Sunday 11th
August 2019
The winds of yesterday had largely abated to give a fine morning. We
would have liked to have stayed on this river mooring, but it is a case of
onwards and upwards. There was a long lonely sweep to the river, with fine open
views with the houses of Burcot being glimpsed through trees and their massive
gardens coming down to the waterside.
Clifton Hampden Bridge was said to be low and narrow but obviously,
this is only for the cabin cruisers. Plenty of room for a narrowboat. Just
beyond Clifton Hampden is the artificial Clifton Cut, the river itself is navigable
for a further ¾ mile to the Plough Inn at Long Wittenham. Clifton Cut is
narrow and takes the navigation to the picturesque Clifton Lock followed by the
big weir.
There is a sharp S-bend in the river at the weir and as we were
approaching it, a large cruiser came fast around the bend on the wrong side.
They are much more manoeuvrable than a narrowboat so we just held our course.
The size of these things is not fully appreciated until you have them looming
above you.
Beyond Appleford Railway Bridge we passed the water intakes for Didcot
Power Station and then came upon Culham Lock. The very narrow Culham Cut and a
few tight bends follow and the river then opens out on its approach to
Abingdon.
Abingdon is the major town on the river between Reading and Oxford and
would be a highlight. The southern approach is pretty plain and not what was
expected. This all changes as Abingdon Bridge is approached. The place is very
pretty and a busy spot with hordes of people milling about.
Abingdon
The lock was busy and we had to wait while a group of drunken guys in
canoes on a stag-do exited the lock, all over the place but having a great
time. We shared the lock with a couple of little motor hire boats, one of whom
almost rammed us. The lock keeper here has a certain sense of humour. There
were signs at the lock warning to stay to the left of the red “floaty” things,
the buoys, and another warning that the cooking of roast dinners, bacon,
sausage or egg sandwiches whilst in the lock was prohibited, and that any such
items had to be passed to the keeper for safe keeping!
Abingdon Lock
Shortly after the lock the countryside reappears. The overgrown
entrance to Swift Ditch was passed on the right. This was once the main
navigable channel and had one of the earliest pound locks on the Thames which
was built about 1620 and is now incorporated into an overspill weir.
A lovely stretch of the river followed with steeply wooded slopes on
the right bank and Nuneham House standing at the top in a commanding position.
Sandford Lock
Sandford Lock was particularly fine with its large mill buildings and
a large lock side pub. This is the deepest lock on the Thames above Teddington,
with a rise of 8’ 10”, it uses a lot of water. A beautiful section of river
followed passed delightfully named features, Sandford Pool, Fiddler’s Elbow and
Rose Isle. An outdoor wedding was in progress in the gardens of a riverside
hotel.
Once under Isis Bridge the suburbs of Oxford began to encroach
although largely still kept their distance. Iffley Lock followed with its
pretty balustrade foot bridges, fine lock house and chickens from the keepers
garden passing over the lock gates.
Beyond Donnington Road Bridge there were sports grounds on one side
and numerous boathouses opposite, housing rowing sculls of the many Oxford
Colleges, with Christ Church Meadows beyond with the spires of Oxford showing
through the trees behind. The River Cherwell joins the Thames at the foot of
these boat houses. The Cherwell is the northernmost tributary of the Thames.
With its source in the hills near Daventry in Northamptonshire, the Oxford
Canal runs beside it from Cropredy to Oxford.
Folly Bridge is a wonderful location but the river had become very
narrow and with Salter’s trip boats lined up on one side and a couple of
canoeists on the other, it was a bit tricky navigating the bridge with its
tight bend. The river then continues to be very narrow and twists its way
through some of the not very nice parts of Oxford.
Osney Lock is in the heart of the city and we had just missed the lock
keeper who had gone for lunch, so we had to operate the lock ourselves. We had
just set the lock, opened the gates and were about to enter the lock when a
boat with a young couple aboard, came flying around the corner and passed
straight into the lock. The guy then proceeded to hold ropes for their boat
while his girlfriend sat prettily on the back deck, both allowing Brenda to do
all the work. They were both given a quick lesson on canal and lock etiquette!!
At Osney Bridge there is a smart terrace of old railway workers
cottages that open directly onto the towpath. There then follows the very tight
junction of the River Thames with the Sheepwash Channel leading to the Oxford
Canal, one of two junctions between the two.
The Sheepwash Channel was extremely narrow and does not allow for the
passing of any boats. The channel passes beneath a very low railway bridge, the
tracks leading into Oxford Station, and a disused swing bridge carrying two
sets of rail tracks, the first of this type of swing bridge we have seen.
Sheepwash Channel Junction
At the end of the channel is an almost impossibly tight and confined
turn leading to Isis Lock and the Oxford Canal. The lock appeared very tight
after the River Thames and K&A wide locks. This was the first narrow lock
we have passed through since the Stratford Canal back in April and the five
narrow locks on the Droitwich Canal in May.
Isis Lock
The canal itself was also very narrow with the hire boats of Oxford
Cruisers lined up on one side and the public moorings the other. We only went
100 yards before mooring opposite Oxford Boats in the Jericho area of the city.
It had seemed a long and interesting day.
Weather: a cooler, breezy day.
Day Total: 7 locks; 17 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift
Bridges; 0 Boat Lift; engine running hours 4.9
Overall Total: 667 locks; 1175 miles; 49 tunnels; 57 Swing Bridges; 6
Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; engine running hours 741.0hrs
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