Below King’s Lock (River Thames) – Tuesday 27th August and East Street Moorings, Oxford – Wednesday 28th August

Tuesday 27th August

We didn’t move on today.  The forecast said it was going to be hot again, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been.  There was a lot of cloud around which shielded the sun.

As we were having a quiet day, I thought I would do some research on crossings of the River Thames.  There are over 200 bridges, 27 tunnels, six public ferries, one cable car link, and one ford. 

Many of the present road bridges over the river are on the sites of earlier fords, ferries and wooden structures. The earliest known major crossings of the Thames by the Romans were at London Bridge and Staines Bridge. At Folly Bridge in Oxford the remains of an original Saxon structure can be seen, and medieval stone structures such as Wallingford Bridge, Newbridge and Abingdon Bridge are still in use.

The world's first underwater tunnel was the Thames Tunnel by Marc Brunel built in 1843, designed for horse-drawn carriages but used as a pedestrian route; since 1869 the tunnel has carried trains on the East London Line.

Some ferries still operate on the river. The Woolwich Ferry carries cars and passengers across the river in the Thames Gateway and links the North Circular and South Circular roads. Upstream are smaller pedestrian ferries, for example Hampton Ferry and the Shepperton to Weybridge Ferry; the latter is the only non-permanent crossing that remains on the Thames Path.

In the evening we were inundated by young people all walking to the lock island and they were soon out on the water.

Wednesday 28th August

We pulled pins, winded and set off to Godstow Lock.  Under Godstow Bridge and passed the Abbey.

Thank goodness we have left the manual locks behind – but oh no the power was off, and the Lockie and Volunteer were having to operate it manually!  Now this isn’t an easy job like it is on the Upper Thames – this is very hard work, I know, I’ve done it before!  There were three narrow boats in the queue and the lock can only take two at a time, so we had to wait.  It took us almost an hour to get through.  The good side of it was that I got all the housework done – well except for washing the kitchen floor!

Passed Port Meadow and I could see six spires peeping out of the horizon.  Oxford is known as the City of Dreaming Spires, but I can’t seem to find out how many there actually are.

Under Osney Bridge and it was a case of, will there be, or won’t there be, any mooring at East Street.  Well a sight that we didn’t expect to see greeted us – there were only three boats moored so where would I like to be?  Outside number 18 please!  Why?  We were having a Tesco order and I had given our location as outside number 18.  In fact, there was a boat already there, but we are outside number 17 which is next door.  I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Our Tesco delivery arrived and most of the shopping came in through the side hatch.  I guess what they were originally for – loading goods into a boat.

3.2 miles

1 lock

Below King’s Lock (River Thames) – Monday 26th August

We needed to move on today as the toilet situation was getting dire!  We said goodbye to Sue and Andy (though we might see them again tomorrow) however Andy walked down with me to the lock in case it wasn’t manned.  It was, however, manned by Lock Keeper, official volunteer and an unofficial volunteer.

  

Under Swinford Bridge.  You can see where repairs have been down and where repairs need to be done!

Down to Eynsham Lock where we topped up with water and dropped down through the lock to empty the toilet cassettes and get rid of the rubbish.  It was really busy down there with three boats on the visitor’s moorings, plus one doing a pump out and one waiting to go into the lock – a quick waltz around and we were alongside.  The smell permeating from somewhere was disgusting – I walked to the rubbish bins but walked back to the boat the long way round!

As we went into the lock, I heard someone ask the Lock Keeper why they don’t have the nice UV sun umbrellas like the lock keepers have lower down the river.  Her answer was that the umbrellas are to protect the electric consoles from getting too hot – not for the lockies at all!

