Back Into Cropredy Marina

 Monday 27th Septemeber 2021 in Cropredy Marina.

Awoke to very heavy rain thundering on the roof. Fortunately, it had eased off by the time we set off.

This was once a tunnel on the summit pound, but the roof was unstable and was eventually removed leaving a narrow cutting. Good job that we didn't meet anyone coming the other way!

We moored up for a coffee break, and for R to take a conference call, back at this field where we saw workers installing field drains last week. It was all finished, the trenches all filled in and order restored in a very neat fashion.

We love the Oxford Canal summit pound, which meanders through the countryside with just the occasional bridge to negotiate.

The wind became very strong and dark clouds gathered as we went into Cropredy Marina. There was a queue for the service bay, so R had to hover in the middle of the marina and reverse each time the wind tried to blow MM on to the other moored boats.

Eventually the service bay became free and we were able to moor up and unload stuff from MM into the car. This was at the height of the panic buying of diesel, so everyone was quite surprised that we didn't want to fill MM up!

Next to the service bay was our friend Angela's boat "Glad" with a "For Sale" notice on it. Sad that she has decided to sell it but it has not been the most reliable of her many boats.

M spent some time at the Claydon Flight picking sloes to take up to Christine in the Lakes to make sloe gin. There has been a bumper harvest of sloes this year.

Finally we moored up MM in the same berth as before and made her secure.

Our efforts were watched by a very friendly, and probably hungry, duck. Unfortunately for her, we had already loaded all the available food into the car on the other side of the marina.

Tomorrow, Adrian will drive up here and leave his car in the car park while the three of us drive up in the Touran to spend time with Christine in the Lake District. We shall be up there for a week before going home for a few days. We plan to be back on 8th October to take MM down to Aynho for her partial repaint.

Today: 4 miles, 8 locks and 3.7 hours.

Trip: 476 miles, 260 locks and 240.2 hours.

Scott and Family for Sunday Roast Lunch.

Sunday 26th September 2021 at Fenny Compton
Another lovely morning and we set off relatively early down towards Fenny Compton  where we have arranged to meet up with Scott and Family for a late "lunch".

Met this strange looking fellow on the towpath, his rather wooden expression indicated that he wasn't particularly happy with life.

After a brief stop at the Fenny Compton marina in order to do a pump out and fill up with water, R reversed MM back to the Wharf Inn and moored up so that M could hang out the washing and R could give the roof a much needed wash down.

Scott, Paula and Amelia arrived at about 5:00pm and we went to the Wharf Inn for a late Sunday Roast lunch.

The food was excellent and the portions humungous! It was great to see Scott, Paula and Amelia again after such a long time and to have a catch up together.

Today: 3 miles, 0 locks and 2.2 hours

Trip: 472 miles, 252 locks and 238.7 hours.

Turning Around and a Bit of Scrumping.

 Saturday 25th September 2021 back near Wormleighton.

A cloudy day initially, which turned brighter later.

We have, by now, reached the point at which we need to turn around and head back towards Cropredy. The only winding hole long enough to turn MM is below the first two Marston Dole Locks, so we set off down the locks and then turned at the mouth of the "Old Engine House Arm".

We then had to go back up through the two Marston Dole locks. Next to the top lock is a rather derelict looking lock keeper's cottage, sadly in need of much TLC. A shame, because it could be a lovely house.

Above the lock is a very strange trapezoidal warehouse, built at an angle but with a flat face to the canal. Bizarre!

M walked the next part of the towpath and found a huge field of sweetcorn. She went off scrumping as we both love sweetcorn and this was the result. Sadly, although it looked very good, it was past its best and the corns were tough as old boots! Inedible!

The weather continues to be extraordinary, we have been blessed.

In a field next to the canal there is a land locked narrow boat, looking like it sits in a hole in the ground - which is exactly what it does. One way of avoiding paying a C&RT licence fee?

At the same "Brindley" loop as yesterday, M walked across the fields on a different and longer footpath while R and MM went round the really long way.

M's way nearly turned into the even longer way as the path was not very clear, at one point vanishing through the hedge on a rather rickety bridge.

Finally though, M emerged unexpectedly on to the canal towpath and nearly fell in. Tragically, the whole footpath and the buildings in the distance will soon disappear under a massive viaduct and embankment courtesy of ****H*S*2.

We moord up at a quiet spot. If the photograph was bigger, you could see Napton and its famous windmill on the horizon in the distance.

Another blissful evening to bring out the chairs and read in the light of the setting sun.

The sunset was beautiful and followed by an excellent high pass of the International Space Station, illuminated by the settng sun against a darkening sky. And a tawny owl hooted in the hedgerow beside us. Bliss.

Today: 7 miles, 4 locks and 4.0 hours.

Trip: 469 miles, 252 hours and 236.5 hours.

A "No Till" Seed Drill and Relaxing in the Evening Light.

Friday 24th September 2021 nesr Little Bourton

We woke to a lovely morning sky with the moon still high.

M had decided to take a short cut on a footpath across the fields. Mr Brindley's canal does a huge loop, ending up just a few hundred yards away across the fields but considerably further by water, so M arrived at the other side long before R and MM. M's path was lovely: -

Eventually, MM hove into view and picked up M at the bridge hole.

A very pleasant "Glamping" site next to the canal. There is a wood burning hot tub just in front of the teepee and the horsebox opens to reveal a kitchen! Luxury!

