UK Canals - Journey reports

Kennet & Avon Canal:Reading

The bad weather forecast has just missed us, so although there was a lot of wind in the night, no rain.   So we set off, a little later than usual.  The river passes Beale Park animal sanctuary a useful place to moor overnight. Reaching Whitchurch Lock (Pangbourne) we found the gates open, so that was quick.   Mapledurham, th next lock again was on self service.  We were joined in the lock by two camping canoes with Duke of Edinburg award candidates.   It was only 4 degrees this morning and with a bitter wind.  These youngsters looked absolutely frozen stiff but clearly they were determined to reach Reading, their last leg.   All their personal effects are stored in sealed plastic barrels, so in the event of accidents, or even rain they will have dry clothes.

Reaching Reading we had some housekeeping to do.   A visit to Tesco and the boatyard for 106 litres of diesel.   Then we moved on to the canal, or rather the River Kennet.  We found a spot to moor in the “Jail Loop”.  Saddened to learn however that mooring here now costs and only for 24 hours and probably why there are no other boats here.

River Thames:Goring

A long day.   Leaving Thrupp there is a long line of moored boats, then again before Dukes Lock.  Knowing that the river was on a yellow board at Kings Lock we approached with hesitation but needn’t have worried.  There was a lock-keeper who helped us through speedily with a cheery greeting and we were off.   The stream was nowhere near as vigorous as we experienced last time under similar circumstances.  We also passed three opposite directions including two hire boats coming wrong way through Godstow bridge causing me to apply the”brakes”.   I guess hire boaters don’t know that downstream boats have the right of way.   It could have been nasty.  Loads of rowers on the next reach and canoeists in camping boats, all over the place.   Little do they realise that if they get under my bows I can’t see them.   We made very good time in the running current so decided to press on past Abingdon aiming for Wallingford.    Culham Lock, always very slow with no lock-keeper, delayed us somewhat with two upcoming boats, but nevertheless we reached Wallingford in good time.   There were moorings on the pub side but this was not the place to turn, in front of the bridge.   So we shot through and tried to find the right spot in the current to turn most easily, all the time drifting down stream.   We fought our way back and were then told that we couldn’t moor there, it being private or some such, which rather hacked me off to be honest.   We had Goring as our alternate, so not thinking straight thought we could turn again where we were, further upstream.  We only just made it, nearly getting hung up cross stream with a Frenchies Trip Boat on the bow and trees behind.    We found the mooring at Goring below the lock after 11 hour day.    The wind is getting up and there is the possibility of heavy rain tomorrow.

Oxford Canal (south):Thrupp

More rain, this time of the fine variety but still very cold.   Change of procedure today, so MF worked locks and Pat remained on the boat.   I have been this way a few times but never really registered that the towpath through the cutting after Somerton disappears into a field shielded from the canal by a mass of overgrown bushes.  No chance of horse boating here I guess.   Before Somerton Deep Lock we came to Chisnell Lift Bridge.   There’s just a chain to pull the bridge beams down to open the bridge and it took a huge effort and several attempts.   If the chain had a decent handle on it it would be much easier.   At Dashwood lock we passed a single handler with a collapsible ladder in the boat.  He has a bad knee and cannot use the roof to gain access to the lock ladder.  Walking along the gunwale is a messy procedure in a lock and he swears by his ladder which he can expand from the deck to the lock side.   Mmm, I think - what happens if the boat moves?   After my experience with the previous lift bridge I was very pleased to see that Mill Lane Lift bridge is now mechanised with a very sexy little pedestal.  You need a key!   We had been looking for nb DUSTY to purchase some solid fuel.  There she was at Lower Heyford, moored and all locked up.  Shame.  With all this cold weather we are going to run out in 5 days or so.   At Baker’s Lock the river levels were in the green.  Thank goodness.  One potential obstruction we don’t have to worry about.  Luckily we found a mooring at Thrupp.   What will tomorrow bring?

Oxford Canal (South):Aynho (Br 189)

An even more miserable cold wet day today.  So much so, with all this rain, we are conditioning ourselves to find the Thames closed on red boards when we finally get there.  Nell lock was showing levels well on the yellow so the river section after Bakers Lock might well be closed even before we get to Oxford.    In spite of the rain we made the usual swift progress down Clayton Flight followed by the separate locks to Banbury.  Broadmoor Lock’s weir culvert looked blocked and the walkway over the top gate was under water with water wearing over the bottom gates.   There was evidence that the lock had overflowed at some point as the towpath below was all deeply eroded at the bridge.   After passing Banbury Town Lock we stopped at Samuelson Bridge for access to the nearby Morrison Supermarket.   There is decent piling here.   After Banbury there is a cluster of lifting bridges, all open, but an underwater obstruction on the downstream side of bridge 171 had the boat lifting and squealing on a presumed metallic object.   Probably a shopping trolley.    We had to wait at Nell Lock for a hotel boat pair to negotiate the lock, but no trouble with water levels.    Feeling cold and miserable we stopped at the first evidence of decent sheet piling mooring.

Southern Oxford Canal:Clayton Top Lock

Totally different day today.  Clear blue sky to start the day and only patchy cloud to finish.  The bitter wind remained however.   We left early hoping to make up another day in the schedule.  Few boats about for the most part except after leaving the Grand Union bit we were passed by a veritable flotilla of boats and several opposite directions on the lock flight which interdigitated nicely with us.   Carrying on after the top the canal is generally on the shallow side, so progress is slow.   More revs just drag the stern down and makes no discernible change in speed.  We passed Fenny and the old opened out tunnel to stop for the night just before Clayton Top Lock on a short length of piling.

Northern Oxford Canal:Bridge 89 Braunston

The first day of our spring cruise, hopefully reaching Bristol.  There are still some yellow boards up on the Thames, but with levels supposedly dropping we are hopeful of passage from Oxford.  We should have left yesterday but events transpired to prevent that.  I use the web based canal travel planner to work out cruising legs, stopping places etc.   We want to be in Bath on the 12th May and given the plan worked out to leave yesterday, we left Brinklow a day and half behind schedule.   The wind was bitterly cold with showers forecast and by Hillmorton Locks it did rain.   Not at all pleasant in your face.   Pat injured her back 6 days ago and although improving does not feel in full lock working mode yet.   So a volunteer lock-keeper at the bottom was welcome, but we were on our own for the next two.   Just walking ahead and opening gates is an enormous help and greatly speeds passage and as I am not one to insist on remaining on the boat we were not delayed at all.  So we carried on, but by 6pm we had had enough and made up half a day.   Quiche and salad for supper.   As I was so cold it took a full bottle of wine to get back to normal.