gas bottle at Oxfordshire Narrowboats wharf at Lower Heyford.
Lower Heyford village.
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| Jane's Enchanted Tea Garden. link |
We spent the full week in Thrupp on the seven-day visitor moorings, with the heavy showery weather it was a good call. Two pubs, Annie's tea room and the S4 bus into Oxford City centre are all to hand.
The anchor has been fetched out of storage and attached in readiness for the Thames.
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| Through Dukes Lock and to the Thames |
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| First Thames mooring at Swinford Reach. |
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| View from the side hatch |
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Rory Stewart (a PM hopeful) has been sending me emails, how he got my address god only knows. I've unsubscribed from them now but he does seem to be the only sane candidate among the contenders, the only one not trying to buy backers. Borris will do anything to get into Number 10 even if it's just for a few weeks/months - offering tax cuts for the well-heeled will get him votes for the leader from the Tory membership but it will be a different story in a General election.
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