We moored up just before Duke’s Cut junction, but it was very overgrown and there wasn’t any shade at all.  Richard took Muffin for a walk and came back saying that we could move onto one of the King’s Lock temporary moorings which was under a tree.  He didn’t have to ask twice!  We pulled pins and moved down to the lock.  As the Lock Keeper was busy, I helped the Volunteer who was a very chatty and nice man.  Out of the lock and we pulled over and moored up - it was UNDER A TREE!  Out came the chairs and we sat in the shade for the rest of the afternoon.

The river has been busy all day and in fact all three locks we did today had a Volunteer as well as a Lock Keeper – mind you it was Bank Holiday Monday.

As an avid Poldark viewer, I was very sad that it was coming to an end.  So how do I feel now that it has finished?  Sad that I wont see another episode and the gorgeous Ross Poldark and the equally (in my mind anyway) Dr. Dwight Ennis.  However, I was disappointed in the episode.  It seemed like one big rush to get everyone married off, have babies or move away - all in an hour.  Still I have really enjoyed all the series and maybe it will be ‘never say never’!  The ITV adverts are full of the Downton Abbey film and that was a ‘definite no more’.

4.22 miles

3 locks

Opposite Pinkhill Meadow (River Thames) – Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August

Two blog posts in one again for two reasons.  One - when you don't move there isn't much to blog about and two - it was too darn hot!

Saturday 24th August

I needn’t worry about catching Sue and Andy’s early mornings – it was quite late when we finally came to but as we weren’t going anywhere it didn’t really matter.

The weather forecasters had said it would be a hot weekend and they were right.  There aren’t many moorings under trees but fortunately there was a nice breeze which blew through the boat and cooled her down.  The highest it got inside was 28°.

We set up camp outside with chairs, tables and sun umbrellas.  At one stage a family walked across the field and the man came up to us and asked us if we were enjoying it here!  I thought it rather odd then found out that he is the landowner!  He said that he doesn’t mind people mooring here but only for two days but he was quite happy for us to stay longer – this was after he had asked us where we were from.  He obviously realised that we aren’t continuous moorers, so we were OK.

  

Sue from No Problem XL walked down with the dogs.  She stopped for a chat with us and with Sue and Andy.  They are moored under trees so had decided not to come and join us.  They haven’t got the breeze though.

Behind us is, what looks a lovely place to moor, but it has big No Mooring signs.  A hire boat with 6 young men on moored up right next to the sign!  They had a great time jumping into the river and swimming around – I’m not too sure I would want to do it as the water looks pretty mucky!

  

The river has been busy today but mainly with small boats and canoes – oh and two paddle boards complete with a dog on each!  There are quite a few canoes now with electric motors which you can’t see. The Thames Path has also been busy with cheerful people nearly all ready to say hello.

Muffin had his cool jacket on.  He is funny when it first goes on as he stands there giving us “the look” but soon realises that it makes him feel nicer.

  

Sue and Andy came up to join us after the rugby had finished – by that time it had cooled down a lot and it was very pleasant sitting on the riverbank.

We had drinks on the terrace again early evening before retiring into our boats for dinner.

  

Sunday 25th August

Another day of doing nothing.  Sue and Andy went for a walk round Farmoor Reservoir – too much for me on such a hot day.

Sue (No Problem) came down to see us but she arrived saying that a sheep was stuck in the mud and could Richard and Andy please rescue it.  Andy grabbed a rope and off we trotted.  The poor sheep was well and truly stuck, and it took three people to pull her out.  Once out she just lay there – I guess she was exhausted as no doubt she had been struggling to get out in the heat.  Eventually Sue got one of her dogs to gently walk near the sheep and that got her up and off to join her friends in the shade.  Sue did the visiting rounds and then walked back to No Problem however she found another stuck sheep so off went the Rescue Team to do their bit again!

  

It was certainly hotter today then yesterday - 30°+ so we sat outside under the sun umbrellas.  I was using my iPad when suddenly across the screen came a red EMERGENCY followed by this iPad is too hot and will shut down until cool!  I have to say that it was in the direct sunshine.

