OXFORD TO BANBURY

We set off early on Thursday and although we were the inside double bunked with another narrowboat, we managed to escape their clutches and head off up to the last lock that we would be doing on the Thames. We arrived to Osney Lock at about 7.30 a.m. long before the lockkeeper had arrived, so we proceeded to do the lock on our own!! It was slightly overcast and very fine drizzle was falling - they type you get wet in! Anyway we managed to operate the lock 'box' at one end together and opened the gates, Andy bought the boat in and we proceeded to tie her off on the dollies. This takes some time! After about what seems like 10 mins we were ready to fill the lock.I proceeded to push the buttons at the other end control panel and heyho it worked. Something electronic I hadn't broken! (I have previous for breaking things electrical, usually lift bridges!) Nothing went awry and we carried on cruising up the Thames looking for the entrance to the Oxford Canal at Sheepwash Channel. According to the maps it wasn't far from the Osney Lock. We eventually saw an arched bridge to what looked like a small stream. It looked quite daunting, but having committed Josephine to turn we had to proceed. Any minute we were waiting for the sound of her running aground, but having negotiated a tight section we found the small lock (Isis) that led up onto the canal. What a relief! How lovely it was to see a small lock. We hadn't done one of these since May!
We had previously walked this section of the Oxford and new that the services weren't far, so we cruised along a couple of miles and there they were, no queues! We did the necessaries, stopped for breakfast and then Andy cleaned all the debris off the roof that had landed on Josephine since the thunderstorm and also from being under trees for two nights.
Having been refreshed we carried on up the canal. Not far we came upon a CR&T man inspecting a lift bridge, of which there are many on this section of canal. Just as we approached the bridge he lowered it, even though Andy had sounded the horn! I proceeded to get off and go 'do' the lift bridge. This one required a key being inserted to raise the bridge. The CR&T man greeted me and proceeded with making notes whilst I inserted the key and attempted to turn it clockwise as per the instructions. NO. Nothing doing. I then turned it anticlockwise and although it turned it would  not release the bridge. Help! CR&T man just said well it worked perfectly for me a second ago......,   - well it doesn't work now! After a few minutes he turned my key anticlockwise and pushed hard on the bridge and hey presto it worked. 'Funny that' he said, 'someone had put a note on the bridge to say turn key anti-clockwise but I just took it off, I have a marker pen I will write it back on'. Is there any hope for C&RT!
Moored up for the night on a lovely quiet spot near a village called Tackley, very nice with only one neightbour. This morning we set off again quite early for Lower Heyford. We new there was a café here as we had visited it many years ago before boating days. We found a 14 day mooring and walked back to see if the café was still in existence. It was. Kizzies Bistro. We had a fantastic cooked breakfast, but being awkward as we are, we wanted the vegetarian bubble and squeak with our bacon and sausage. The chef duly obliged, and Andy, being the expert on breakfasts rated this 5 star. We will be back when we are ever in this neck of the woods.
After breakfast we carried on up towards Banbury. There are so many lovely old lift bridges on this section of the Oxford canal. I have taken some pictures of them.



Entering six sided lock

We cross The river Cherwell twice and there is an interesting lock each time we did. They are almost six sided, this means the boat travels around a bit in the lock! They are very pretty, especially at Aynho Weir lock, where the Cherwell goes over a weir. We have finally moored up just beyond there at Haddons Lift Bridge. Plan to cruise to Banbury tomorrow and find moorings for the weekend as Karen and James are visiting Sunday.

 

Think I had better hold onto her!

Under control, phew!

The weir for the Cherwell at Aynho