Lechlade

Wehey! We made it!

Travelled 9.47 miles today, and risen through 4 locks.
Radcot, Grafton, Buscot, and St Johns.

"There are no more locks upstream on the River Thames, with Lechlade normally considered to be the end of the navigable river."

Tied up beside the pub for a quick pint, and a shopping run. Then dropped back down below the bridge, where we're currently moored up beside a farmers field, with 100 cows for company. Twisty, Bendy, Windy, Rainy.. for most of the way up here. But I'm glad we did it. Being out in the deepest countryside, with no roads or cars at all, has made it well worth the effort, and the occasional soakings.

Lazy Day

Today we've covered 0 miles. As we'd travelled all through the weekend, we thought we'd reward ourselves with a day off. A chance to enjoy the beautiful peace and quiet of the wide open countryside. We walked Sumo leisurely along the thames path, and then baked some fresh bread.

Stress level = 0.

Buckland Marsh

We've travelled 10.08 miles today, and passed through 3 hand operated locks. Northmoor, Shifford and Rushey.

Another long haul for us today. Not too many places to stop enroute. And, where there were, there was an inconsiderate moorer plonked right in the middle of them. So we kept going up to Buckland Marsh, where we found plenty of lovely places to stop.

Thankfully, because it was threatening to rain, there weren't many other boats on the move. Which made negotiating the myriad bends so much easier. Did I mention the bends? We've done hundreds of them today. Left handers, right handers, and some with really insane angles. Not good places to meet something coming from the other direction at speed. It was good manoeuvering practice for us though. And we didn't run aground once, which I'm quite proud of.

Bablock Hythe

We've travelled 7.51 miles today, and passed through 2 oldskool hand operated locks, Eynsham and Pinkhill.

Deployed the Chaspole, with our Devon pennant stuck on the end, which I'm pretty sure, saved us from being rammed by a couple of plastic cruisers who were speeding wayyyy too fast around the bends. Thanks for the tip, Roy.

Passed Sue & Vic (nb 'No Problem') and gave them a wave.

Shortly afterwards we avoided what looked like a certain collision, by ramming on "Full Astern", and hoping for the best. A narrowboat had seriously oversteered around a bend to avoid a canoeist, and was heading straight for us! Thankfully, he managed to straighten himself up in time, so neither of us ended up in the trees and bushes. Then we passed through some very winding bends, and some beautifully picturesque countryside, before mooring ourselves up at "The Ferry Inn", by Bablock Hythe.

Wytham

We've travelled 4.03 miles today.

Osney Lock was very busy.

ah... The chimney was stuck solid, and it wouldn't come off. Thankfully, we didn't lose it going under Osney bridge, but it was very close thing. Inches to spare.

Sumo enjoyed the new sniffs.

On past Rainbow bridge, the river opened out into a wide flat expanse, with a huge meadow on the right hand side. Though it was very warm and sunny, there was a nasty wind blowing right across it. So, again, I feel like I've been sandblasted.


Godstow Lock was a bit of a pig to get into. The layby was short, and the wind across the meadow threatened to blow us onto a very shallow beach. Thankfully, a small burst of "Full Ahead", saved us from any potential embarrasment.


By the time we got to Kings Lock, it was baking hot, and we were on the lookout for a place to stop. It was our first manual lock with beams. They've all been pushbutton so far. But thankfully, the lockkeeper appeared with a big pole, and we were through in less than 5 minutes. There are a couple of beautifully tended garden type moorings after the lock, so we've decided to stay here for the night..

Tucked up at the King's Lock mooring, just before the Duke's cut turnoff to the Oxford canal. What a lovely spot to spend a summer's evening.

Oxford

ah.. Guess when Oxford's regatta week starts? Today! Hordes of people, and billions of boats. Plonked ourselves on a scenic mooring just below Folly bridge.

Iffley

We've travelled 6.84 miles today.

Sustained, in part, by our OatyCoconutCherry&Berry biscuits.

Filled dogma up with diesel, and got ourselves a spare gas cylinder at Abingdon boat services. Then pumped out just past Abingdon Lock.

Bit of a mixed bag, weatherwise. When we cruised through 'pylon land' (Nuneham) it was grey and overcast, but by the time we'd travelled up past Sandford Lock there was full on sunshine.

Sandford lock, despite being the deepest one on the thames, was easy to navigate. Thanks to a long straight run up to it, and a helpful smiling lock keeper with a boat pole.

The meadows and windy bends past the lock were much more pleasant to travel through. Passed under the Isis bridge, and arrived at...

A nice mooring spot, just before Iffley Lock.