The Thames Path was a lot quieter today with very few families.  The river was also quiet which was a shame.

The sheep just seemed to spend the whole afternoon baa-ing!  We got used to it in the end, but it was pretty much constant.  Goodness knows what was going on.  Some of the sheep in our field came quite close and I could see a magpie having a ride on one of them.

It was drinks on the terrace again then dinner and Poldark – I can’t believe there is only going to be one more episode ☹

Opposite Pinkhill Meadow (River Thames) – Friday 23rd August

I think Sue and Andy’s early mornings must be rubbing off on us as we were away by 9.30am.  Mind you they had gone passed us much earlier than that!

Under New Bridge and it’s 6 arches!  Maybe one day I will find out where the other 6 are.  Passed the wedding tepees but obviously no wedding this weekend as they didn’t look as nice as last time.

  

We went straight into Northmoor Lock as there was another narrowboat in there.  I got chatting to the lady at the front who was doing the ropes and it turned out that they have a winter mooring at Ham Manor on the Kennet and Avon where we winter moored for a few years.  When we left the lock, I went and told Richard and he had been chatting to the skipper who told him that they moored somewhere completely different on the K & A – something with a green in it, which I guess could be Greenham Lock but that isn’t Ham Manor!

As we passed Bablock Hythe Caravan Park there was a man walking his cat!  Muffin started growling – goodness only knows why!

We came across Sue and Vic on No Problem XL and gave them a wave.  Hopefully they will move down to moor near us tomorrow.

  

The above photo was taken a few days ago.  It’s not brilliant but it was very interesting watching the young men getting into their wet suits!

We found Festina Lente just round the corner and moored up behind.

We had a quiet afternoon as it was fairly hot.  I had a headache and took two paracetamols and lay down on the bed.  Suddenly there was an almighty bang as a hire boat took the corner wrong and came into us sideways on.  I’m afraid I swore at them – Richard said I shouldn’t have done but when it happens right by your head – and a head that was hurting – I think justifies it.  The Anglo Welsh hire base is just below the next lock and they hadn’t been on a boat before.  I’m not sure that the wiggles of the Upper Thames are the best bit of waterway to learn on.

There are sheep in the next field and there are some escapees who are in our field.  One of them obviously wanted to get back into the other field and made such a fuss – she had a very strange baa.  Sue reckoned she was foreign!

  

Muffin is more than ready for a clip.  He is being very considerate to the sheep and we think that maybe he thinks they are Cockapoos like him – mind you then have been shorn so have less hair than him!

Sue and Andy came round for a pre-dinner drink as it began to cool down a bit. 

5.83 miles

1 lock

Newbridge (River Thames) – Thursday 22nd August

We were awake at 7am – goodness only knows why!

When it came time to leave, we were jammed on an earthy ledge and it took a lot of pushing off to get free.

  

We got water at Shifford Lock and, as the lock was on self service, I went and got it ready.  A motor cruiser came down and followed Richard into the lock.  It was then that I realised that the crew were Mrs. Bossy-Know-It-All and Mr. Down-Trodden.  She came in on the boat and made such a fuss about the ropes bossing her poor husband around who muttered something under his breath!  Another narrow boat came down but as it was a hire boat, she was not having it in the lock with her as “I’ve had trouble with hirers in locks – they don’t know what they are doing”!  As the water level went down, she was on at Mr. Down-Trodden all the time – let this rope out – pull that rope in.  After we had opened the lock gates, she said that she was getting on her boat and that the hirers could shut the gates!  Needless to say, I shut mine and by the time I had got round to the other side Mr. Hirer was closing the gate.  I said to him that they could have got in the lock but that the motor cruiser wasn’t having it!  He said that the motor cruiser had come up behind him earlier so he slowed down and pulled over so they could get passed – he got no recognition from them at all.  Strange lady as, in fact, she was very chatty to me and seemed OK.

