Our passage to the Oxford Canal
After getting to the end of the Thames, we now make our way back down to Dukes Cut, our passage to the Oxford.....
Lechlade was lovely, we had some great walks almond
the meadows that went down to the river.
 |
| A familiar boat moored in residential moorings at Lechlade. Last seen Buckden marina, 4 years ago! |
We saw a familiar boat moored up at
Lechlade marina, Shambles No 1. I used to moor up next to Shambles in
Cambridge, home to James and Emma and their dog Jess. Then when I left
Cambridge in 2006 we went to live at Buckden marina on the river Ouse and Shambles
turned up there, on the same pontoon as us, but with new owners. This time the
owners introduced themselves as Rosie and Jim, so we nick named them Dosie and
Dim. Their real names were Marion and Ken. Apparently. But we'd forgotten!
It was moored on the opposite side of the river, and
we had totally forgotten their names! Not even sure they still owned the boat.
But we had to find out before we left! So we shouted 'Shambles" across the
river, over and over again! There was some other bloke on the moorings so I
asked him what the owner of Shambles' name was. He told me Ken, we knew then it was the
same people, so we shouted Ken and he poked his head out of the front.
We had a good chat with him, nice fella. He remembered
us well, we remembered him from forever tuning in the satellite dish on his
roof, and her always shouting instructions!
But lovely to see them again.
 |
| A warm glow over the boats moored up on the meadow at Lechlade |
 |
| And then there was the rainbow... |
We went out to the pub by the river, Riverside Pub! Had a huge meal and went back to the boat and saw an awsome rainbow as the sun was setting, it left a fantastic colour in the sky over the boats moored up on the meadow.
The sun came out, so did the dragonflies and
butterflies! It was lovely seeing them flutter and hover around you as you
quietly glide through the water.
 |
| A wider section here makes it easier to navigate the tight corners |
We weaved in and out of overgrown trees leaning right
over the river blocking our line of sight round tight and twisty 's' bends. We
pass a couple of boats along the way, one hire boater was totally on the wrong
side of the river as we came round a particular tight bend. He was shouting out
'we know we're on the wrong side of the river'. After swinging round to the
left hand side we managed to avoid him, just! A few chosen words and we were on
our way.
We do 5 locks today, and 10.5 miles. It's been
beautiful, a great days cruise.
We decide to pull over on this very remote section of
the river, just past Ten Foot Bridge, not a village in sight.
 |
| Going under Ten Foot Bridge, most of them like this on a tight bend! |
There's only room
for one boat, there's a cow field near us, but plenty of room for Jack to play,
off towpath side so no disturbances. Not a soul.
 |
| Moored by the 'evil cows', just behind me as I take this photo! |
We go for a wander, we have to tackle electric fences,
not pleasant, but the cow fields were great, Jack had such fun! The cows were
in the opposite corner to us so we didn't get a look at them, they were just
black cows to us...... until we learned the truth a few days later.
We cooked up our catch of 4 crayfish and popped them
in the freezer to add to later ....there was more to come!
It turned chilly in the evening so we stayed indoors
in the cosy boat and watched telly.
On Wednesday 7th August
we set off for out usual walk with Jack, well, that's all we did, set off! We
went to the electric fence and was totally shocked by what we saw.
 |
The 'evil cows' were not actually cows.... we learn this soon after
(picture taken from the web as I didn't want to hang around too long, scary when you're face to face with these! |
These were
no ordinary cows, these were evil cows, chunky muscles rippling cows, cows that
literally looked down their noses at you cows, their eyes boring into you and
it made you squirm cows.
There was no way we were going into that meadow,
crawling under the electric fence to be chased by the most scary horror story
cows ever. So we tried to get round the field but Jack decided to try his luck
going under the double electric fence, and gave such an almighty 'yelp' it made
me jump. His luck wasn't in today, he got blasted with electric.
Tail between
his legs, he ran back to the boat and we decided we were out of here! Good
choice given the circumstances! No real damage done, just a very confused
little dog that didn't get a walk!
