Lechlade

Ye Old Swan pub.

Radcot Bridge circa 1200

Canal bridge at Radcot built 1787

Bovine boat washer at Lechlade

We only stayed the one night at Lechlade, we were up early and away before the mist had burnt off.

Halfpenny Bridge.

Winding below the bridge.

Spiders take over St Johns lock after hours.

Early mist on the meadow  at 06:30

Thrupp - Thames

Moved along the canal to Thrupp where we moored for a week. While here FL passed her four-yearly boat safety test.

I caught a bus back to Banbury with four other masked passengers to collect a parcel from the post office, the bus takes an hour as it winds a route through several pretty Oxfordshire villages, Tackley is exceptionally nice.

Canoe hire on the wide was doing a good trade

Favourite visitors

The Jolly boatman

It was a nice day when we set off for the Thames. 

Bullers Canal bridge.
Grade ll listed building. Early C19. Coursed limestone rubble with squared stone to piers and coping. Stilted and keyed segmental arch with ashlar voussoirs.

Roundham Bridge & lock

At Dukes cut we met three hire boats with 20 members of the same family aboard, they were celebrating grandad Tom's 80th birthday. A table was booked at the Boat Inn, Thrupp, I hope they managed to find moorings free.

We hadn't planned on coming to the Thames this year, so needed to acquire a visitor license, the lock keepers have stopped issuing these because of Covid 19, we were given a slip of paper at Eynsham lock with instructions to email or phone. The phone number rang continuously so I emailed and was sent a different number that had a working from home human at the end - 0330 159 1983 if anyone is coming this way.

Moored at Eynsham

Moored at Bablock Hythe

Moored above Rushy lock.

 When we set off this morning at 8am two lady pensioners were climbing out of the water behind FL after a swim. Apparently, they swim most days of the year, river conditions permitting.

Just a mile and a half cruise today mooring up before Radcot bridge.

Radcot mooring.

Ladder Bridge to Chiswell Lift Bridge

We stayed a couple of nights at Ladder bridge, from here we can look back across the fields to Napton,where we started our 4 hours cruise

Today is Saturday and we are on our way at 8am. At Fenny Compton two boats are on the water point so we don't stop. The visitor moorings are completely empty bar one hire boat, I have never seen it that empty before.

At the Claydon flight we are helped by a volockie at one of the locks, he is chalking on a whiteboard the number of boats he helps through today, we are number 8, his record for his shift is 53.

Talked to a guy at Cropredy bridge who was going to look for musket shot where the battle took place.  376 years later and no metal detector, I wonder how he got on.

We were on Cropredy service point by 07:00 the next morning and arrived in Banbury by 10:30. Sue needed to go to Hobbycraft while I needed to pick up parcels from Argos in Sainsbury's and the post office the latter hadn't arrived so I will need to get a bus back to Banbury later in the week.

Banbury's new waterfront  under construction

Bourton Bridge.

The river Cherwell crosses the canal from under the bridge arches on the right.

Aynho Weir Bridge.

Cherwell Bridge 

We stopped at Aynho wharf for fuel and ice creams before reaching our mooring spot at Chisnell Lift Bridge a mile further south.

View from our mooring.

HS2 Priors Hardwick

HS2 groundworks have already blighted the countryside here at Priors Hardwick

The usual Oxford canal vista. 

Better scenery at our overnight stops near Bridge 126......

....and Ladder Bridge.

Mink

We were woken at 04:30 to the sound of small feet on the back deck, a family of mink were using the rear deck to dive into the canal climb up the rear fender and jump on to the bank. They were having a great time until they spotted us watching and hurried off. It was too dull to get a clear picture.

They came back scuttling around the gunnels at 6am, below are the best of the pics I managed to get.

He wasn't happy being photographed .... much hissing.

Donkey

A new marina at a farm  near  bridge 35 Coventry canal)

We stopped overnight at Hawkesbury Junction, The Greyhound is a popular pub, has good measures in place to try and keep customers and staff safe. I personally won't be going to any eating/drinking in establishments anytime soon.

We are now on the North Oxford canal, miserable weather has had the brolly up while cruising for most the day. If we had a stove I would have lit it, the central heating was put on for an hour when we stopped. Is this really July? 

Hi Ho Silver

Holly Hill Bridge.

Bit of a landslip  just north of Easenhall Lane Bridge(34)

That's where Shreks mate Donkey went.

Another hold up past Newbold tunnel while the trust cleared a fallen tree from the water.