  

It was a nice trip down to Newbridge.  I was steering, which is quite unusual, but I really enjoyed it.  Festina Lente was moored up in their own little space on the meadow before Newbridge and we pulled in just after them.  The bank is very high there and of course Muffin had to try to get ashore and ended up clinging to the bank – thank goodness we had a harness on him.  We now have a very steep angle on the gang plank and Richard has put a rope in to help pull ourselves up.

  

Richard and Andy went off to the pub for a few pints of Abbot Ale which is 5%.  Richard came back smiling (!!) and promptly fell asleep!  In Bury St. Edmunds - the home of Abbot Ale - brewing can be traced back 1,000 years. In fact, the Domesday Book records “cerevisiari” or ‘ale brewers’ who served the Abbot in the town’s Great Abbey.

I didn’t get off the boat in the end but had a nice peaceful afternoon having a doze and caught up on Tuesday’s Holby City.

The village of Newbridge was grown up round the New Bridge - a 13th-century bridge which is one of the two oldest surviving bridges on the Thames. The northern span is listed as Grade I and the southern as Grade II*.  It was built by monks on the orders of King John in order to improve communications between the wool towns in the south of England and the Cotswold farms.  It was originally much longer than it is now, with 51 arches and being 726 yards long, compared with the current 12 arches (I only counted 6 but maybe the others are hidden somewhere).  In 1644, in the Civil War, the Battle of Newbridge was fought on the banks of the river. Parliamentarian William Waller attempted to cross in order to surround Oxford and capture King Charles but was defeated.  I guess the battlefield is probably where we are moored.

  

3.05 miles

1 lock

Chimney (River Thames) – Wednesday 21st August

No one was in a hurry to leave this morning as we only going one mile and one lock.  Our first destination was the Trout at Tadpole Bridge.

Once we were on our way, we just had Rushey Lock to do which was on self service though the boss man was there overseeing a problem with the pumpout.  He said he would see us through but opened the gates and disappeared!  Sue played lock keeper instead.

It was then a short trip down to Tadpole Bridge where the pub’s mooring was completely empty – well it was 11am!  Tadpole Bridge dates from the late 18th century, the earliest reference to it being in 1784.  It is a Grade II listed. 

  

It was decided that 11am was rather early to be going into the pub so we all sat and waited for midday!!  On the first stroke of 12 four people emerged from their respective boats and ran (Ooops sorry – walked) to the pub!  We had been before but can’t remember when!  We just had drink in the garden – it was very sociable. 

The Trout is a fully licensed wedding venue and you can have a garden ceremony under this wooden gazebo before sitting down to eat the wedding breakfast.

  

Andy took the lead on our way down river.  We had planned to stop opposite Chimney Meadow but there was already a boat on the two boat mooring so we stopped on the one boat mooring and Festina Lente went on to the other mooring.  Richard finally remembered stopping here before and he also remembered that there is nowhere to walk Muffin without going under a barbed wire fence – which, this year, is electrified!rg

This is a photo I took of Festina Lente going under 10 Foot Bridge – which is so called not because it is 10 foot high but because it spans a 10 foot part of the river.

  

Opposite us is Chimney Meadows, which at 620 acres, is the largest nature reserve managed by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust or BBOWT. Its fields are part of an ancient landscape, created by the Thames and shaped by centuries of farming. Once a commercial farm, the rich wildlife of this remote and tranquil place has been restored since the Trust started looking after it in 2003. Fields once planted with wheat and barley are now colourful, species-rich wildflower meadows. This type of habitat is important for its remarkable diversity of plant-life and as a home to nationally declining wading birds such as curlew, which breed here.

2.73 miles

1 lock

Above Rushey Lock (River Thames) – Tuesday 20th August

It was time to move on or should that be move back?  The wind seemed to have died down which was a relief.  Sue and Andy had left at 7.30am – they must have crept passed us as we didn’t hear them.  I thought that Richard would go up to the head of the navigable river to turn around, but he turned where we were.  So, no photo opportunity!

