Now and Then

The roofs vents have been given a clean & polish, the first time they have been this shiny in 6 years. They should stay bright until the next rainfall.

Our favourite bit of the Thames has been left behind (for now) to all those craft that can negotiate Osneys low air draught bridge.

Osney bridge (https://oxforddailyphoto.blogspot.com/)

Port Meadow and Oxford spires in the distance

                                                                                                                                                                    Our first stopover on the hottest day of the year so far was at Sandford, we eat inside the cool rooms at the pub. 

Back on the boat the top hoppers and portholes were removed and front doors left open to make it comfortable to sleep.  This had me racing around at 01:30 to replace them all as a storm thundered overhead and drenched the boat.

On the move at 7am the following morning to share Sandon lock with a German hire crew, just a four-mile jaunt to Abingdon.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Did you know herons can't read?

That is the first time I have managed to get the engine in a bridge shot.

Entering Abingdon lock.

😂

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Then and Now

Abingdon Lock and steamboat  1915 (postcard)

The lock house wasn't built until 1928, an early style lockkeeper's hut can be seen lockside. The covered wier walkway is visible in both photos on the left.

Abingdon lock 2019 a trip boat is entering the lock.

Upper Thames

We have been enjoying the upper Thames for the last month, chilling out at our favourite locations have been hard work, lots of wildlife to watch and listen too. It was nice to have a catch up with Sue and Vic who are also enjoying the upper reaches this year.   

Pinkhill long term moorings

Chimney Nature Reserve at 5am

Under Radcot bridge.

I am wondering if the waterways will revert back to MPH after Brexit.

Waiting on Buscot lock landing

St Johns lock at Lechlade

New gate beams

A few participants of the  Lock to Lock challenge. 

Wading 

We head off the Thames for a few days to go to another funeral, we have been going too far too many lately.

On our return, we will spend a good while on the middle Thames.

What3Words

....... is a useful app for those like us who moor/camp in the wilds. It pinpoints your location to emergency services/friends by giving each 3m x 3m  square patch of ground on the globe a unique three-word address.

If you have the app you can search our location by inputting (with full stops)

  cookers.tingled.hurricane 

A project

I was sorry to see this boat this way, I have always admired her lines whenever we have passed. She has been moored at this location for at least the last six years, probably being used as a houseboat. 

Neglect any boat, especially a wooden one, no matter how skilled the craftsman that built her they fall apart at the seams

Even in this state she doesn't look so far gone not to be a restoration project. Hopefully, she will find someone with the time and courage to take her on.

Oxford to Lechlade ....Cuckoos and Curlews

13 June to 24 June

After all the rain we have had over the last week I was surprised to find FL listing when we got up in the morning. Took a bit off shoving to get her float again, I spoke to the Lockie at Pinkhill lock on our way through, he said there were three weir movements during the night, Farmoor reservoir pumps water from the river too. 

It was raining again, we parked on the 24h above the lock and moved around the corner to the meadow the following day, that will do for the weekend. The barn owl was about hunting each day, unusually we saw it at midday. 

Galley window scene.

Part of the walk into Eynsham

We moved from Pinkhill and headed for our favourite isolated mooring at Chimney meadow, only room for one 58ft boat here. We were awake early to the sound of cuckoos and curlews. I snapped away to capture a decent photo of both, but they were crap, much better to swipe descent images of the interweb.

Cuckoo

Curlew

These runners stopped for selfies with the poppies.

Muntjack spotted near Shifford lock.

Shifford lock

Tenfoot bridge is actually 12' 2".

Moored at Radcot

Teepee village all have wood burners  link

Coffee shop in a WW2 pillbox.

Grafton Lock.

Kelmscott mooring.

Kelmscott is a gem of an Oxford village, no shop or public transport but a good village pub. William Morris's Tudor home now a museum puts the village on the map.

The following day two locks and we are at Lechlade where we met up with friends who are camping close by. A great weekend of beer and barbeque at riverside and campsite.

Lechlade's church spire.