Thursday 28 July 2011

The best laid plans…

We planned to have just a short cruise today, a couple of hours to get us a little nearer Oxford.  That proved to not be the case.  Lower Heyford was rammed with boats at Oxfordshire Narrowboats, with only just room to squeeze through, and day boats being taken out everywhere.  We had a lovely mornings cruise and passed several nice mooring spots with an hour of leaving the Heyfords, but it was a bit early to stop.  A couple of locks later we started looking – not a hope in hell!  The bank was far too overgrown to be able to get in, and any likely spots were already taken.  We continued on, through Enslow, past Hampton Gay and on towards Thrupp.  We remembered from last year that it would probably be impossible to moor at Thrupp, and that turned out to be right.  There are far too many ‘Permit Holders Only’ moorings and very few visitor moorings.  On and on we went, until at last we found a space in the exact same spot as we moored last year, just above Roundham Lock in Kidlington.  We have even tied to the same scaffolding post that is stuck in the ground! We had planned to have a slow tootle and arrive in Oxford on Sunday,but it looks like we will be arriving tomorrow instead – lets hope there are moorings to be had!

SDC11090Muddy Waters character boat ‘Jolly’ awaiting day hire at Oxfordshire Narrowboats.

SDC11091Tight squeeze

SDC11092Looking back at Oxfordshire Narrowboats

SDC11095

SDC11096Wild and woolly Oxfordshire

9.3 miles and 5 locks

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