I’ve had a couple of funny cow incidents at Lechlade written on my Facebook page.  I hope the writers wont mind me putting them on here.  Allan Keepingup said – “last time we were there one of the cows picked up our mop which was on the roof and, holding the stringy end in its mouth, swung the stick round and round and chased the other cows all over the field with it. Good game! We got it back undamaged 15 minutes later” and

Martin Clark said “you were lucky it was only the cows licking the dew off the boat that woke you up. Last time we were there we were woken at 6 am by the boat suddenly rocking around and discovered that a cow had slipped and fallen into the river between the boat and the bank and was forcing its way out along the side!”

  

The Lock Keeper at St. John’s Lock was very pleased to see us as we were the first people he had seen all day!  He is only a young man and lives on his own in the Lock Keeper’s cottage, so I guess in winter it could be a bit lonely.  He explained to me that each lock has a cottage for the lock keeper and a second one, or the main one is semi-detached, for a relief keeper.  However, these days that cottage is let out - they are not allowed to be sold. Relief keepers live in their own homes but are given a company vehicle as they have to go from lock to lock but there is a shortage of relief keepers.  There are two categories of locks – ‘A’ and ‘B’.   ‘A’ locks have services, issue licences or similar which need a keeper there but ‘B’ locks are put on self-service when the Keeper has a day off.   I did point out that some locks always seem to be on self-service, but he didn’t know the answer to that!  I asked him about the locks with cafes which seem to be closed.  The cafes are private businesses often run by the Lock Keeper’s wife.  The original keeper at Sonning retired so the café closed down though apparently the new keeper wants to start it up again.  Mapledurham café has closed as it was run but a private individual whose lease wasn’t renewed.  So, it wasn’t an Environment Agency directive. 

  

The board at Buscot Lock was on self-service as the Keeper was mowing the grass.  However, he stopped and helped us through.  He said that with the rain the grass is growing really quickly. 

We stopped to get water at Grafton Lock.  The board said Lock Keeper on Duty, but he was also mowing the grass but stopped his mower to see us through.  Interesting how two Keepers can differ with their boards.

Next was Radcot Lock where the three photos are from.  I do like the Lock Keeper’s bungalow here.  We also had two trainee volunteer lockies helping.

  

Our journey today was a bit of a magical mystery tour as we didn’t know where we were going to find Sue and Andy.  I got a message from Sue to say they were at Champagne Lawn!  After a bit of thought I realised she meant where we had met them last week.  You may remember that they came round for drinks that evening.  Sue had messaged me and asked what they could bring so I gaily said a bottle of your best champagne.  She only came round with a bottle of proper champagne!  I will have to careful what I ask for now!

When we got to Champagne Lawn a small motor cruiser had moored in the huge space left by Andy and were having lunch on the bank – proper picnic with table and chairs.  We got in on the end and moored up.  While we were busy Muffin took himself off to the picnic table and found chicken bones on a plate on the ground and helped himself!  They were not best pleased.  I apologised profusely but the little horror did it again – this time when they were doing tai-chi!  I have to say that I thought they might have moved the bones!

We sat out with Sue and Andy having a little tipple (read into that what you like).  It was 8.30pm when we finally went in – it had got a little chilly by then.

8.45 miles

4 locks

Lechlade (River Thames) – Monday 19th August

I had a really bad night’s sleep ☹  Richard had restless legs which, in a 4 foot 6 inch bed isn’t good!  I think it was about 2am when I finally got to sleep then Muffin woke me up wanting to go out at 6am.  We think he had eaten something unmentionable yesterday as his nose had been all green!  Please don’t over think this!

It was nearly 11am when I surfaced from the bedroom, but I was showered and had washed my hair.

Sue hadn’t been well over the weekend, but she was feeling better today and I got a message from her suggesting a lunchtime drink at the Trout.  We decided to have a snack lunch, but I didn’t eat again for the rest of the day!  It was a really enjoyable lunch time which ended up with our last drink being taken in the garden overlooking the weir.

The boys at the bar!

On our way back to the boats we came across two men with a stretcher!  However, on examination of the body we noticed it was a dummy!  They were walking the Thames Path from Cricklade to the Iraq Memorial in London in aid of the Lance Corporal Ben Hyde Memorial Trust.  Ben Hyde was killed in a shooting in Majarr Al Kabir in 2003 along with his five comrades.  The Trust raises money for varying Military Charities along with Community Services.  If you see them, please give them a wave and a donation of course.

  

On our way back to the boat we saw a pedalo which would had been rented from the Riverside pub.  It was still very windy across the meadow, so I hope they got back safely.

  

Richard and I then walked into Lechlade to stock the fridge up as there won’t be any shopping for possibly a week!  I wanted to go and look in the Church, but it was closed for the children’s summer club.  The present Church was completed in 1476; but there was certainly a Church on the same site before that. Only small fragments of this earlier church remain – possibly the font, the figure of St Agatha in the north aisle, and 13th Century piscine in the south aisle.  It is thought that there was a Church dedicated to St Lawrence in 1255 and that this Church was one of the few in England that had the privilege of sanctuary.  There is also mention of the parish of Lechlade in 1086 in the Domesday Book.

  

The Church clock has been annoying me since we have been in Lechlade as it is about 5 minutes slow!

   

After we had done the shopping we walked back to the boat through the cows.  They are very laid back and don’t really care about people and dogs at all.  A few of the heifers have green spiked nose rings in, these are mainly used for the calf weaning.  The ring is worn on the nose of the calf, when the calf goes to suckle from its mother the spikes stab her and she won’t allow the calf to feed.  It all sounds rather cruel to me but then farming can be a bit like that.  By the way you can buy them on Amazon!

Lechlade (River Thames) – Sunday 18th August

The view over Lechlade from the boat

We had been woken up at 6am by the heifers in the field licking the boat!  This is very common especially in the early hours of the morning.  Nothing is safe on your boat.  We usually have flowers on the boat and the cattle are very susceptible to those!  One year they chewed our centre rope – they didn’t go through it, but it was all soggy and now doesn’t lie flat.  Richard dashed out to shoo them away as they also like to chew the canvas of the cratch and pram cover.

  

We woke up, at our normal time, to rain which hadn’t been forecast but it soon brightened up though it was very windy.

I’m afraid that I didn’t leave the boat today.  I had planned a walk in the afternoon, but I ended up with having a sleep to try and get rid of a headache.

Here are a couple of interesting facts – well I think they are interesting!

Why is the lock called St. John’s lock I wondered, well both the lock and its adjoining bridge are named after a priory dedicated to St John the Baptist, which has long since disappeared. 

There is a stone statue of Old Father Thames at St. John’s Lock.  It was made in 1851 for the Great Exhibition in the Crystal Palace at Hyde Park. After the palace burnt down in 1936, the statue was moved near the river's source at Trewsbury Meads in Gloucestershire. Unfortunately, the statue was vandalised there so was moved to its current location in 1974. 

  

Who is Old Father Thames?  I’ve researched and read a few ideas, but I like this one! 

Before becoming Father Thames he was a Pre-Roman priest living in Londinium with the name Tiberius Claudius Verica.  However In the 19th century, Father Thames's sons Tyburn, Fleet and Effra died as a result of the pollution and environmental destruction of the rivers by the city's inhabitants. Father Thames angrily left the city of London and the tidal areas of the Thames in 1858 following The Great Stink. He resettled himself and his 'court' near the source of his river in the Thames Valley.  (Taken from Follypedia)

I have not made a mistake in the years because as a “neo-myth” he is still alive - apparently!  (I'm sure that someone will put me right on this!)