We had netted over 30 crayfish last night, so we boiled and prepared the crayfish for supper that night. We'll enjoy them later, lets just get the hell outta here now!
 |
| Looks an idealistic mooring spot, but evil awaits over to the left... |
We left pretty much straight away, away from those
evil cows. We got to Shifford lock where there was a convenient water point,
and filled up.
 |
| There's not many bridges over the Thames at this end, but this one, New Bridge, was pretty impressive |
5 miles of lovely twisty pretty river, wide stretches meander
around willow plantations, and we get to Northmoor Lock. Flat landscape now,
not a soul about, very quiet.
 |
| Approaching the mooring spot on the left at Bablock Hythe |
As Jack hasn't been walked today we decide to stop
early. We see a lovely empty sheep field that we can moor up by, so pull over. It's
right next to the pub at Bablock Hythe, a huge park homes site is further on.
I make us a dinner with the crayfish we caught, absolutely yummy, really tasty, best quality, and if I say so myself, I cooked them to perfection!
 |
| Monsters from the deep before they looked edible .... |
 |
| ... and fried in butter, chilli and garlic, with jacket spud and salad, we enjoyed our free dinner! |
 |
| We eat our dinner overlooking a lovely meadow, Jack pretends to be asleep... but he's watching |
 |
| The view upstream from the mooring at Bablock Hyth |
 |
| We wander around the meadows that go down to the river .... |
 |
| Two paddle boarders glide up the river enjoying every minute... he's another for you Lyndz! |
The fields are brilliant, just go on and on, the Thames path (the towpath) goes
along the edge of the open plan sheep fields giving us access all round!
We
have a great time here, Jack has a good scamper around, chasing rabbits and
flushing up pheasants, nearly getting the tip of one's tail.
We chatted to some boaters who had stopped for lunch
and was telling our story about the evil cows further upstream. Turns out they
knew exactly what we were talking about, except they weren't evil cows, they
were young water bison! Yikes! So that's why there was a double electric fence!
And we had gone in their field only the day before, wouldn't have done that if we'd
known!
We sat outside and watched the sun go down, lovely
warm evening, beautiful sunset.
 |
| The mist lays on the very still and calm waters of the Thames |
Thursday 8th August the
sun was shining lovely, not a ripple on the water, not a drop of wind.
Such a lovely last day on the Thames. Everything looks
so much lovlier in the sunshine, it was grey and windy when we came up this
way, not too pleasant. on the way back it was stunning!
We get within half a mile from Dukes Cut, the way onto
the Oxford Canal, and come to a place called Hagely Pool and look for somewhere
to moor up. We spot a great place on the side of an empty meadow, huge great
garden for Jack! No one anywhere near us, no walkers, cyclists, dogs, just us!
We get in the bank nice and snug and go and explore,
Jack has a wonderful time running about in the fields, and back at the boat he
runs around with his much travelled parrot, his favorite ever toy! We chill out
in the sun.
The wind gets up in the evening and were moored on the
side of an open meadow in the Thames Valley, we go indoors for shelter!
Our last day on the Thames, Friday 9th August. We're actually quite sad to be leaving this river, we've got about
half a mile to Dukes Cut, then it's the canals again. Its been like a real
holiday on the Thames, all the locks are done for you, the rivers big and wide,
easy cruising really. But there's also the wonderful canals again with their little
secluded bridges so cute and small after the big Thames, the stillness and
calmness of the slow pace of life, theres always something different round
every narrow shallow corner and bend, somewhere isolated and rural as you like,
or as busy as a pub mooring .....
Before we leave we haul our crayfish net out the water
of the Thames for the last time and old Father Thames has done us proud! We've
netted 50 crayfish! The nets packed with ugly monsters from the deep, but so
tasty outta the shells!
So we set too and boil them dead in a huge great pot on
the stove! What a catch. After boiling them, de-heading them and shelling their
tails we have another bowl full of pink pieces of delicious meat, these are going in the freezer for another day!
So we set
off the half a mile to our exit from the Thames down Dukes Cut.
 |
| We leave our mooring spot and go the half a mile to the turn off ...... |
 |
| Thames to the left, Thames to the right, this is Dukes cut.... onwards to the Oxford Canal |
It's a sharp
left as you come off the Thames ......
still to come.... Dukes Cut, Oxford Canal
last entered 15th August, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment