Tuesday 20th
August 2019
We left the moorings quite early and stopped at the Sanitary Station.
The state of the bins was awful, but apparently, it was because for the recent
Music Festival. Just as we were about to leave for the neighbouring lock,
another boat passed us. Not much harm done though, when we got to the lock
there were actually three boats in line ahead of us, so a long wait ensued.
The day was a steady progression of locks. The one at Cropredy was
followed a mile later, by a group of three, then a further mile on, came the
five closely grouped Claydon locks beyond which was the 11 summit of the Oxford
Canal before the long descent to Coventry.
The Oxford Canal was built as an early contour canal. following the
lay of the land. Although the course had been twisting and turning since
Oxford, it becomes really apparent once the summit is reached.
The views were at first, wide and open. Between Broadmoor and Varney’s Locks were
many old working boats although, unfortunately, most were in varying states of
decay. Always a shame when this is seen, our canal heritage wasting away.
Clattercote Wharf was a busy place not only with moored boats, some undergoing repair
work, but also with the attached smallholding. The pound between the next two locks,
Varney’s and Elkington, was low. Although the boat got through without incident,
the level was probably 10” down.
Low levels
At Claydon Bottom Lock we came across a group of volunteers clearing
trees and undergrowth around the lock and painting fences at the next lock up. Stirling
work these people do. The canals would be much worse off without them. At the
top lock, the cottage and stables are in the midst of a renovation project that
is looking very grand.
Claydon Top Lock Cottage and Stables
Claydon Top Lock saw us on the summit pound and the beginning of the
wide curves and tight bends of this contour canal. The level was also very low.
North of Claydon village is a feeder channel coming from Boddington Reservoir,
2½
miles away. Opposite the towpath bridge of the feeder channel is a line of long
termed moored boats. The canal was so low here that we were grounded and had to
keep the power on. Luckily the channel guided us in the correct direction, but
there was little control over the handling of the boat. We virtually dragged
the bottom all the way into Fenny Compton although not quite as badly as at the
feeder channel.
After passing an ornate, disused railway bridge and Wormleighton
Reservoir we came to the so-called Fenny Compton Tunnels. When first
constructed, the canal had two tunnels here. They were opened out in the
mid-1800’s but are still known as “tunnels”. Today the channel is still narrow,
only wide enough for one boat, but passes through a steep, thickly wooded
cutting. We were still pushing our way along the bottom and so were dismayed to
see in front of us, a very slow moving hire boat. We caught up with this boat
very quickly. His steering was very erratic and he was all over the canal. We
kept a few boat lengths from him, praying he wouldn’t go aground or meet another
boat coming in the opposite direction.
Feeder Channel emerges
from Boddington Reservoir
Fenny Compton is a popular mooring spot although the canal is narrow
all along the moorings. We took the first mooring we saw, just managing to
squeeze in. We needn’t have worried though, boats it seemed, were coming and
going the remainder of the afternoon. Just unfortunate though, if you arrive, the
moorings are full and you pass on just as somebody decides to leave.
I visited the chandlery and gave the sewing table top a good coat of
wax. Very pleased how this has turned out.
Brenda had an extremely frustrating afternoon attempting to complete our
US visa applications online. Eventually, with Riviera Travel on the phone helping,
we managed between us, to complete Brenda’s but mine just would not download
the passport pages. It then appeared as though, because I had worked out of Libya,
that I would be unable to apply for a visa online and would have to visit the
US Embassy in London. We just don’t have
the time for this. Then checking my discharge book, it seems the restriction
may not apply. The passport would still not download however, Riviera had gone off
the phone at this point and is was out of office hours. The saga has to
continue tomorrow.
Weather: a nice day, but a little breezy and chilly in the shade.
Day Total: 9 locks; 6 miles; 0 Tunnels; 0 Swing Bridges; 0 Lift Bridges;
0 Boat Lift; Day’s running hours 4.4
Overall Total: 696 locks; 1211 miles; 49 tunnels; 57 Swing Bridges; 11
Lift Bridges; 2 Boat Lifts; total engine running hours 766.0hrs
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