Oxford Canal: Hawkesbury Junction

Canal plan gave our journey time as 3.5hours to Hawkesbury.  It took 3.0 at our normal or less speed including a slow section following a pair of boats.  Again very few boats moving to start with - about 4 opposite direction.  But then we start early. On arrival at  the  approach  to  the  stop  lock  to  our  surprise  the  moorings  were  empty.  Normally  we  would  do  the  turn  and moor  up  on  the piling  round  the  corner  on  the  Coventry  because  on  the  Oxford  the piling  is  of  an  older   variety  and  the  hooks  don’t  work.  There  are  some  rope  loops  there  to  stop  mooring  lines  getting  trapped.  Once  moored  there  appeared  a  continuous  stream  of  opposite  direction  boats  waiting  for  the  lock.