We found a very quiet mooring, exactly where we moored with Mel, Peter and "Inkling" on our way south in the spring, opposite this heart shaped tree.

In the field behind us, was a John Deere tractor pulling a huge "no till" seed drill, doing the job of preparing the seedbed and drilling the seed in a single operation. Very much the fashionable thing now to preserve the quality of the soil.

The afternoon was so beautiful that the best thing to do was to sit, relax and enjoy it. So out came the chairs, our books and a G&T each.

A large herd of cows arrived in the field opposite, which made a lovely rural scene in the golden evening light.

Today: 3 miles, 0 locks and 2.0 hours.

Trip: 462 miles, 248 locks and 232.5 hours.
 

On Past Fenny Compton on the Oxford Canal Summit Pound.

 Thursday 23rd September 2021 near Wormleighton.

The full moon was still high, reflected in the water...

As the sun rose behind us.

Thankfully, this lift bridge was left in the up position. To our relief, there are not so many lift bridges on this part of the Oxford Canal as they are often slower to get through than a lock.

There was once a tunnel just south of Fenny Compton but the tunnel roof proved to be unstable, so it was removed and that stretch became a narrow cutting. M walked along the bank and admired the autumn vegetation. This is briony and the black fruits of the burnet rose.

Just after where the tunnel used to be, the towpath switches sides on this elegant turnover bridge.

A beautiful vista with open country on both sides of the canal. Unfortunately, not far ahead, this idyllic  scene is blighted by massive earthworks for **** H*S*2. Goodbye peace and tranquility.

We found a lovely spot to moor up, on a short piece of armco just long enough for MM. Another beautiful evening, we have been so lucky with the weather this week.

Today: 5 miles, 0 locks and 2.5 hours.

Trip: 459 miles, 248 locks and 231.5 hours.

A Lovely Catch Up with Jenni.

 Wednesday 22nd September 2021 near Claydon.

What a special feeling it was to wake up back on MM again. As ever, M was up with the lark and was rewarded with the sight of the setting full moon reflected in the canal.

We'd agreed to meet Jenni, Ed and Will at 10:00am above the next lock. To our surprise, they were already waiting at the lock to help us through.

After we had moored up, we all had coffee and tea on board MM and a big catch up. It was especially lovely to hear Jenni's account of her recent trip to California for the wedding of her daughter Kate.  So good to see them; unexpected meetings are the best!

They set off again on Rufford after about an hour, as they need to get back to Napton tonight or early tomorrow. 

We waited a while as there were quite a few boats heading north towards the Claydon flight of locks and we preferred to let them all go rather than wait in a queue at the locks.

Several things caught our eye as we cruised along. One was a dinky gypsy caravan in beautiful condition.

Another was what looked like a giant daisy 15 inches across, but is actually a massive fungus!

We often see lengthsmen's hut beside locks, usually abandonned and looking a bit sad like this one.

However, next to the middle lock of the Claydon flight was this lengthsman's hut actually being used by two C&RT volunteers, Andy and Dave, who always do Wednesdays. Out of curiosity, M had a peep inside the hut, which contained a kettle, mugs and lots of bottled water, among various items of canal equipment. The fireplace had been removed, but the brass fire tongs were still there. M was warned not to go down into the wine cellar (we hope they were joking?) but she loved the hairy chimney.

Outside was a board recording the passage of boats for the day.

We moored up above the top lock in a lovely rural spot, the peace only slightly disturbed by some heavy machinery in the adjacent field installing field drains. The large machine on the right dug the trench and fed the pipe into it, while the tractor on the right poured gravel into a hopper and down into the trench to cover the pipe. It only took them about an hour to do one strip across the large field.

Another beautiful sunset.

Today: 2 miles, 8 locks and 2.8 hours.

Trip: 454 miles, 248 locks and 229.0 hours

Back to MM and a Surprise Meeting.

 Tuesday 21st September 2021 at Cropredy.

Well, after a lovely four weeks at home to be around for the arrival of our ninth grandchild, who continues to be healthy, lovely and happily chilled-out, the time has come to return to MM.

On a beautiful, early autumn afternoon, we arrived back at Cropredy, having called in to Waitrose in Banbury on the way for provisions. 

After unloading the food, unpacking all the clean laundry, making up the bed and ejecting a number of unwelcome spiders who had taken up residence in our absence, we headed out on to the Oxford Canal. MM looks rather bare without her traditonal red geraniums! They have bloomed profusely all summer long but are now past their best! At least now R can see what's coming!

It was such a lovely evening that we only travelled a few hundred yards before we moored up, deciding that locks could wait for tomorrow, as it had been a long day.

We were enjoying our supper sat on the stern deck in the early evening when we heard someone call out M's name. To our great surprise and joy, it was our dear friend Jenni, out on nb "Rufford" with her sons Ed and Will. None of us had any idea that the others were out  on our boats, let alone where we were. It was getting late in the evening by now, so we agreed to  meet up in the morning for coffee and a catch up. As there was no mooring space where we were, Jenni and the boys took Rufford through the lock just above us and moored up above the lock for the night.

A beautiful sunset rounded off the day perfectly.

It was brought to our attention that at 21:21 this evening, it was the 21st minute of the 21st hour of the 21st day of the 21st month of the 21st Century. It was also a full moon today! Astonishing!

Today: 0 miles, 0 locks and 0.2 hours.

Trip: 454 miles, 248 locks and 226.2 hours.